Veteran singer Anup Ghoshal passes away
KOLKATA: Even now, when we revisit Satyajit Ray’s ‘Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne’ (GuGaBaBa), the characters of Goopy by Tapen Chatterjee and Bagha by Rabi Ghosh stand unmatched. However, the timeless charm of ‘GuGaBaBa’ lies not just in their performances but in the unforgettable songs.
From songs like ‘Dekhore Nayan Mele,’ ‘Maharaja! Tomare Selam,’ ‘Ore Baghare,’ to ‘O Mantri Moshai,’ and ‘Ek Je Chhilo Raja’, the album is synonymous with the timeless voice of Anup Ghoshal.
On Friday, Ghoshal passed away at a hospital in Kolkata at 1.45 pm at the age of 77. The former TMC MLA was hospitalised for age-related issues and was on ventilation. His condition worsened, leading to a massive cardiac arrest on Friday.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her heartfelt condolences. “I am deeply saddened by the passing of veteran singer and music composer Dr Anup Ghoshal. His remarkable contributions to Nazrulgeeti and his versatile singing in Bengali, Hindi, and other languages have left an indelible mark on our cultural landscape. His timeless songs in Satyajit Ray’s ‘Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne’ and ‘Hirak Rajar Deshe’ continue to be favourites. In 2011, he became the TMC MLA from Uttarpara.
He was honoured by the state government with the ‘Nazrul Smriti’ award in 2011 and the ‘Sangeet Maha Samman’ award in 2013. The music world has lost a true legend,” she said. Following CM’s directive, minister Aroop Biswas visited the hospital to express condolence on Friday.
Growing up in a musical family, Ghoshal found his early inspiration from his mother, Labanya Ghoshal.
At just four-and-a-half years old, he made his debut as a singer for a children’s programme called ‘Shishu Mahal’ on All India Radio, Kolkata. He also received training in Rabindra Sangeet from the legendary Debabrata Biswas.
At just 19, Ghoshal made his singing debut in films with “GuGaBaBa’. His collaboration with Ray continued, earning him the National Award for ‘Hirak Rajar Deshe’ in 1981. Ghoshal also worked as an assistant music director for several of Ray’s films.
