Elocutionist Gouri Ghosh died in Kolkata on Thursday. She was 83.
She is survived by husband Partha, with whom she formed a critically acclaimed elocution team, and son Ayan.
Ghosh was on a ventilator for several days since her admission to a private hospital on August 1, family sources said.
Among the best-known albums of the duo is their recital of Rabindranath Tagore’s Karna Kunti Sangbad, which had been one of the hugely popular albums of the couple for over a decade.
Mourning Ghosh’s death, chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said in a statement that her recitation would always be cherished.
She also referred to Ghosh’s long stint with All India Radio, Kolkata, as announcer-presenter.
The state government had conferred the Kaji Sabyasachi Samman on her in 2018.
Another popular elocutionist Bratati Bandyopadhyay told reporters, "She was like my mother. I recall how she had repeatedly cautioned me about maintaining safety protocols when Covid first struck. We used to talk over the phone regularly."
Bandyopadhyay said Ghosh's pronunciation of words and the way she expressed the spirit of a poem was motivational for elocutionists of next generations.