Bengali Filmmaker Raja Sen, Three-Time National Award Winner, Dies At 70

KOLKATA-Veteran Bengali film director and three-time National Award winner Raja Sen passed away at a Kolkata hospital on August 16. He was 70.

Sen was admitted to SSKM Hospital three days ago and breathed his last at 10 a.m. His wife, Papiya Sen, said he had been suffering from heart ailments and was on a ventilator.

“He had a cardiac arrest. Gradually, multiple organs were failing. The doctors tried very hard. But he could not be saved,” Papiya Sen told media persons.

Sen had initially been admitted to a private hospital with a back injury, but his condition gradually deteriorated. During treatment, he developed lung problems, followed by heart and kidney complications.

Sen is survived by his wife, Papiya Sen, and two daughters, Subhasree Sen and Sreyoshi Sen.

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. The film starred Raghuvir Yadav, Satya Banerjee and Sabyasachi Chakrabarty.

He went on to direct ‘Atmiyo Swajan’, which won the National Film Award for Best Film on Family Welfare.

His other feature films included ‘Chakrabyuha’, ‘Desh’ and ‘Debipaksha’.

Sen also directed several documentaries. His documentary on celebrated Rabindra Sangeet exponent Suchitra Mitra won the National Film Award for Best Arts/Cultural Film.

He also documented prominent figures from Bengal’s cultural world, including filmmakers Tapan Sinha and Sombhu Mitra and poet Subhas Mukhopadhyay.

Sen’s last feature film was ‘Bhalobasar Golpo’, released in 2019. (IANS)