Veteran singer Sandhya Mukharjee dies: President, PM shocked

Legendary Indian singer Sandhya Mukhopadhyay

Dhaka, Feb 15 – Legendary Indian singer Sandhya Mukhopadhyay breathed her last on Tuesday at a Kolkata hospital. She was admitted to the hospital on January 27. Later, she was shifted to another hospital after she tested Covid positive.

Sandhya Mukhopadhay

According to her family, after recovering from Covid, she underwent a surgery. “That went well. We were supposed to meet her at the hospital on Tuesday evening when the doctors suggested otherwise. In fact, she was supposed to be back home on Friday,” said Swapan Mukherjee, who has been Sandhya Mukhopadhyay’s close associate for over three decades.

From Music fraternity to artistes from other disciplines and politicians — condolence messages poured in after the news of demise was made public. “I met her for the first time at Technician’s Studio. She was there to record Abhijit Bandyopadhyay’s compositions. Post the recording, she asked all the musicians — including me — if she sang well. That was my first meeting with her. Her demise leaves a void in the world of music,” said composer Debojyoti Mishra.

The 90-year-old was rushed to Kolkata's premier state-run SSKM hospital on January 27 last after she complained of breathlessness. 

Hospital doctors told the local media that she was suffering from a lung infection that triggered her breathlessness. "A medical board has been constituted at SSKM Hospital to treat Mukherjee," a doctor said.

A recipient of Banga Bibhushan, the highest civilian honour of the eastern state of West Bengal, Mukherjee began her music career as a classical vocalist. Apart from several Bengali songs, she sang, as a playback singer, in 17 Bollywood films.  

During the Bangladesh Liberation War, she raised money for the millions of Bengali refugees who came to Bengal to escape the fighting. 

Mukherjee subsequently became one of the first foreign artists to perform at an open-air concert in Paltan Maidan in Dhaka to celebrate the first Ekushey February after Bangladesh became independent in 1971.

President Abdul Hamid on Tuesday expressed deep grief over the death of legendary artist of Bengali music Sandhya Mukhopadhyay.

In his condolence message, the President said that the death of Sandhya Mukhopadhyay was an irreparable loss to the music world of the subcontinent. 

The people of this country will forever remember his contribution in the liberation war of Bangladesh with respect, he said.

The President wished peace to the departed soul of Sandhya Mukhopadhyay and conveyed his deepest condolences to his bereaved family.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed deep shock and sorrow at the death of legendary singer Gitasree' Sandhya Mukhopadhyay. 

In a condolence message, she said that apart from spreading magic of her music in the subcontinent her contribution in the  Bangladesh Liberation War will be remembered.

She prayed for the eternal salvation of the departed soul and expressed sympathy to the bereaved family.