Harimadhab Mukhopadhyay, a prominent thespian based in Balurghat, died of age-related ailments in Calcutta on Monday night.
He was 84.
As the news spread, theatre lovers and people from different walks of life in Balurghat and across South Dinajpur district mourned the death of Mukhopadhyay, deemed one of the stalwarts in Bengal's theatre arena.
Trinamool MP and the party’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and Balurghat MP and Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar condoled his death.
On Tuesday, his mortal remains reached Balurghat. Hundreds of people assembled to pay their last tribute to Mukhopadhyay, a theatre actor and director who earned various accolades for acting, direction, script and other theatre-related activities.
“It is a major loss. Harimadhab Mukhopadhyay was the torchbearer of theatre in Balurghat and the district as a whole. He was popular across the state and also earned appreciation in different parts of the country,” said Pradosh Mitra, another senior thespian based in Balurghat.
On Tuesday afternoon, Mukhopadhyay's body was brought to his residence. From there, it was taken to the Balurghat College and later taken to Tritirtha, the theatre group that he had formed back in 1969.
Bijin Krishna, the South Dinajpur district magistrate, and other officials of the administration also paid tribute to him. Also, elected representatives of civic and rural bodies joined the thespian’s final journey.
Sources said that Mukhopadhyay had penned around 60 plays and three books. His contribution to the field of performing arts was recognised by the Sangeet Natak Akademi which conferred on him the national award.
He was also honoured with the Dinabandhu Puraskar, Bangabhushan and Kanchanjunga Awards.
“Mukhopadhyay was also given an honorary DLitt by Raiganj University,” said a source.
Theatre lovers of Balurghat said that Mukhopadhyay had acted on the stage for the last time in 2017 and directed a play for the last time in 2018.
“Harimadhab Mukhopadhyay will be remembered not only for his work but for also creating and supporting many new theatre artistes in and around Balurghat throughout his life,” said Tuhin Subhra Mondal, a theatre artiste. "An era is over with his demise."
His last rites were conducted at the local crematorium in Balurghat on Tuesday evening.
Hundreds of people from and around South Dinajpur paid their last tribute to him.