Veteran Bengali actor Soumitra Chatterjee's daughter Poulami Basu appealed to people not to come over to their place right now due to the pandemic situation. "My mother's and my son's health is fragile at best. I humbly and earnestly request you please do not put them at risk," Basu wrote on her Facebook page. The octogenarian actor passed away at Kolkata's Belle Vue Hospital on Sunday.
"With deep grief I must inform you that my beloved father, my Bapi left us this morning. As a family, we are devastated. Please say a prayer for his soul. I humbly and earnestly request you all please do not come over to our place right now," Chatterjee's daughter said.
The bereaved daughter requested everyone not to put her ageing mother and son at risk. "Please keep the pandemic in mind and pray from the safety of your homes. If you all are truly concerned please respect what my father would have wanted. Please do not call me or text me... I will speak to everyone when I'm ready," she said asking for space and privacy that she so desperately needs right now.
Basu said if anyone wishes to meet her mother or brother, they can please call them. "Please please don't contact me now," she added.
The Dadasaheb Phalke awardee was admitted in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Kolkata's Belle Vue Hospital for almost 40-days and his consciousness level went down significantly in the last 48 hours.
Chatterjee was battling with Covid-19. He was tested positive for coronavirus on October 5 and got admitted to the hospital the very next morning.
He was shooting for a documentary titled "Abhijan", directed by actor Parambrata Chattopadhyay. Last he attended the shooting floor at Bharatlaxmi Studio was on October 1. The next shooting schedule was fixed on October 7.
Chatterjee was Bengal's one of the most celebrated actors who was best known for his many collaborations with filmmaker Satyajit Ray.