Soumitra Chatterjee’s wife passes away, Sharmila Tagore grieves

Deepa Chatterjee, the wife of the legendary Bengali actor Soumitra Chatterjee who passed away in November 2020, joined her husband in his heavenly abode on April 3 after a prolonged illness.

Sharmila Tagore who knew the couple very closely is aggrieved by the loss. “I knew Deepa through Soumitra at first and then became close to her. We shared a rapport separate from Soumitra. She was an individual in her own right, and not just her famous husband’s wife. I’d say I knew her almost as well as I knew Soumitra. She came home on a number of occasions. It was always a pleasure to met her. I’ve lost another friend.”

But it is Soumitra’s children’s loss that really worries Sharmilaji. “To have to lose both your parents within months is a real blow for the children. My heart reaches out to them.”

Sharmilaji makes a significant observation about couples who have been together for a long time. “When one of them goes, the other partner loses the will to live. He or she also passes away soon after. I’ve seen this happen on several occasions. This is especially true if the partner has no life or interests apart from the one who is gone. He or she loses interest in living. I am sure Deepa is happy to be with Soumitra again.”