Legendary Bengali actor Soumitra Chatterjee In Hospital With COVID-19

New Delhi: The legendary actor Soumitra Chatterjee tested positive for COVID-19 today, and was hospitalized at Kolkata’s Belle Vue hospital. Currently, his condition has been described as stable with a mild fever but no other symptoms. The 85-year-old veteran took a test for the coronavirus on Monday. The decision to admit Soumitra Chatterjee to hospital was taken after he received the positive result this morning. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee called to inquire after Mr Chatterjee’s health.

Soumitra Chatterjee, Bengal’s most celebrated actor and had made 14 movies in collaboration with filmmaker Satyajit Ray. Among them one was the Pather Panchali trilogy, the well-known creation of Mr. ray. He made his debut in Mr Ray’s 1959 film Apur Sansar, Mr Chatterjee was also directed by Satyajit Ray in Charulata, Devi, Teen Kanya, Ghare Baire, Ganashatru and other films. He is also the first actor to play the role of Feluda, the detective created by Satyajit Ray. Soumitra Chatterjee starred as Feluda in two films directed by Mr Ray – Sonar Kella and Joy Baba Felunath.

Chatterjee has been honoured with the Padam Bhushan (2004) and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Tagore Ratna (2012). He was conferred with three National Awards for his performances in Antardhan (1991), Dekha (2000), and Podokkhep (2006).

Soumitra Chatterjee has also been directed by other Bengali cinematic greats, including Mrinal Sen in Akash Kusum. His last big screen outing was 2019’s Sanjhbati. The news of  Soumitra Chatterjee being infected with coronavirus raised concerns within the Bengali film Industry . Several of Soumitra’s colleagues wished for his speedy recovery.

This not the first time that a film actor has been infected with coronavirus, Earlier, Bengali actress Koel Mallick along with her father, veteran actor Ranjit Mallick, husband Nispal Singh Rane and mother Deepa Mallick contracted the novel coronavirus in July. Amitabh Bachchan , Aishwarya Rai, Abhishekh Bachchan, Maliaka Arora and many others were coronavirus positive. However, all the actors have recovered and perfectly fine.