Designer and costume artist Neelanjana Ghose, wife of acclaimed filmmaker Goutam Ghose, passed away on Saturday at the age of 70 due to an aneurysm. The news of her demise was confirmed by her children, Ishaan and Anandi, on her official Facebook page.

“Everything was normal. On Friday, she went about her daily work and even met her Kantha stitch colleagues in the afternoon. In the evening, she suddenly complained of chest pain. At the hospital, doctors found she had an aneurysm, which caused internal haemorrhage,” filmmaker Goutam Ghose told the media.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee expressed grief on X, describing Neelanjana as her “dear sister-in-law” and a “deeply creative soul,” recalling her exquisite quilt work and social contributions.

“I am deeply saddened by the passing away of my dear Neelanjana Ghosh. My aunt, the wife of eminent film director Gautam Ghosh, passed away this morning after a difficult surgery. I had a close personal relationship with her, and I am devastated. He did a lot of social work. We knew that his Kantha handicrafts were beautiful. I remember those things. I don't know any words to comfort Gautamada. Still, I would request her to keep her mind calm and continue her work. She has to do this work keeping in mind her grandmother's words,” Mamata wrote on X.

A leading figure in Bengal’s kantha revival movement, Neelanjana began her work in the early 1980s, following the footsteps of her mother, Sreelata Sarkar, a pioneer in the craft. Over the decades, she reimagined kantha with contemporary flair while keeping its roots intact.

She also designed costumes for over 20 films, including all of Goutam Ghose’s features, as well as works by Bedabrata Pyne, Suman Ghosh, and Anjan Das.