Bengali filmmaker, theatre personality Goutam Halder dies at 67

Kolkata, Nov 3 (PTI) Renowned Bengali filmmaker and theatre personality Goutam Halder died of cardiac arrest here on Friday.

He was 67.

Halder died at a private hospital, where he was admitted after complaining of chest pain at his Salt Lake residence in the morning, sources in the Bengali film industry said.

He had directed around 80 stage plays, including Rabindranath Tagore's 'Rakta Karabi' recently.

Halder had made his first Bengali film 'Bhalo Theko' in 2003, with actor Vidya Balan in the lead role. He also directed 'Nirvana' with Rakhi Gulzar in the lead role in 2019.

Expressing grief over his death, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said in a statement, "Saddened by the demise of distinguished film director and theatre personality Goutam Halder. His demise is a great loss to the world of culture." Family friend and actor Chaiti Ghosal, who was cast in Halder's 'Rakta Karabi', wrote on social media, "Famous theatre personality and film director Gautam Halder is no more. My deepest respect to you. He was my mentor in the world of theatre." Halder had also made a documentary, 'Strings for Freedom', on Sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan in 1999. PTI SUS ACD