Veteran Bengali actor Soumitra Chatterjee passed away on Sunday due to COVID-19 complications and the medical board at the Kolkata hospital where he was for over a month announced the news. He was 85. The legendary actor had completed shooting for his biopic titled Abhijan. However, a documentary on his life remains incomplete. 

Chatterjee was shooting for Abhijan directed by actor Parambrata Chattopadhyay right before contracting COVID-19. The last time he attended the shooting floor at Bharatlaxmi Studio was on October 1. The next shooting schedule was fixed on October 7. However, he could not return to the sets as he was hospitalized on October 6. 

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"He was his usual self during the shoots. His dedication and involvement were enviable," a news agency quoted a source as saying. "He was so agile and mentally alert on September 30. He showed no discomfort during the shoots which went on for hours. Never imagined he will be leaving us so soon," Sandip Ray told.

The Dadasaheb Phalke awardee was admitted in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Kolkata's Belle Vue Hospital for almost 40 days and his consciousness level went down significantly since Friday. The condition of the veteran actor had remained a matter of concern owing to co-morbidities and advanced age. His key problem was Covid-19 encephalopathy, doctors said. Soumitra had tested positive for coronavirus on October 5 and got admitted to the hospital the very next morning.

(Source: PTI)