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Filmmaker Mrinal Sen no more (Lead)
Kolkata, Dec 30 (IANS) Legendary filmmaker Mrinal Sen died at his south Kolkata residence on Sunday following old age complications, said his family member.
Sen, 95, a widower, is survived by his only son Kunal Sen.
The Padma Bhusan awardee filmmaker, who was ailing for a long time, breathed his last at his residence, 38 Padmapukur Road, in South Kolkata’s Bhawanipore area around 10 a.m.
Sen, also the recipient of country’s highest film honour, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, made his debut as a filmmaker with a feature film, Raat Bhore in 1955, which starred Uttam Kumar.
He is known for his acclaimed films like “Neel Akasher Neechey”, “Padatik”, “Bhuvan Shome” and “Akaler Sandhane”, “Ek Din Pratidin” and so on.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has condoled Sen’s death.
“Saddened at the passing away of Mrinal Sen. A great loss to the film industry. My condolences to his family,” she tweeted.
Famous Bengali filmmaker Buddhadeb Dasgupta expressed his grief and termed Sen’s death as “the end of an era”.
Acclaimed Bengali actor-filmmaker Aparna Sen said more than a director and a colleague, Sen was like a family member to them.
Film and stage actor Kaushik Sen, who debuted in Sen’s film ‘Ek Din Pratidin’ as a child actor, said he did not have words to express Sen’s influence on his career.
“My relationship with Sen was very personal… cannot say much at this point. I learnt a lot of technical things about acting and filmmaking from him. I first acted in front of the camera because of him and my first film was also directed by him. I have also acted in the last film made by him,” Sen said.
Veteran actor Ranjit Mullick, who also made his acting debut under Sen, said he was a great fan of the film-makers sense of humour.
“Mrinal Sen’s name is pronounced with stalwarts like Satyajit Ray and Ritwik Ghatak in the same breath. I cannot believe he is no more. It is painful news. My debut film was directed by him. Sen had a great sense of humour. I was really fond of his jokes,” Mullick reminisced.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.