Kolkata, August 16, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Veteran Bengali filmmaker Raja Sen, a three-time National Film Award winner, died at a Kolkata hospital on Sunday. He was 70.
Sen was admitted to SSKM Hospital three days ago and died around 10 a.m. His wife, Papiya Sen, said he had been suffering from heart-related ailments and was on ventilator support.
“He had a cardiac arrest. Gradually, multiple organs were failing. The doctors tried very hard. But he could not be saved,” Papiya Sen said.
The filmmaker had initially been admitted to a private hospital following a back injury, but his condition subsequently deteriorated. During treatment, he developed lung complications, followed by heart and kidney problems.
Papiya Sen said the family was making arrangements following his death. Sen is survived by his wife and two daughters, Subhasree Sen and Sreyoshi Sen. His elder daughter lives in Germany and had recently admitted him to hospital before returning there. His brother-in-law had arrived from Mumbai, while her elder brother Sabyasachi Chakraborty was also present.
Born in Kolkata on November 10, 1955, Sen began his career in Bengali television before moving into feature films.
His directorial debut, Damu, released in 1996, won the National Film Award for Best Children’s Film. Starring Raghuvir Yadav, Satya Banerjee and Sabyasachi Chakrabarty, the film established Sen as a significant filmmaker in Bengali cinema.
He subsequently directed Atmiyo Swajan, which won the National Film Award for Best Film on Family Welfare.
Sen’s other feature films included Chakrabyuha, Desh and Debipaksha. His final feature film, Bhalobasar Golpo, was released in 2019.
He also made several documentaries focusing on Bengal’s cultural figures. His documentary on celebrated Rabindra Sangeet exponent Suchitra Mitra won the National Film Award for Best Arts/Cultural Film.
Among the personalities he documented were filmmakers Tapan Sinha and Sombhu Mitra, as well as poet Subhas Mukhopadhyay.
Sen’s death marks the loss of a filmmaker whose work spanned Bengali television, feature cinema and documentary filmmaking, with his three National Film Awards standing among the major milestones of his career.
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