Raja Sen, three-time National Award-winning Bengali filmmaker, dies at 71 after prolonged illness

Veteran filmmaker Raja Sen has died at 71 after prolonged illness. The National Award winner was undergoing treatment at a Kolkata hospital.

Veteran Bengali filmmaker Raja Sen, a three-time National Film Award winner, has died at the age of 71. Sen had been undergoing treatment at a state-run hospital in Kolkata, where he died on Sunday, news agency PTI reported.

Raja Sen dies at 71

Filmmaker Raja Sen has died at the age of 71.

Raja Sen, best known for his National Award-winning film Damu, was undergoing treatment at SSKM Hospital for multiple health complications and was on ventilator support, according to the PTI report. A doctor at the hospital said the filmmaker's condition had deteriorated considerably in the last few days. "He had multiple complications, and his condition remained critical despite treatment. He was on ventilator support," the doctor said.

Raja Sen was initially treated at a private hospital after a back injury, but his condition deteriorated there, following which he developed lung and cardiac complications. Last week, he was shifted to SSKM Hospital, where he later reportedly developed kidney-related complications.

The filmmaker's prolonged health problems began years ago when he sustained a serious back injury after falling on the set of his film Maya Mridanga. At the time, the injury was not considered serious, but over the years, it affected his mobility.

Raj Sen's glittering career

His films included Atmiyo Swajan, Desh, Debipaksha, Krishnakant er will, Laboratory, and Maya Mridanga. His 2002 film Desh featured Jaya Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan.

The filmmaker's death has cast a pall of gloom over the Bengali film and television industry, in which he had worked for several decades.

Sen also made documentaries on several prominent personalities and cultural figures, including Rabindra Sangeet exponent Suchitra Mitra.