Kolkata: Legendary Bengali semi-classical singer Sandhya Mukherjee passed away on the evening of February 15 following a massive cardiac arrest, leaving behind millions of mourning fans of all ages across borders. She was 91.
Her death was condoled by West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Mukherjee had been in the hospital since January 27 due to ill health and was put on vasopressor support and shifted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) earlier in the day following a drop in her blood pressure, PTI reported, quoting hospital sources.
She suffered a massive heart attack at around 7.30 pm, the senior hospital official told PTI.
Mourning Mukherjee’s death Mamata Banerjee said she would curtail a three-day tour to the northern districts of the state which had embarked on and would return to the city to attend her last rites.
Prime ministers on either side of the border also mourned her.
In a message, Sheikh Hasina said “Geetshri’ (distinguished musician) Sandhya Mukherjee not only spread musical magic throughout the sub-continent, her role in Bangladesh’s freedom struggle will never be forgotten.”
Mukherjee played a role in the Bangladesh liberation war, joining many leading artists who performed free concerts to raise money for the 10 million East Pakistan citizens who were forced to seek refuge in India.
She also sang for the ‘Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra’ (Free Bangladesh Radio) in Kolkata, set up by the Government of Bangladesh in exile.
When Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangladesh, returned to Bangladesh in 1972, he was greeted by a song sung by Mukherjee which was played on Swadhin Bangla Betar.
Born in 1931 in Kolkata, Mukherjee was trained in the 1940s by Santosh Kumar Basu, A.T. Kannan and Chinmoy Lahiri. She began her formal training in the Patiala Gharana under the legendary Ustaad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan.
She began her career as a playback singer in the early 1950s.
Cutting across borders, for millions of Bengalis across the globe, Mukherjee became the voice of an era of romance, where stars like Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen ruled the matinee lights.
Mukhopadhyay has sung for numerous Bengali and Hindi films, and has worked with leading music directors, including S.D.Burman, Madan Mohan, Naushad, Anil Biswas and Salil Chaudhury.
The singer, a recipient of the ‘Banga Bibhushan’, and National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer had refused an offer of a Padma Shri award when she was contacted by central government officials on the phone for her consent before Republic Day this year.
She is survived by her daughter and son in law.
(With PTI inputs)