Veteran actor Santu Mukherjee, father of actress Swastika, dies at 69

Veteran film and television actor Santu Mukherjee died of a prolonged illness in Kolkata today. He was 69. Mukherjee was admitted to the AMRI Hospital on 5 February with severe breathing difficulty. A long-time patient of diabetes, Mukherjee also suffered from haemoglobin and potassium deficiency.

Mukherjee made his acting debut in Tapan Sinha’s film Raja (1974) and went on to act in more than 100 films in a career spanning almost four decades, among them such popular films as Sinha’s Harmonium (1975), Tarun Majumder’s Ganadevata (1979), Uttam Kumar’s Kalankini Kankabati (1981) and Majumder's Bhalobasha Bhalobasha (1985).

Mukherjee also became part of the Bengali audience’s daily dose of television with his acts in popular mega-serials like Janani, Ishti Kutum, Jol Nupur, Kusum Dola and Andarmahal.

He is survived by daughters Ajopa Mukherjee and Swastika Mukherjee, a leading actress in Bengali cinema. His brother Sumanta Mukherjee is also a renowned film, television and theatre actor.