March 31: Ronodeep Bose, actor-guitarist and grandson of thespian Soumitra Chatterjee, was in a coma today after suffering head and other trauma injuries in a motorbike crash at New Alipore shortly after midnight on Thursday.
Ronodeep, 26, was riding a Yamaha FZ with his friend Joydeep Banerjee on pillion when he rammed the motorbike into the concrete boundary of a pavement garden not far from his New Alipore house around 1am.
The actor underwent brain surgery at the Institute of Neurosciences and was on a ventilator until late tonight. "His coma score was 4 out of 15 (at the time of hospitalisation)," said a medical bulletin signed by John Vasiloudis, CEO of the hospital. The lowest score in terms of neurological response is three.
Joydeep, 24, was hospitalised with leg and hand injuries but is stated to be out of danger.
Ronodeep's father Ruchir Bose said his son had left their home around 8.30pm on Thursday with Joydeep and that he was wearing a helmet. But police said they did not find a helmet on either of the youths or at the site of the accident in Block P, barely half a kilometre from Suruchi Sangha.
The injured duo had been first taken to BP Poddar Hospital in New Alipore, from where Ronodeep was shifted to the Institute of Neurosciences in Mullickbazar.
"The Yamaha skidded off the thoroughfare and hit the edge of the boundary wall near House No. 858 in Block P. The two young men were flung off the bike and landed on the pavement garden," an eyewitness said.
Ronodeep, who plays the guitar in the band Ganesh Talkies, had made his Tolly debut with Arun Roy's Egaro, based on Mohun Bagan's historic IFA Shield victory in 1911. Ronodeep played one of the Bagan footballers in the film. The former La Martiniere boy went on to act in films like Anjan Dutt's Dutta Vs Dutta, Mainak Bhaumik's Family Album and Q and Nikon's Ludo.
In a chat with t2 in 2012, Ronodeep had named mother Poulomi, who is Soumitra's daughter, as his inspiration. In the same interview, he had mentioned a car accident in 2010, "when I was almost about to die".
"I went and hit a tree head-on. The car was wrecked and I realised I was in real trouble. I was saved but it came like a wake-up call and changed everything for me. No point fooling around... must get some work done," he had said.
Grandfather Soumitra was among the anxious faces keeping vigil at the Institute of Neurosciences since early today. Several Tolly actors and directors visited the hospital throughout the day.
Neurosurgeon and hospital CEO Vasiloudis said Ronodeep's skull fracture had led to swelling of the brain. Surgeon Dipendra Narayan Pradhan and his team created an outlet to ease the pressure on the brain. The actor will be kept under observation for five to six days.
The police have filed a case under sections 279, 338 and 427 of the IPC, which includes rash driving and causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others.
