Industry pays tribute to Swatilekha

Veteran Bengali actor Swatilekha Sengupta died at the age of 71 in a Kolkata hospital on the afternoon of June 16.

"She was suffering from kidney ailments," the late actor's daughter Sohini said.

She added, "She was being treated for kidney-related problems at a private hospital in Kolkata for the last 24 days."

Swatilekha was a recipient of the 'Sangeet Natak Akademi Award'.

Mourning the actor on 'Twitter', renowned Bengali film director Srijit Mukherji wrote, "Anti, gone. RIP Swatilekha Sengupta."

Raj Chakrabarty, whose forthcoming project 'Dharmajuddha' will mark Swatilekha Sengupta's last film, tweeted, "A huge and irreparable loss. Veteran actor and theatre personality Swatilekha Sengupta is no more. May her soul rest in peace."

"I'm very sad to hear about Swatilekha Sengupta. RIP. I was fortunate enough to work with her briefly as a producer for our film 'Chauranga'. Unfortunately, the desire to direct her will remain unfulfilled. Gone too soon. Will remain immortalised for her performance in 'Ghare Bhaire'," wrote filmmaker Onir, who produced Sengupta's 2016 critically-acclaimed film 'Chauranga'.

Swatilekha's performance as Bimala in Satyajit Ray's 1984 film 'Ghare Baire' alongside Soumitra Chatterjee is still remembered by many.

Both the late actors had also co-starred in Shiboprasad Mukherjee and Nandita Roy's blockbuster 'Bela Seshe'. The duo also worked together in Shiboprasad Mukherjee and Nandita Roy's upcoming film 'Bela Shuru', which will mark their last project together.

Swatilekha Sengupta was also one of the spearheads of the theatre group 'Nandikar', which she used to handle with her husband Rudraprasad Sengupta and daughter Sohini.

She was last seen in Sudip Chakraborty's 2019 film 'Barof'.