Veteran Bengali filmmaker Raja Sen died on Sunday morning while undergoing treatment at Kolkata’s SSKM Hospital. He was 71.
Sen had been suffering from health complications for some time. He was initially admitted to a private hospital after experiencing severe back pain.
His condition later deteriorated, prompting doctors to transfer him to SSKM Hospital.
During treatment, he developed complications involving his lungs and kidneys and also suffered a cardiac episode.
He was eventually placed on ventilator support. He died while undergoing treatment on Sunday.
Sen’s death has cast a shadow of mourning over the Bengali film industry. He was best known for directing Damu, a film that earned him widespread recognition among audiences.
Raja Sen made his feature-film directorial debut with Damu in 1996. The film received critical and audience appreciation and won the National Film Award for Best Children’s Film.
Over the course of his career, Sen directed several feature films, television serials and documentaries. His film Desh featured Jaya Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan.
Sen last directed the film Bhalobashar Golpo in 2019. He did not direct another feature film after that.
Alongside cinema, he remained involved in television and documentary filmmaking, leaving a distinctive mark on Bengali visual storytelling.
Sen’s elder daughter lives in Germany. She returned abroad after her father was admitted to hospital and will therefore be unable to attend his final rites.
His death has prompted an outpouring of grief from colleagues, artistes and admirers across the Bengali film industry.
