Noted Bengali film director Padma Shri Tarun Majumdar dies at 91

Noted Bengali film director Padma Shri Tarun Majumdar passed away in a city hospital here on Monday. He was 91.

He was admitted to the state-run SSKM Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata on June 14, due to age-related ailments. After his condition deteriorated on Sunday evening, he was put on life support. Finally, at around 11.17 a.m. this morning, he died.

Besides Padma Shri, he had won multiple honours like National Award, Bengal Film Journalists' Association Award and Filmfare Awards (East).

A dyed-in-the-wool Marxist in personal belief, Majumdar has the credit of launching a number of legendary film actors and actresses like Moushumi Chatterjee, Late Tapas Paul and Debasree Roy and his own wife Sandhya Roy.

The film 'Gandevata' (Human god), based on the legendary novel by Bengali writer, Tarashankar Bandopadhyay, was the first reflections of Majumdar's leanings towards Marxist ideology, where he portrayed the breakdown of socio- economic structures, impact of industrialisation and non-cooperation movement in rural Bengal.

On the contrary, his films like 'Dadar Kirti', 'Bhalobasha Bhalobasha' and 'Apan Amar Apan' depicted the spirit of romanticism prevalent in then Bengali society. In many of his films, Majumdar had strongly advocated for maintaining the traditional culture of Bengali joint families. In his movies, he had made a perfect blending of rural and urban lives in Bengal.

The movies directed by him were specially acclaimed for extensive and sequential use of songs by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore.

Norn on January 8, 1931, Majumdar was an acclaimed student in his academic life as well. He did his graduation in chemistry from Kolkata's reputed Scottish Church College.

He had always been candid about his support towards the previous Left Front government. In May 2011, soon after Trinamool Congress came to power in West Bengal bringing an end to the 34-year Left Front rule in West Bengal, Majumdar too resigned from the post of advisor of Nandan (West Bengal film center in Kolkata).

A pall of gloom descended over the entire Bengali silver screen world as the news of his demise spread. Many dignitories, including Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, expressed their condolences.