Dadasaheb Phalke awardee and last of the triumvirate that included Satyajit Ray and Ritwik Ghatak, is no more
Jayatri Nag (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 31, 2018)

The legendary Mrinal Sen passed away at his South Kolkata residence on Sunday following cardiac arrest. The 95-year-old filmmaker is survived by his son, Kunal. His actress-wife, Gita Sen, passed away in January last year.

As the third pillar of the triumvirate that included Satyajit Ray and Ritwik Ghatak, Sen narrated contemporary realities of life through his films and was one of the pioneers of the Indian newwave cinema.

Winner of innumerable national and international awards, Sen won the highest film honour, Dadasaheb Phalke award, in 2005. He was honoured with the Padma Bhushan, India’s third highest civilian award, in 1983.

Sen won five National Awards, for Akaler Sandhane, Chorus, Parashuram, Kharij and Khandahar, and one National Award for his Telegu film, Oka Oori Katha (1977).

The auteur made his first film Raat Bhore in 1955, with Uttam Kumar, and gained international recognition in 1960, with Baishey Shravan. Mrigaya (1976), which portrayed the plight of tribals in rural India, marked the debut of Mithun Chakrabarty. His 1986 directorial Genesis, featuring Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri and Shabana Azmi, also told a story of slavery and freedom. His last directorial was Amar Bhuvan in 2002.

Born in Bangladesh’s (erstwhile Bengal) Faridpur in 1923 on May 14, Sen had arrived in Kolkata to study Physics at Scottish Church College and Calcutta University. After completing his education, he was forced to take up a job as a medical representative but he eventually returned to Kolkata to work as an audio technician at a city film studio.

President Ram Nath Kovind condoled Sen’s death on Twitter, sharing, “Sad to learn of the passing of acclaimed film-maker Mrinal Sen. From Bhuvan Shome to the Calcutta trilogy, his penetrating and sensitive portrayal of social realities made him a fine chronicler of our times. A loss to Bengal, to India and to the world of cinema.”

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, “Mrinal Sen’s death is an immense loss to the film industry.” Filmmaker Buddhadeb Dasgupta called it an “end of an era.” Union Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore and Sitaram Yechury also condoled his death. Veteran actor Soumitra Chattopadhyay was at a loss of words. “I have no words to express my grief.” Shabana Azmi was distraught. “I am deeply saddened by the news. Mrinal da was a very important filmmaker because he had a maverick streak in him that made his films edgy and unpredictable. He was deeply invested in the society around him and did not hesitate to question his own frailties through his films. He was deeply sensitive and humane. I consider Khandhar to be the film in which I have made the least number of mistakes (as an actress). Undoubtedly, he will live on through his films. My deepest condolences to Kunal and Nisha (Sen’s son and daughter-in-law).”