Veteran actress Anjana Bhowmik died in the early hours of Saturday at a South Kolkata hospital. She was 79.

The actress had been battling respiratory issues and was admitted to the hospital on Friday night due to breathing difficulties. She is survived by her two daughters, Nilanjanaa Senguptaa, married to actor Jisshu Sengupta, and Chandana Sharma.

Hailing from Cooch Behar, Bhowmik entered the film industry at the age of 20 through the 1964 movie Anustup Chanda, helmed by Pijush Bose. Prior to the film’s release, she opted to change her name from Arati to Anjana.

Bhowmik and bengali matinee idol Uttam Kumar’s collaborations resulted in a slew of blockbusters, adding an important chapter to the golden period in the history of Bengali filmdom throughout the mid-1960s and early 1970s. They acted together in movies like Chowringhee (1968), Kokhono Megh (1968), Nayika Sangbad (1967), Roudra Chhaya (1973), and Rajdrohi (1966).

Apart from pairing opposite Kumar, Bhowmik also shared screen space with another Bengali heartthrob of the time, Soumitra Chattopadhyay, in the critically acclaimed Mahashweta (1967).

The news of the veteran actress’s demise has sent shockwaves across the Bengali film fraternity. Filmmaker Arindam Sil took to social media to express his condolences.“You were fire on screen and always such a lovely lady. Rest in peace #AnjanaBhowmik (di). Sincere condolences to #Nilanjanaa & #JishuSengupta & family,” he wrote.