Veteran Bengali filmmaker Raja Sen passes away

Raja Sen, a veteran director of Bengali cinema, has passed away. He died on Sunday morning at SSKM Hospital in south Kolkata after a long illness. He was 71.

The news of Raja Sen's death has cast a pall of gloom over Tollywood. He was best known to audiences as the director of the National Award-winning film 'Damu'. Throughout his career, he made significant contributions to television and documentary filmmaking as well.

Raja Sen suffered a serious injury after a fall on set during the shooting of 'Mayamridanga' a few years ago. His health had been declining since the accident. He was admitted to a private hospital for a back injury, and after surgery he showed some improvement, but later developed multiple complications. He suffered from lung and kidney problems, as well as heart disease. When his condition deteriorated, he was placed on a ventilator before succumbing to pneumonia and respiratory distress.

Raja Sen made his feature film debut with 'Damu' in 1996. The film received critical acclaim and won the National Film Award for Best Children's Film.

Throughout his career, he directed several films, television serials and documentaries. His film 'Desh' featured Jaya and Abhishek Bachchan. He last directed 'Bhalobashar Golpo' in 2019. His passing leaves a void in Bengali cinema.