Legendary Bengali actress Suchitra Sen passed away in Kolkata at the age of 82 on Friday.
The actress had suffered a massive heart attack after which her condition had turned very critical, doctors attending on her said.
Sen was admitted to Belle Vue Clinic on December 23 following a respiratory tract infection. Later she was treated in a private Intensive Treatment Unit for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Suchitra Sen
Led by Dr Subrata Maitra, a medical board was formed to monitor the health of its star patient around-the-clock.
Sen, who has been living the life of a recluse in a south Kolkata apartment, has starred in memorable Hindi films like 'Devdas', and 'Aandhi' and 'Saat Paake Bandha', 'Agnipariksha', 'Saptapadi' and 'Deep Jwele Jai' in Bengali.
An era ends with the legend
Suchitra Sen, the reigning queen of Bengali cinema for several decades, has finally said goodbye. The actor who passed away at the ripe age of 82 has left behind a rich legacy of golden classics.
Suchitra Sen
Sen was the first Bengali actress to be awarded at an international film festival (Best Actress award for Saat Paake Bandha in the 1963 Moscow film festival).
A recipient of Padma Shree award, Suchitra refused the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2005, preferring to stay out of public gaze..
Born in a middle class family, Suchitra would have ended up like any other housewife, had she not harbored dreams unlimited. She was one of those few actresses who entered films post marriage.
Suchitra Sen
Her industrialist husband initially invested a lot in her career and gave her all possible support, but a rift developed between the two in later years. Bengali actress Moon Moon Sen is her daughter and Riya and Raima her grand daughters.
Sen made her entry in films with Shesh Kothaay in 1952, but the film never got released. Next, she acted opposite Uttam Kumar in Sharey Chuattor, which was a super hit.
Her pair with Uttam Kumar became so successful that the two went on to become the icons for Bengali classics for more than two decades.
She received the Best Actress Award for the film Devdas (1955), which was her first Hindi movie.
Suchitra Sen
Her role in Hindi film Aandhi opposite Sanjeev Kumar is memorable as well as controversial. She portrayed the character of Indira Gandhi in the film.
Suchitra's other landmark film was Uttar Falguni (1963) with Asit Sen. Suchitra carried the film single-handedly in the dual role of a courtesan Pannabai and her daughter Suparna, a lawyer. Her performance won rave reviews.
She retired from the screen in 1978 after a career of over 25 years to live the life of a recluse.
Suchitra devoted her retirement years working for the Ramakrishna Mission.