Guwahati, April 5: Assamese actor, dancer and recipient of an Asom Natya Sonmilan, 2016, award, Dolly Gupta passed away at Hayat Hospital here at 3.45am.

She was 65. She was hospitalised on March 11 after suffering a cerebral stroke and was in coma for five days, her son Niloy Shankar Gupta told The Telegraph.

Hailing from Tinsukia district, Dolly Gupta was a resident of Jatia here.

She left behind her husband Sambhu Vuptar, who is an Assamese director, a son and a daughter.

"Though she came out of coma, her health deteriorated," said Niloy, who is also an actor and director.

According to him, Dolly had been in and out of hospital for the past 14 months. "She had been admitted 12 times in 14 months and this was her fourth cerebral stroke," he said.

Not only was she an excellent actor, but she also acted with Kalaguru Bishnu Rabha and Natasurjya Phani Sharma. Mukti, Rajanigandha, Devi, Pooja and Rickshawala are some of the films for which she had earned accolades.

A Xattriya dancer, she learned the art from late Rakheswar Saikia Borbayan and Jatin Goswami.

In fact, she was the first lady to dance Sutradhari Nritya.

"Whenever I used to meet her teacher Jatin Goswami, he would say that my mother was his best student and that each time she would perform, she would set the stage on fire," Niloy said.

Reminiscing the late actor's life and career, music director Bhupen Uzir said, "Dolly bou (sister-in-law) and I go back a long way. We began our film careers together with the film Devi and that's my favourite among all the roles she played. She was a great actor and more importantly she had a big heart. Since both Santa (wife) and my families didn't agree to our marriage, it was Dolly bou and Sambhuda, who happily played the role of Santa's family at our wedding. So, technically she is my mother-in-law."

Veteran actor Nipon Goswami mourned the death of the actor too.

"She was a good actor, a kind-hearted person and an innocent soul. It is sad to hear about her sudden death. She has gone too early. Among all her films, I think her performance in Devi stood apart. Other than being a great actor and a dancer, she was also a very good cook."