GRETA GARBO OF BENGALI CINEMA” SUCHITRA SEN” DIES AT 82 FOLLOWING HEART STROKE

Kolkata: Legendary actor Suchitra Sen, known as the Greta Garbo of Bengali cinema and who gave memorable performances in classics like ‘Devdas’, ‘Aandhi’ and’ Deep Jwele Jai’, died of a heart attack yesterday at a hospital here.

Family sources said the screen goddess suffered a massive cardiac arrest at Belle Vue clinic where was admitted since December 23. Doctors tried their best to save her but she passed away at 8.25 am, the sources said. “I extend greetings (‘namaskar’) to everybody on behalf of my mother,” her actor-daughter Moon Moon Sen said after coming out of the hospital.

The 82-year-old star, who starred in over 60 films, is survived by her only daughter Moon Moon and grand-daughters Riya and Raima, both actors. She was being treated at the private Intensive Treatment Unit of the hospital for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and was battling acute breathing difficulties.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who rushed to the hospital after hearing the news, today announced that a gun salute will be accorded to the star at her funeral. “Her family wants a quiet funeral arrangement for her. We need your cooperation to respect their wish,” Banerjee said. Sen’s funeral will take place at Keoratala Crematorium in south Kolkata, she said.

A tribute would also be paid to Sen at Rabindra Sadan, the city’s cultural hotspot. Sen, who has been living the life of a recluse in a south Kolkata apartment for over three decades, starred in memorable Hindi films like ‘Devdas’, and ‘Aandhi’ and Bengali films like ‘Saat Paake Bandha’,’Agnipariksha’, ‘Saptapadi’ and ‘Deep Jwele Jai’.

Sen went on to receive a National Award for her performance in the 1955 Hindi film ‘Devdas’ and is the first Indian actor to be awarded at an international film festival – best actor award for ‘Saat Paake Bandha’ in 1963 Moscow film festival.

But after her 1978 movie ‘Pronoy Pasha’ with Soumitra Chatterjee flopped, she disappeared from the public eye and even allegedly refused the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2005 preferring not to make a public appearance. The screen goddess of yesteryears was often compared to Hollywood actor Greta Garbo as only a handful of people outside her close circuit had seen her face to face in the last 35 years.