Aloke Mitra loses battle with cancer at 77

Kolkata: Aloke Mitra, noted photo journalist and former chief photographer of The Telegraph, died at SSKM hospital on Thursday.

He was 77 years old and is survived by his wife and a daughter.

Mitra had been suffering from cancer and was admitted to the hospital for the past two months.

Condoling his death, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said: "Saddened by the death of Aloke Mitra. He joined the Ananda Bazar group and retired as the chief photographer of The Telegraph. My deep condolences to his wife, relatives and admirers."

Mitra joined the profession in the mid 1960s. He was associated with Jana Sevak and Basumati as a freelancer.

He was associated with The Telegraph from its inception. Mitra was a witness to many important event that took place in Kolkata such as the Naxalite movement, emergency and the fall of Congress government, rise and fall of the Left Front government, attack on Mamata Banerjee.

An exhibition of Mitra's photographs was held at Nandan some years ago. Mitra had taken a rare photograph of Satyajit Ray where he was persuading Dr BC Roy to get financial assistance for Pather Panchali at a special show of the film.

Mitra will be remembered by his colleagues and acquaintances for his hard work and sincerity for taking the best snap. He was very friendly

with Pandit Ravi Shankar and spent a month with him in Varanashi to capture special moments of the maestro.