Kolkata, Feb 18, 2020 (BSS/PTI) – Veteran Bengali actor and former
Trinamool Congress MP Tapas Paul died of cardiac arrest early Tuesday, family
sources said.
He was 61.
Paul, who had gone to Mumbai to visit his daughter, complained of chest
pain at the Mumbai airport during his return to Kolkata and was rushed to a
hospital in Juhu but died around 4 am, they said.
He had been suffering from heart ailments and been to hospitals several
times for treatment during the past two years.
Paul, a two-term MP from Krishnanagar and MLA from Alipore, is survived by
his daughter and wife.
He remained away from films after the CBI arrested him in the Rose Valley
chit-fund scam in December 2016 and was given bail after 13 months.
A romantic hero, having endeared himself to the Bengali audience since his
debut film Dadar Kirti in 1980, Paul became a known household name because of
his lead roles in Saheb (1981), Parabat Priya (1984), Bhalobasa Bhalobasa
(1985), Anurager Choyan (1986) and Amar Bandhan (1986).
He made his Bollywood debut in Hiren Nag’s Abodh (1984) opposite Madhuri
Dixit.
He was awarded the Filmfare Award for Saheb (1981).
Veteran Bengali actor Ranjit Mallick described Paul’s death as “untimely”.
“I am yet to come to terms with the news. He was like my younger brother.
Yes he was not keeping well for some time,” Mallick said.