Daijiworld Media Network - Kolkata
Kolkata, Aug 16: Veteran Bengali filmmaker Raja Sen passed away at a Kolkata hospital on Sunday. He was 70.
The three-time National Award-winning director had been admitted to SSKM Hospital three days ago and breathed his last at around 10 am.
Sen is survived by his wife Papiya Sen and two daughters, Subhasree Sen and Sreyoshi Sen.
His wife told media persons that the director had been suffering from heart ailments and was on ventilator support.
"He had a cardiac arrest. Gradually, multiple organs were failing. The doctors tried very hard. But he could not be saved," Papiya Sen said.
She said Sen's brother-in-law had arrived from Mumbai, while her elder brother Sabyasachi Chakraborty was also present. Their elder daughter lives in Germany and had recently admitted her father to hospital before returning there.
"Whatever my elder brother, brother-in-law and daughter decide together, the next decision will be taken," she said.
Sen was initially admitted to a private hospital following a back injury, but his condition gradually deteriorated. During treatment, he developed lung problems, followed by heart complications and later kidney problems.
Born in Kolkata on November 10, 1955, Sen made his mark in Bengali television before moving into feature films.
His feature-film debut, 'Damu', released in 1996, won the National Film Award for Best Children's Film. Starring Raghuvir Yadav, Satya Banerjee and Sabyasachi Chakrabarty, the film established Sen as a filmmaker.
He later directed 'Atmiyo Swajan', which won the National Film Award for Best Film on Family Welfare.
His other feature films included 'Chakrabyuha', 'Desh' and 'Debipaksha', among others.
Sen also directed several documentaries. His documentary on renowned Rabindra Sangeet exponent Suchitra Mitra won the National Film Award for Best Arts/Cultural Film.
He also documented several prominent figures from Bengal's cultural world, including filmmakers Tapan Sinha and Sombhu Mitra and poet Subhas Mukhopadhyay.
Sen's last feature film, 'Bhalobasar Golpo', was released in 2019.