Veteran thespian and actor Manoj Mitra breathes his last at 85, CM condoles demise
KOLKATA: In Tapan Sinha’s cult 1980 dark Bengali comedy ‘Banchharamer Bagaan’, Manoj Mitra, portraying an elderly peasant, keeps promising his garden to the zamindar after his death. However, despite repeated vows to die, he only comes back with renewed vigour. In real life, too, Mitra had defied the odds, returning home each time he was hospitalised over the past year. Admitted again in September, he was discharged after recovering. But on November 3, when he was hospitalised once more, doctors feared the outcome. On Tuesday at 8.50 am, the thespian passed away at a Salt Lake hospital in Kolkata at the age of 85. With him, a glorious chapter of Bengali theatre and cinema comes to a close. His iconic act in ‘Banchharamer Bagaan’ addressing peasant oppression was adapted from his own play, ‘Sajano Bagaan’.
From the hospital, his body was first taken to his Salt Lake residence. Afterward, it was brought to Rabindra Sadan, where his body was kept for some time, allowing friends, colleagues and admirers to pay their respects. Later, the legend was given a gun salute. His mortal remains were taken to the Keoratala crematorium for the final rites.
Mitra’s love for the art intensified during his college years at Scottish Church. Later, he joined Rabindra Bharati University’s drama department, eventually becoming its head. By then, he was celebrated for plays like ‘Narak Guljar’, ‘Aswathama’, ‘Chakbhanga Madhu’, ‘Alokanandar Putra Kanya’, ‘Chhayar Prashad’ and ‘Jene Shune Bish’. His immense contributions earned him accolades like the Sangeet Natak Award and the Asiatic Society Award.
Following his death, Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee expressed condolences, calling his loss irreplaceable. “Saddened by the demise of the famous actor, director and playwright, ‘Banga Bibhushan’ Manoj Mitra today morning. He had been a leading personality in our theatre and film worlds and his contributions have been immense,” she posted on social media.
Mitra was not only a theatre icon but also a celebrated figure in cinema. He worked with some of the finest filmmakers, including Tapan Sinha, Satyajit Ray, Buddhadeb Dasgupta, Basu Chatterjee, Tarun Majumdar, Shakti Samanta and Goutam Ghose. Known for standout performances in ‘Ghare Baire’ and ‘Ganashatru’, his menacing antagonist act in Anjan Choudhury’s ‘Shatru’ (1984) was equally impactful.
For actor Chandan Sen, Mitra’s passing marks the end of an era of learning from a master teacher. “We lost another mastermoshai. For the next 50 years, his plays will be staged. He created characters drawn from real life,” he said. Actor Debshankar Haldar valued his guidance and contributions. “His works taught me what theatre truly is. Anyone thinking of staging a Bengali play will be drawn to Mitra’s texts,” he said.
Arijit Maitra, a close associate of Tapan Sinha, fondly recalled how Sinha and Mitra spent hours discussing the nuances of cinema on Sinha’s last birthday. In a bittersweet twist of fate, Mitra, the playwright behind ‘Banchharamer Bagaan’ and the actor who breathed life into Banchharam on screen, passed away in the birth centenary year of Sinha, the visionary director who adapted his work.
