Veteran Bengali actor and former Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Tapas Paul died of a cardiac arrest in a Mumbai hospital early Tuesday, his wife said. He was 61.
Paul, who had a long history of heart problems, was admitted to a private hospital in Mumbai, where he had gone to meet his daughter in January. He, who moved away from both cinema and active politics after the CBI arrested him in the Rose Valley chit-fund scam in December 2016, is survived by his daughter Sohini and wife Nandini.
According to Nandini Paul, the actor was rushed to hospital on February 1 after he fell ill at the Mumbai airport on his way to the United States for treatment.
The actor-politician, known for films such as Saheb and Amar Bandhan, was on the ventilator till February 6. “He was taken off the ventilator and was recovering, but suddenly his condition worsened and he died of cardiac arrest around 3.30 am on Tuesday,” Nandini told PTI.
Paul had been suffering from heart ailments and been in and out of hospitals for treatment during the past two years.
A romantic hero, having endeared himself to the Bengali audience since his debut film Dadar Kirti in 1980, Paul became a household name with his leading roles in Parabat Priya, Bhalobasa Bhalobasa, Anurager Choyan and Amar Bandhan.
He had also made his Bollywood debut in Hiren Nag’s Abodh (1984). (PTI)
