New Delhi:

Renowned Bengali theatre personality Manoj Mitra, best known for his farces and fantasy plays that often tackled social and political issues, died on Tuesday morning in a hospital in Kolkata due to age-related ailments, according to family sources. He was 86.

A doctor at the hospital confirmed that Manoj Mitra died at approximately 8:50 a.m. on Tuesday. “He was admitted to the hospital on November 3 with multiple health issues and his condition worsened over time. Unfortunately, he left us this morning,” the doctor told PTI.

Manoj Mitra had been hospitalised earlier on September 20 due to breathing difficulties, an imbalance of sodium and potassium, and other health complications, as per the news agency PTI. He was discharged at the end of September, though his health continued to decline.

Mitra was best known for his performance in Tapan Sinha’s Banchharamer Bagan, which was adapted from his own play Sajano Bagaan. He also appeared in legendary director Satyajit Ray’s films Ghare Baire and Ganashatru. Apart from his work with Satyajit Ray, Manoj Mitra was also seen in films by renowned directors such as Buddhadeb Dasgupta, Basu Chatterjee, Tarun Majumdar, Shakti Samanta and Goutam Ghose.