Veteran Bengali filmmaker and three-time National Film Award winner Raja Sen passed away at the age of 71 on Sunday, 16 August 2026. The acclaimed director had been undergoing treatment at the state-run SSKM Hospital in Kolkata following a prolonged illness. His death has brought widespread grief across the Bengali film, television, and documentary industries where he worked for several decades.

National Award-Winning Bengali Filmmaker Raja Sen Dies At 71

Raja Sen's health problems originally began years ago when he suffered a serious lower-back injury after falling on the set of his film Maya Mridanga. While the injury initially appeared minor, it gradually reduced his mobility over time.

His health deteriorated significantly in recent weeks. After initially receiving treatment at a private hospital for his back injury, Sen developed severe cardiac and lung complications. He was subsequently shifted to SSKM Hospital last week, where he developed kidney-related issues and was placed on ventilator support.

A doctor at SSKM Hospital confirmed his critical condition prior to his passing, stating, "He had multiple complications, and his condition remained critical despite treatment. He was on ventilator support."

Who Was Bengali Filmmaker Raja Sen?

Raja Sen began his career in the 1980s as a documentary filmmaker, directing non-fiction works on several cultural icons, including Rabindra Sangeet exponent Suchitra Mitra, director Tapan Sinha, theatre personality Shambhu Mitra, and poet Subhash Mukhopadhyay.

He gained widespread television acclaim in 1997 with the popular drama serial Subarnalata, later directing notable shows such as Adarsha Hindu Hotel and Arogya Niketan.

Sen made his feature film directorial debut with Damu in 1996, which went on to become one of his most popular works. Over the years, he directed several acclaimed feature films, including Atmiyo Swajan, Debipaksha, Krishnakant er Will, Laboratory, Maya Mridanga, Chakrabyuhya, Viswa O Arjun, Tinmurti, and Moubone Aaj. His 2002 drama Desh famously featured Jaya Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan.

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Raja Sen earned national critical recognition throughout his career, winning three prestigious National Film Awards:

1993: National Film Award for Best Arts/Cultural Film for the documentary Suchitra Mitra.

1996: National Film Award for Best Children's Film for his debut feature Damu.

1999: National Film Award for Best Film on Family Welfare for Atmiyo Swajan.

His passing marks the end of a distinguished career that left a lasting impression on Bengali cinema and non-fiction filmmaking.