Noted litterateur Nimai Bhattacharya passes away at 89

Kolkata: Noted litterateur Nimai Bhattacharya died in Kolkata on Thursday.

He was 89-years-old and was suffering from age related ailments for quite some time.

Recalling her long association with Bhattacharya, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted: "I had a long association with him and for me it is a personal loss. Bengal government had conferred Banga Bibhusan on him. My condolences to his family members and admirers."

Bhattacharya rose to fame for his novel Memsaheb which was later cinematised

starring Uttam Kumar and Aparna Sen.

He had penned more than 150 books of which Diplomat, Minibus, Bachelor, Rajdhani Express and Pather Sesh became very popular.

Bhattacharya started his career as a reporter in Delhi and came in contact with many great persons including Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Dr BC Roy.

He had travelled extensively in Europe, America and Latin American countries.

In the early years of Doordarshan Kolkata he took interviews of several writers and musical personalities in the slot 'Kothae o Sure'.

He had interviewed well- known singer Manabendra Mukhopadhyay in the black and white era, but the interaction is so popular that it is still being telecasted.