Priyanka Sarkar opens up on Rahul Arunoday Banerjee's death for the first time: ‘I lost my best friend’

Bengali actor Rahul Arunoday Banerjee died at the age of 43 in drowning incident at Talsari Beach last month.

Bengali actor Rahul Arunoday Banerjee passed away at the age of 43 following a tragic drowning incident at Talsari Beach in Odisha. His sudden demise has sent shockwaves through the Bengali film industry and among his fans. He is survived by his wife, actor Priyanka Sarkar, and their 13-year-old son, Shohoj. Priyanka has now spoken about Rahul's death for the first time in an interview with TV9 Bangla, sharing that she feels like she has lost her ‘best friend’. (Also read: Bengali actor Rahul Arunoday Banerjee's wife Priyanka Sarkar calls his death a time of ‘immense grief and deep despair’)

Rahul Arunoday Banerjee with wife Priyanka Sarkar and son Shohoj.

What Priyanka said

When asked about how she is processing the death of Rahul, Priyanka said, “If I have to say everything in a nutshell, I can say that I have lost my best friend. Beyond everything, it has been a friendship of more than 21-22 years. I have said it multiple times, that my exposure on films and books and all my thoughts are influenced by him. I cannot deny that, and he has been a fantastic friend to everyone. Even when we were fighting, many thought that we are not even on talking terms but they did not know that we continued to talk with each other. Even now I have atleast 4-5 film and show recommendations from him that I am yet to watch.”

She continued, “He has been one of the biggest critics of my work and his opinions mattered to me. There are only a few people who are there, from whom I take opinions about my work. He was one of the most important perspectives, and that I will definitely miss. That honest feedback, that will now be missed.”

Rahul rose to fame with the 2008 blockbuster romantic film Chirodini Tumi Je Amar. He starred opposite Priyanka Sarkar in the film directed by Raj Chakraborty. The two became overnight stars after the film's success, and also started dating during that time. The two married in 2010 and had a son, Shohoj Banerjee. They separated in 2017 but reconciled in 2023 to jointly raise Shohoj.

About Rahul Arunoday Banerjee’s death

Rahul was shooting for his show, Bhole Baba Paar Karega, in Odisha when the incident occurred. One of his co-stars, Diganta Bagchi, claimed that after the shoot, Rahul went alone into the water but got entangled in something underneath. Suddenly, crew members noticed that he was drowning and rushed to pull him out of the water. The actor was taken to hospital, but was declared dead.

Meanwhile, Priyanka is gearing up for the release of her upcoming show, Kuheli. It will release on Hoichoi on May 15.