Bengali Cinema Icon Joy Banerjee Passes Away at 63

Kolkata, Aug 25 (PTI) — The celebrated Bengali film actor Joy Banerjee passed away at a Kolkata hospital on Monday. He was 63 years old.

Banerjee had been admitted to a private facility on August 15, struggling with acute breathing complications. He had been battling Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

His health took a turn for the worse as he remained on ventilator support during his final days. Banerjee tragically passed away at 11:35 am, leaving behind his wife and mother.

During the '80s and '90s, Banerjee was a matinee idol of Tollywood, delivering numerous hits, including "Hirak Jayanti" (1990), "Milan Tithi" (1985), and "Nagmati" (1983). His work in the critically acclaimed "Chopper" (1986) also won him accolades.

In a move beyond cinema, he contested the 2014 and 2019 elections from Birbhum and Uluberia, respectively, as a candidate for the BJP party. However, he bid farewell to politics in November 2021.

Reacting to his demise, renowned TMC MP and former co-actor Satabdi Roy expressed her deep sorrow. "I am shattered. I knew Joy was ailing for quite some time, and we all were praying for his recovery," she said. Union minister Sukanta Majumdar also expressed his condolences over Banerjee's untimely passing.