Bengali actress Gita Dey dead

Kolkata, Jan 17 (IANS) Actress Gita Dey, who came up with stellar performances in Bengali films directed by Satyajit Ray and Ritwik Ghatak, died in a private hospital here Monday following prolonged illness, family sources said.

Dey ,79, whose acting earned her plaudits from English actor and director Lawrence Olivier, is survived by her two sons and a daughter.

Beginning as a child artiste at the age of six, Dey was associated with the Bengali stage and the silver screen for over seven decades. Late in her life, she also played character roles in television soaps.

Dey was chosen by Ray for her film 'Samapti', which was part of the trilogy 'Teen Kanya'.

Her performance as the mother of the main protagonist in Ghatak's masterpiece 'Meghey Dhaka Tara' (1957) is still talked about in glowing terms. She also acted in 'Komal Gandhar' and 'Subarnarekha' directed by Ghatak.

With Tapan Sinha she acted in films like 'Haatey Baajarey', 'Jotugriha' and 'Ekhonee'.