Legendary filmmaker Mrinal Sen, who directed 'Bhuvan Shome', 'Mrigaya', passes away at 95

Filmmaker Mrinal Sen died of age-related ailments on Sunday morning at his apartment in Bhawanipore in Kolkata. He was 95 years old and was known for his extraordinary work in Bengali cinema.

Dadasaheb Phalke awardee film maker Mrinal Sen passed away at the age of 95 at his residence today.

— ANI (@ANI) December 30, 2018

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted about his death. “Saddened at the passing away of Mrinal Sen. A great loss to the film industry. My condolences to his family,” her tweet read.

Saddened at the passing away of Mrinal Sen. A great loss to the film industry. My condolences to his family

— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) December 30, 2018

Mrinal Sen is best known for being a force behind the camera that inspired mainstream Indian cinema to work with social and political issues. Being an iconoclast, the renowned filmmaker used to romanticize a poverty-stricken India which made him a class apart from others.

Sen was one of his nation's most politically active filmmakers. After having studied physics at university in Calcutta, Sen worked as a freelance journalist, a salesman of patent medicines and a sound technician in a film studio.

He is known for helming films like 'Bhuvan Shome', 'Mrigaya', 'Akaler Sandhane' and 'Calcutta 71'.

Sen's films have won numerous international awards. The Case Is Closed (1982) took home the Jury Prize from the 1983 Cannes Film Festival.