Soumitra Chatterjee was one of my oldest friends, the loss is huge: Sharmila Tagore

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Bombay:

Veteran actor Sharmila Tagore struggles to come to terms with the iconic The disappearance of Bengali star Soumitra Chatterjee, as with him, she lost one of her oldest friendships, which began when she was a teenager.

Chatterjee, 85, died on Sunday after more than a month of battle against post-COVID diseases.

The legendary actor was admitted to hospital on October 6 after testing positive for the infection. He was then transferred to intensive care when COVID encephalopathy took hold, affecting his central nervous system and causing kidney dysfunction.

He subsequently recovered from the infection, but his condition did not improve.

Tagore and Chatterjee started their careers with the latest episode of filmmaker Satyajit Ray’s Apu trilogy, Apur Sansar in 1959.

They went on to star in acclaimed films, including director Ray in 1960 Devi, the drama of filmmaker Ajoy Kar Barnali (1963) and Aranyer Din Ratri in 1970.

In an interview with PTI, Tagore, 75, said she still hasn’t dealt with the loss of Chatterjee, with whom she shares a connection beyond the movies. which was organic, non-judgmental, and existed beautifully without the need to prove a point.

“I was 13 and he was 10 years older when we started working Apur Sansar. In the film, those beautiful dialogues that we had for each other also made us love each other. It was the beginning. I really respected and admired him and for what he stood for. “

“He was one of my oldest friends, after my husband Tiger (cricket legend Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi) and actor Shashi Kapoor. He was such a loyal and fun friend,” she added.

Tagore said Chatterjee’s uncritical nature only made their relationship stronger.

Their bond, as she described it, was not transactional.

“We could lead our parallel lives and yet have a connection, somewhere because our thoughts, our depth and our loyalty were the same. Soumitra knew I would never speak ill of him. to prove it.

“If I didn’t talk to him or if he didn’t talk to me, I wouldn’t feel ‘Oh my God he didn’t wish me, he doesn’t remember my birthday.’ It was so organic. I can’t give it a name. “

The star of multiple national awards has said that she has loved each other over the similarity in how she sees the world.

One of her most cherished memories with the star was their in-depth discussions of everything that was going on under the sun.

Chatterjee was a wonderful companion, Tagore said, which ensured their jokes would be endless. Sometimes he understood her point of view, other times she agreed with his belief, she said.

“We would talk for hours about the sport, the history, our vision of India. I find it irreplaceable in this way because there is no one else I can share so much with. I was expressing a certain point of view, he would agree and expand or pull. and give him his reasons. That kind of friendship is so rare. Losing it is huge. “

Tagore noted that his personality was so balanced that it was reflected in all aspects of his life.

She remembers filming for Ray’s Aranyer Din Ratri, where she shared a bungalow with Chatterjee and her other co-star, Subhendu Chatterjee.

One of Tagore’s most vivid memories of their time together is sipping her morning coffee and listening to the actor singing outside while doing yoga.

“Soumitra’s interests went beyond acting,” she said.

“He painted, sang, read well, had an immense knowledge of the theater, he wrote poetry and short stories for his grandchildren. His interests were vast and that is what made him what he was – a man. of all interests, a powerful talent.

“I know he will live in our memories forever because his legacy is so immense. It encompasses so many things,” she added.

Chatterjee is survived by his wife Deepa Chatterjee, his daughter Poulomi Basu and his son Sougata Chatterjee.

(Except for the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)