Veteran Bengali Singer Sandhya Mukhopadhyay, who refused to accept the Padma Shri Award last month, passes away at the age of 90 at a Kolkata hospital.
While the music world is still mourning the loss of Lata Mangeshkar, another tragic news broke out on Tuesday evening. Iconic Bengali singer, Sandhya Mukhopadhyay who had denied the national government’s Padma Shri Award last month, died of cardiac arrest in a Kolkata hospital.
The veteran singer had been in critical condition since last week, according to the hospital where she was being treated for COVID-19. She was diagnosed with ischemic heart disease and required oxygen therapy. Sandhya was prescribed medication for her abnormal heart rhythm, as well as blood pressure medication. She had been suffering from multi-organ dysfunction for the past few days.
She suffered a massive heart attack earlier in the day, and the medical team treating her tried everything they could to save her but failed to keep her alive.
After visiting her at the hospital earlier, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee had said, “Sandhya-di is Covid positive. She has also been diagnosed with heart-related problems. As Covid patients are not treated at SSKM Hospital, we will shift her to a private hospital. We want Sandhya-di to get the best treatment.”
Mukhopadhyay was admitted to SSKM Hospital after her health deteriorated after she fell in her home’s bathroom. Mukhopadhyay had turned down the Padma Shri Award ahead of Republic Day. She was later shifted and was being treated at a private hospital for a left femur bone fracture as well as various other health concerns.
Sandhya Mukhopadhyay, a stalwart in classical and semi-classical music, collaborated with a long list of notable music directors, including SD Burman, Naushad, Anil Biswas, Madan Mohan, and Salil Chaudhary. In 1970, she was nominated for a national award for Best Female Playback Singer for the Bengali cult hits ‘Jay Jayanti’ and ‘Nishi Padma’.
She was a recipient of Banga Bibhusan, a state government honor awarded by the Government of West Bengal, and the National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer. The classical and semi-classical singer has sung for numerous Bengali movies and Hindi movies.
Last month, the renowned singer made headlines when she declined the Padma Shri Award over a telephonic conversation after an official from the central government contacted her ahead of Republic Day. She had claimed that receiving the Padma Shri at the age of 90 was degrading for a vocalist of her repute and that the honor was more worthy for junior musicians.
