Soumitra
Chatterjee,
an
iconic
and
legendary
actor
from
Bengali
cinema,
passed
away
today
after
a
prolonged
illness.
Chatterjee
is
one
of
the
finest
artists
who
was
active
in
the
industry
for
over
61
years.
Veteran
actress
Sharmila
Tagore,
who
made
her
debut
in
Apur
Sansar,
Soumitra’s
first
film
in
1959,
says
she
finds
it
difficult
to
come
to
terms
with
iconic
Bengali
star’s
demise.
Sharmila
told
PTI,
"I
was
13
years
old
and
he
was
10
years
elder
to
me
when
we
started
working
in
Apur
Sansar.
In
the
film,
those
beautiful
dialogues
that
we
spoke
to
each
other
also
endeared
us
to
each
other.
That
was
the
beginning.
I
really
respected,
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
has
been
such
a
loyal
and
fun
friend."
Tagore
also
spoke
with
TOI
and
recalled
her
first
co-star
as
someone
who
was
very
well-read,
well-informed
and
erudite
with
an
unending
zest
for
life
and
learning.
The
actress
said,
“The
legacy
he
has
left
behind
is
unparalleled.
He
has
worked
with
Satyajit
Ray
in
so
many
films.
He
was
his
muse.
Soumitra
also
worked
with
Tapan
Sinha,
Ajoy
Kar,
Mrinal
Sen,
Asit
Sen
on
several
movies.
I
was
just
watching
Barnali
the
other
day;
it
took
me
back
in
time.
Soumitra
worked
in
black
and
white
films
also.
As
an
actor,
he
was
not
just
into
cinema.
He
did
theatre,
he
acted
in
plays
and
he
directed
them,
too.
He
was
an
exemplary
reciter.
The
way
he
lent
his
voice
to
poems
was
beautiful.
He
could
sing,
he
could
paint.”
She
went
on
to
add,
“Lately,
he
was
painting
a
lot.
There
was
nothing
he
didn’t
know
about;
sports,
politics,
literature
-
he
was
well-read.
He
was
a
hugely
talented
person
and
his
passing
is
a
great
loss
for
us
and
the
industry.
People
have
made
films
on
him
while
he
was
alive.
I
have
never
met
anyone
who
knew
so
much.
It
was
a
pleasure
talking
to
him,
just
like
it
is
to
talk
to
Naseeruddin
Shah.
It’s
enlightening.”