Indian movie star Soumitra Chatterjee dies at 85 from Covid-19 complications

Indian movie star Soumitra Chatterjee dies at 85 from Covid-19 complications

Indian acting legend Soumitra Chatterjee has died aged 85 from complications relating to Covid-19.

The movie star tested positive for coronavirus last month and was admitted to a private hospital in Kolkata, India on 6 October.

He later tested negative for the virus but continued to suffer from complications and his condition is said to have deteriorated over the last few days.

His death was confirmed in a statement, which read: “We declare with heavy heart that Shri Soumitra Chattopadhyay breathed his last at 12-15 pm at Belle Vue Clinic today.

“We pay our homage to his soul.”

Arindam Kar of Belle Vue Hospital previously announced a team of doctors had been trying their best to help the actor, but it was a “challenge” because of the damage the virus had done to his body.

Chatterjee had been filming a documentary when he first fell sick back in October and his last day of work was on October 1.

He was best known for his role in films such as Ghare Baire, Aranyer Din Ratri, Ashani Sanket and Saat Pake Bandha.

As well as starring in more than 300 films, he was also a playwright and poet and worked in the theatre.

He worked with Oscar-winning director Satyajit Ray and made his film debut in 1959’s Apur Sansar, the third film in the moviemaker’s acclaimed Apu Trilogy.