Bengali actor Sreela Majumdar dies at 65 after battling cancer in Kolkata

Veteran Bengali actor Sreela Majumdar passed away at her Kolkata residence on Saturday at the age of 65. She has been suffering from cancer for the past three years.

Majumdar left behind her husband and son. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee condoled her death, calling her a powerful actor who delivered outstanding roles in landmark Indian films.

Majumdar earned critical acclaim for her portrayals in classics like Mrinal Sen's 'Ekdin Pratidin', 'Kharij' and 'Akaler Sandhane'. She also acted in pivotal roles in Shyam Benegal's 'Mandi', Prakash Jha's 'Damul', and other parallel cinema gems.

Her last major role was in Kaushik Ganguly's 'Palan', the sequel to 'Ekdin Pratidin', released last year. In all, she acted in 43 films during her career.

Majumdar was also known for her sensitive dubbing of Aishwarya Rai's voice in Rituparno Ghosh's 'Chokher Bali'.

Younger colleague Rituparna Sengupta said Majumdar delivered many memorable performances that will be cherished. She felt the industry could have utilized the actor's talents even more.

With her gravitas and versatility, Sreela Majumdar made an indelible mark on Bengali and Indian parallel cinema. Her passing is a big loss for the film fraternity.