She was fondly called Sonu by family members and friends. And on Tuesday afternoon, they bid farewell to Sonika Simone Singh Chauhan at the funeral mass at St. Thomas’ Church, Middleton Row. 

The 27-year-old model-anchor died in a car crash early on Saturday. At the wheel was actor Vikram Chatterjee, who is recuperating in Ruby General Hospital.

Students of Frank Anthony Public School handed over a white rose to whoever entered the church premises to attend the 90-minute prayer service. After communion, eulogies were narrated by her cousins, a little girl to whom Sonika was godmother, best friend from school Neha Naidu, friend Gaurav Anthoney and Shaheb Bhattacherjee amongst others.

Derek O’Brien, a family friend, spoke at the mass on behalf of Sonika’s parents Vijay and Sharon, who want to remember their beautiful daughter with the Sonika 27 Foundation. “They will set up the Sonika 27 Foundation to touch the lives of boys and girls in different ways,” Derek said. 

Shaheb remembered her from how they “first met for Agnimitra Paul’s shoot for t2 and how I made silly conversations to break the ice”. He spoke about how they would talk for hours at night till the sun came up and how she would go running to his house on a Sunday and ask his mother to make “luchi and aloo sabji for lunch”. 

Among the hymns sung were many of Sonika’s favourites like In His Time and The Old Rugged Cross. A memorial service booklet was given to guests with the scripture, readings, hymns and a note from Sonika’s parents, ending with ‘au revior Sonu… till we meet again!’ 

After the prayer service, Sonika was interred at Lower Circular Road cemetery. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pictures by Sanjoy Chattopadhyaya