Indian movie star Soumitra Chatterjee has died of coronavirus-related health complications aged 85.
After suffering symptoms of the virus, the actor tested positive for Covid-19, and was subsequently admitted to a hospital in Kolkata city on October 6.
The film legend died on Monday morning.
Starring in over 300 films over the course of his career, Chatterjee was also an acclaimed playwright and poet, as well as regularly appearing in theatre productions.
A testament to his legacy in the film industry, Chatterjee had received the esteemed Dada Saheb Phalke Award in 2012 and was also handed France’s Legion of Honour in 2018.
Indian movie star Soumitra Chatterjee has died aged 85
His death was announced in a statement on Sunday, which read: “We declare with heavy heart that Shri Soumitra Chattopadhyay breathed his last at 12-15 pm at Belle Vue Clinic today.
“We pay our homage to his soul.”
Chatterjee reportedly tested negative for coronavirus later in October, but was put on a ventilator by the end of the month as his condition had deteriorated.
Soumitra Chatterjee had starred in over 300 over the course of his six-decade-long career (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Prior to his death, the film and literary star had been filming a documentary, though was forced to pull out of the production after falling ill on October 1.
Making his film debut in 1959, Chatterjee starred in Apur Sansar, which was the third film in Oscar-winning director Satyajit Ray’s award-winning Apu Trilogy.
He went on to star in 14 more films directed by Ray, preferring to act in Bengali-language productions and avoiding the Bollywood industry in India.
Chatterjee and Ray had a close working relationship until the director’s death in 1992.
Chatterjee was famed for his work with award-winning director Satyajit Ray (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Praising Ray’s artistry and their camaraderie, Chatterjee once said: “Not a day passed when I do not think of Ray or discuss him or miss him.
“He is a constant presence in my life, if not for anything else but for the inspiration I derive when I think about him.”
With his career spanning six decades, tributes and messages of condolence have been flooding in from fans since news of Chatterjee’s death broke.
He is survived by his wife Deepa Chatterjee, son Sougata and daughter Poulami Bose.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
