Soumitra Chatterjee's demise: French embassy remembers the legendary actor

The French embassy in India has paid tribute to the celebrated actor Soumitra Chatterjee, who passed away on Sunday, November 15 at Kolkata's Belle Vue hospital. The French embassy on Twitter said that Soumitra Chatterjee was the first Indian actor to receive the prestigious Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 1999, the country's highest award for artists. French ambassador Emmanuel Lenain also paid his tribute to the veteran actor as he hailed him as a versatile artist and the world's admiration. 

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'Versatile artist' 

"Legendary actor #SoumitraChatterjee passes away. #DYK In 1999 he was the first Indian film personality, conferred with Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, France's highest award for artists, and in 2017, he was honoured with France's highest civilian award-Chevalier of Legion of Honor," French Embassy tweeted on Sunday.

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Condolences for the veteran Bengali actor poured in from all over the world, including from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who described his demise as a "colossal loss" to the world of cinema. President Ram Nath Kovind also paid his tribute, remembering the actor for his amazing performances in the 'Apu' triology and other Satyajit Ray masterpieces. 

Read: Indian Cinema Has Lost One Of Its Legends With Passing Of Soumitra Chatterjee: Prez Kovind

Soumitra Chatterjee breathed his last at 12.15 pm on Sunday.  He had been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the first week of October. Though he recovered from it, his health faced numerous issues after that, and his health kept fluctuating. His condition worsened in the last 48 hours, where his multiple organs stopped responding. 

Considered a legend of Bengali cinema, Soumitra Chatterjee featured in over 200 films in over 50 years of his career.  He went on to work with the top directors of the Bengali cinema. The veteran was last seen in the 2019 film Sanjhbati.

Read: 'An Actor Par Excellence Whom Nation Revered': Congress Leader Rahul Condoles Soumitra Chatterjee's Death

(Image Credit: AP)