Kolkata: Renowned Bengali singer and songwriter Pratul Mukhopadhyay died of age-related ailments at a state-run hospital in Kolkata on Saturday. The octogenarian, who was declared dead at 10 am on Saturday, was admitted to the state-run SSKM Medical College and Hospital where he was undergoing treatment for quite some time. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee went to SSKM on Wednesday to enquire about his health conditions.
Expressing her condolences Banerjee after paying her tribute at Rabindra Sadan said: “The doctors tried their level best. However, suddenly his health deteriorated on Friday night. His death is an irreparable loss for the music world of Bengal. I express my heartfelt condolences to the family members of Pratul Mukhopadhyay. I am proud that our government has been able to give due recognition to him.” Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee also expressed profound grief. Mukhopadhyay’s body was kept at Rabindra Sadan for the common people to pay their last tributes. He was given a gun salute following which his body was taken to SSKM as he had donated it. Born on June 25, 1942, in Barisal of the undivided Bengal, now a part of Bangladesh, Mukhopadhyay’s father was a schoolteacher. After the Partition, his family shifted to Chinsurah in Hooghly, where the singer spent his childhood.
From a very young age, he was attracted to music and when he was just 12, he composed the tune of a folk song scripted by Mangalacharan Chattopadhyay. His passion for the Bengali language was evident in the song — ‘Ami Banglai gan gai’ (I sing in Bengali). His passion for folk music was evident in songs like ‘Ami dhan katar gan gai’ (I sing the song of harvesting paddy). The Bengali music industry is saddened by the loss of a legend. Rupam Islam recalled how special his performances were. “Pratul da didn’t need musicians on stage. His voice and lyrics were powerful enough on their own,” he said. Haimanti Shukla admired him as both a singer and a lyricist. “I truly loved his songs and told him many times. His writing was extraordinary. He knew more about music than many others,” she said. Music composer Debojyoti Mishra believes no one can match his talent for decades. “A singer and lyricist like him won’t come again for the next 50 years. His music was unique, and he was a wonderful person,” he said.