Renowned singer, composer, producer Ashima Mukherjee dies at 86

Renowned singer, composer, and producer, Ashima Mukherjee, died in her sleep on Tuesday. She was  86.  She was married to the late actor Par...

Renowned singer, composer, and producer, Ashima Mukherjee, died in her sleep on Tuesday. She was  86. She was married to the late actor Partha Mukherjee. She is survived by her daughter Pompy Bhattacharya.

After completing her training at Bengal Music College, she honed her skills in classical music under Pandit Gyan Prakash Ghosh and light music under Sailen Mukhopadhyay. Her debut production ‘Dolna’ starring Tanuja, marked her entry as a female playback singer. Her musical journey's high point was her debut as music director in the iconic Uttam Kumar starrer 'Chowringhee,' where she composed the immortal 'Boro Eka Laage' for Manna De. Other films that she had composed for included ‘Memshaheb’, ‘Phool Shajya’, ‘Subho Rajani’ ‘Ajker Nayak’,  and ‘Tanaya’. 

Eminent singers like Manna Dey, Hemanta Mukherjee, Sandhya Mukhopadhyay, Shyamal Mitra, and Ajoy Chakrabarty sang under her baton. Her rendition of "Shubhro Shankha Robe" with Shyamal Mitra and Arati Mukhopadhyay for 'Mahishashur Mardini' for Mahalaya was outstanding. She worked for over 20 years at Kolkata's All India Radio Kolkata where she rose to the post of Assistant Station Director.