Sreela Majumder, known for her performances in parallel films, passed away in Kolkata on Saturday.
She was 65 and had been battling cancer for the past three years. She passed away at her family home in South Kolkata, her family said.
Majumder was 16 when filmmaker Mrinal Sen spotted her at the rehearsal of a play. She made her celluloid debut in Sen’s Parashuram in 1980.
She went on to play pivotal roles in multiple films of Sen like Akaler Sandhane and Kharij.
In Khandhar, also directed by Sen, she left her mark alongside stalwarts like Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi.
In Mandi, directed by Shyam Benegal, she was alongside Naseeruddin Shah, Azmi, Smita Patil and Om Puri.
“Saddened by the news of the demise of film actress Sreela Majumder today afternoon. Sreela was a noted and powerful actress who played outstanding roles in several significant Indian films. It is a big loss for Bengal film industry and we shall miss her stellar presence. My condolences to her family,” said a Facebook post from chief minister Mamata Banerjee.
Majumder’s last film, which came out last year, was Palan, directed by Kaushik Ganguly and featuring Anjan Dutt, Jisshu Sengupta and Mamata Shankar. The film was a tribute to Sen, whose Kharij also featured Dutt, Majumder and Mamata Shankar.
“I have been watching her work for many years, mainly in Mrinal Sen’s films. She also played my wife in Sankar Mudi (a 2019 film directed by Aniket Chattopadhyay). She made her debut in a Sen film. Her last was one that was a tribute to Sen. In a way, it is a completed circle,” said Ganguly.
“I lost an elder sister today. She was in inspiration and a source of strength.... She was a formidable actor. She worked in such significant films helmed by directors of international repute. An actor of her calibre is rare,” said actor Rituparna Sengupta.