KOLKATA, 25 AUG

Bengali actor Joy Banerjee died at a hospital in Kolkata on Monday at the age of 63, his family said.

Banerjee was admitted to the private hospital on 15 August with acute breathing problems. He was suffering from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

His condition worsened gradually, and he was on ventilator support over the last few days.

Banerjee, who fought elections on a BJP ticket, passed away at 11.35am. He has been survived by his wife and mother.

A matinee idol of the '80s and '90s, he had given Tollywood a string of hits, such as ‘Hirak Jayanti’ (1990), ‘Milan Tithi’ (1985), and ‘Nagmati’ (1983), besides the critically acclaimed ‘Chopper’ (1986).

He fought the 2014 and 2019 elections from the Birbhum and Uluberia seats, respectively, on a BJP ticket. However, he quit politics in November 2021.

TMC MP Satabdi Roy, his co-actor in many films, said, "I am shattered. I knew Joy was ailing for quite some time, and we all were praying for his recovery."

Union minister Sukanta Majumdar condoled Banerjee's untimely demise.