Legendary Bengali singer Sandhya Mukherjee passed away in Kolkata on Tuesday after suffering a massive cardiac attack. She was 90.
Mukherjee was admitted to hospital two weeks ago after she complained of breathlessness. She tested positive for Covid-19 in the hospital. She was put on vasopressor support earlier in the day as her blood pressure dropped.
She is survived by a daughter.
Mourning Mukherjee's death West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who had a close relationship with the singer, 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. Banerjee said the singer's body would be kept at the `Rabindra Sadan' from noon to 5PM for her admirers to pay their last respect.
"Sandhyadi's last rites will be conducted with full state honours which include a gun salute. Her body will be kept at the `peace heaven' (mortuary) tonight and I am trying to be back in the city by tomorrow after which the last rites will be conducted," Banerjee said.
Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina mourned Mukherjee's death and in a message said "Geetshri' (distinguished musician) Sandhya Mukherjee not only spread `Ganer Mugdhta' (musical magic) throughout the sub-continent, her role in Bangladesh's freedom struggle will never be forgotten."
Born and brought up in Kolkata, she was a student of Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. A classical musician, she began her career in Bollywood and has sung for 17 Hindi films. Later, she moved back to Kolkata and married Bengali poet Shyamal Gupta in 1966, who wrote the lyrics for many of her songs. She had worked with leading music directors like S.D. Burman, Naushad and Salil Chaudhury.
In her career spanning over several decades, Mukherjee won several awards, including National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer. She has thousands of songs in Bengali to her credit.
On January 25, a few days before she was admitted to hospital, she had refused to accept the Padma Shri award. Calling the decision to grant her the award “insulting and demeaning," she had said it has come too late for her, and a junior artiste would be more deserving.
—With PTI inputs
