NEW DELHI: President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh have condoled the passing away of legendary actress Suchitra Sen.

In a condolence message to her daughter, Moon Moon Sen, the President has said, “In the passing away of Smt. Suchitra Sen, the film industry has lost a highly talented and acclaimed actress who played memorable roles in a number of Bengali as well as Hindi films. She shall always be remembered by her countless fans for her versatile acting which brought life into the celluloid characters she played in films.”

Sen was a legendary actress who ruled Bengali cinema for decades. Her powerful roles in films were highly acclaimed and will be remembered by generations of film lovers. During her illustrious career she was not only a recipient of Padma Shri Award, but also became the first Bengali actress who was awarded ‘Best Actress Award’ at an international film festival. Her sad demise is a huge loss to the Indian film industry, particularly Bengali cinema”.

In his message, the Prime Minister said, “Ms. Sen had carved a special niche in the hearts of millions of Indians through her graceful cinematic presence. She was one of the first Indian artistes to win an international award at Moscow in 1963. Ms Sen’s versatility and range of performances, in a career spanning nearly three decades, mark a unique contribution to Indian cinema, and to Bengali films in particular.”