Tapas Pal complained of chest pain at the Mumbai airport while travelling back to Kolkata (File)
Highlights
- Tapas Pal had gone to Mumbai to visit his daughter
- He's a two-term MP from Krishnanagar and MLA from Alipore
- His debut film was Dadar Kirti in 1980
Veteran Bengali actor and former Trinamool Congress MP Tapas Pal died of a cardiac arrest in a Mumbai hospital early this morning, his wife said. He was 61.
Tapas Pal, who had a long history of heart problems, was admitted to a private hospital in Mumbai, where he had gone to meet his daughter in January.
The two-term former MP from Krishnanagar, who moved away from both cinema and active politics after the CBI arrested him in the Rose Valley chit-fund scam in December 2016, is survived by his daughter Sohini and wife Nandini.
According to Nandini Pal, the actor was taken to the hospital on February 1 after he fell ill at the Mumbai airport on his way to the United States for treatment. The actor-politician, known for films such as "Saheb" and "Amar Bandhan", was on the ventilator till February 6.
"He was taken off the ventilator and was recovering, but suddenly his condition worsened and he died of cardiac arrest around 3:30 am on Tuesday," Nandini Pal told news agency Press Trust of India.
Tapas Pal had been suffering from heart ailments and been in and out of hospitals for treatment during the past two years.
He was born in Chandannagar in Hooghly district and graduated from Hooghly Mohsin College in bioscience.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said in her condolence message that Pal's death had left a deep void in films and politics.
"Saddened and shocked to hear about the demise of Tapas Paul. He was a superstar of Bengali cinema who was a member of the Trinamool family. Tapas served the people as a two-term MP and MLA. We will miss him dearly. My condolences to his wife Nandini, daughter Sohini and his many fans," Ms Banerjee tweeted.
A romantic hero, having endeared himself to the Bengali audience since his debut film "Dadar Kirti" in 1980, Tapas Pal became a household name with his leading roles in "Parabat Priya" (1984), "Bhalobasa Bhalobasa" (1985), "Anurager Choyan" and "Amar Bandhan" (1986).
He made his Bollywood debut in Hiren Nag's "Abodh" (1984) opposite Madhuri Dixit.
"The loss of Tapas Paul who was one of the very first actors, I have worked with is felt by many. May God bless and comfort his family during this difficult period," Madhuri Dixit Nene wrote on Twitter.
He was awarded the Filmfare Award for "Saheb" (1981).
In a career spanning over three decades, Paul had worked with veteran actors Prosenjit Chatterjee, Soumitra Chatterjee, Ranjit Mallick and Raakhee Gulzar.
Some of his last appearances were in films such as "Khiladi" and "Aat ta Aater Bongaon Local".
Actor Ranjit Mallick described Tapas Pal's death as "untimely".
"I am yet to come to terms with the news. He was like my younger brother. He was not keeping well for some time," Mr Mallick said.
Tapas Pal's colleagues in films and politics, actors Debasree Roy and Chiranjeet Chakraborty, both TMC MLAs, said they had lost a dear friend and the film industry a brilliant actor.
Pal, inspired by Mamata Banerjee and her fight against the Left Front regime, joined the Trinamool Congress in 2000 two years after it was formed. He was elected as the MLA from Alipore Assembly seat in 2001.
He was elected as the MP from Kishnanagar Lok Sabha seat for two consecutive terms from 2009.
After his arrest in the Rose Valley chit-fund scam, Pal's family members had repeatedly alleged that the party did not bother to enquire about him. He was arrested and given bail after 13 months.
After his release from prison in 2018, Tapas Pal withdrew from active politics and communicated to the TMC his unwillingness to contest elections.