Veteran Bengali actor Mithu Mukherjee died on Sunday night after a prolonged battle with cancer. She was 71 and had been undergoing treatment at Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital.

Mithu Mukherjee made her big screen debut with Chitta Bose’s Shesh Parba in 1972. However, she rose to prominence after playing the lead role of Marjina in Dinen Gupta’s Marjina Abdulla. She went on to appear in prominent roles in several Bengali films, including Nishi Kanya (1973), Mouchak (1974), Swayamsiddha (1975), Hotel Snow Fox (1976), Bhagyachakra (1980) and Sandhi (1980).

Mithu Mukherjee made her Bollywood debut opposite Shatrughan Sinha in Dulal Guha’s Khaan Dost (1976). She later starred alongside Vinod Mehra in Safed Jhoot (1977), but neither film performed well at the box office. In 1978, she appeared in Dillagi and Do Ladke Dono Kadke.

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After Dujane (1984) failed at the box office, Mithu Mukherjee took a seven-year hiatus from films. She returned to the big screen with Chandra Barot’s drama Ashrita (1990). However, she subsequently stepped away from the entertainment industry and largely remained out of the public eye, with Ashrita marking her final film appearance.

Actor Prosenjit Chatterjee took to X to mourn Mithu Mukherjee’s demise. He wrote, “The news of Mithu Mukhopadhyay’s passing is extremely heartbreaking. Her memory and her work will live on forever among us. With deepest respects.”

All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) also paid tribute to Mithu Mukherjee. Their statement read, “Mithu Mukherjee was a celebrated Bengali and Hindi film actress who made her cinematic debut with Shesh Parba and went on to become a familiar and respected face of Indian cinema during the 1970s and 1980s. She is remembered for her memorable performances in acclaimed Bengali films including Marjina Abdulla, Nishi Kanya, Mouchak, Swayamsiddha, Hotel Snow Fox, Bhagyachakra, Sandhi, Father and Ashrita. She also appeared in Hindi films such as Khaan Dost, Safed Jhooth, Dillagi and Do Ladke Dono Kadke.”

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It further read, “Her passing has left the entire Bengali film industry in deep shock and mourning. She was not merely a celebrated actress, but an integral part of the film fraternity and a cherished member of the larger film family. Her departure marks the end of an era in Indian cinema. Her contribution to the Bengali film industry, Ollywood and the Indian film industry as a whole will always be remembered. Her remarkable performances and the films she enriched with her talent will continue to live on in the hearts of audiences and generations to come. Today, the entire film fraternity mourns the loss of a beloved artist. All eyes are filled with tears as the industry bids farewell to an actress whose presence and contribution will never be forgotten. Her films, her performances and her legacy will continue to be remembered with love and respect. All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) pays its heartfelt and deepest tribute to the legendary actress Mithu Mukherjee.”