The film and theatre world mourned the loss of a gifted director last week but for HB Block, it meant losing a neighbour, friend and brother.
People approach the hearse outside Gautam Halder’s house to pay their respect
Goutam Halder, national award-winning director and HB Block resident, passed away on November 3 and the tragedy brought together neighbours as well as the who’s who of the theatre and film world. Actress Vidya Balan, whose first film was with Halder, flew in from Mumbai within hours, to pay her respect.
Vidya Balan being escorted in
“I got a call from kakima (Haldar’s wife Chaiti) at about 8.45am, asking me to rush over as kaku had taken ill,” said Anagh Bhattacharya, who lives four houses away from the Halders. “I reached and saw everyone helping him out of the bathroom, where he had suffered a severe heart attack.”
Haldar, 68, was rushed to Calcutta Heart Clinic and Hospital Society but could not be saved. He leaves behind wife Chaiti and daughter Raipurna, an IT professional in her 20s.
Together in grief
As word spread, family, friends and colleagues started pouring in. The inner circle made its way into the house but most well-wishers flooded the lane outside. Tents were erected, chairs laid out and police helped cordon off the crowd every time a celebrity arrived.
Most visitors came in the evening when the body was brought home. There was theatre personality and minister Bratya Basu, actor and HB Bock resident Sohini Sengupta, her father actor-director Rudraprasad Sengupta, and cast and crew of his recent play Rakta Karabi, including actress Chaiti Ghosal.
Halder had directed multiple stage plays, made a documentary, Strings for Freedom, on sarod exponent Ustad Amjad Ali Khan in 1999 and in his national award-winning film Bhalo Theko, launched Vidya Balan in 2003. In 2019 he directed Nirvana, starring Rakhee Gulzar.
Vidya arrived at 6.50pm. Dressed in a cream salwar kameez and shades, she walked up to the building, when she spotted Raipurna, coming out to the street to receive her. Vidya hugged her and both walked in together.
“I’m at a loss for words,” Vidya said later, while leaving at 7.30pm. “I had come to dada’s house a few weeks ago after inaugurating some Durga puja pandals. We were discussing a new film he was planning.”
On Mahalaya, Haldar had escorted Vidya to the opening of the Sreebhumi puja and then the one in HB Block.
Sreebhumi puja president and local MLA Sujit Bose came down too. “I lost a dada today,” he said. “Goutamda would launch a chariot from his house every year on Rathyatra and would wait for me to come and pull it. He had got Ustad Amjad Ali Khan to Sreeebhumi, besides Vidya Balan this year. He had wanted to show me his latest film with Rakheebut I could not find time.”
Bose stayed with the bereaved till the cremation at Kashi Mitra Ghat. Actress Rituparna Sengupta paid her respects there too.
Neighbourhood in mourning
“From my son’s poite to wedding, Goutamda handheld us through everything. He never had any airs,” said neighbour Indrani Bhattacharya.
HB Block secretary Ram SekharSaha said the Haldars had been living in the block since the mid-90s and were very helpful. “He got renowned artistes like Vidya Balan and Amaan Ali Khan to our block. We shall misshim,” Saha said.
Upon seeing the hearse, a weeping lady broke into the Rabindrasangeet Peyechhi chhuti biday deho. A few others joined her.
A lady sings Tagore’s Peyechhi chhuti biday deho to bid farewell to Halder
Elocutionist Sovan Sundar Bosurecalled how his wedding venue was brought to life when Halder arranged for placards bearing poetry verses all over. There were also members of Calcutta Classic Foundation, of which Haldar was the president. “We conducted a show by Amaan Ali Khan earlier this year and were planning plays, films and even a Dover LaneMusic Conference-like event in SaltLake,” said secretary of the group Arun Kumar Chakraborty, who runsRekha Chitram art school in CK Block.
Even acquaintances grieved.“We would build his rath every year and helped with the background of his sets at times,” said Sudhir Das of Lakshmi Decorators. “It saddens us to lay out chairs for such an occasion.Goutamda would greet us whenever he crossed our shop.”