Sreela Majumdar, favourite actor of directors like Mrinal Sen, dies at 65
Kolkata (PTI): Sreela Majumdar, a favourite actor of serious filmmakers such as Mrinal Sen, Shyam Benegal and Prakash Jha, died at her Kolkata residence on Saturday, her family said.
Majumdar, who was suffering from cancer for the past three years, was 65. She left behind her husband and son.
Condoling her death, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said Sreela was a powerful actor who played outstanding roles in several significant Indian films.
"It is a big loss for Bengal film industry and we shall miss her stellar presence. My condolences to her family," Banerjee said.
Majumdar's portrayal of characters in Mrinal Sen's Ekdin Pratidin' (And Quiet Rolls the Dawn, 1980), Kharij' (The Case is Closed, 1982) and Akaler Sandhane' (In Search of Famine; 1981), have been critically acclaimed.
She acted in crucial roles in Shyam Benegal's Mandi' (Market Place, 1983), Prakash Jha's Damul' (Bonded Until Death, 1985) and Utpalendu Chakraborty's Chokh' (Eye, 1983).
Her last film Palan' by Kaushik Ganguly, a sequel of Ekdin Pratidin', was also acclaimed widely last year.
She worked in altogether 43 films.
Majumdar was also known for her sensitive voice dubbing for Aishwarya Rai in the film Chokher Bali' (A Passion Play, 2003) by Rituparno Ghosh.
Condoling her death, the industry's younger colleague Rituparna Sengupta said, "She had delivered so many memorable performances under the direction of filmmakers like Mrinal Sen and others. She could have been utilised more by the industry."
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Brazil's Ancelotti raises doubts about whether Neymar will reach the 2026 World Cup
Sao Paulo (AP): Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti raised doubts about whether Neymar will be in his squad for the 2026 World Cup. The Italian has yet to pick the former captain since he took over in May.
“If Neymar deserves to be (in the squad), if he is, well, better than others, he will play in the World Cup and that's it. (But) I don't have debts to anyone,” Ancelotti said at a press conference in Washington on Friday following the draw.
Brazil is in Group C with Morocco, Haiti and Scotland.
“If we speak about Neymar, we have to speak about other players,” Ancelotti added. “We have to think about Brazil with or without Neymar, with or without other players. Our final list we will make after the FIFA fixtures in March.”
The 33-year-old Neymar has never fully recovered from a torn ACL in October 2023 during a World Cup qualifier against Uruguay. But he's been key for Santos in its fight to avoid relegation in the Brazilian championship.
On Wednesday, he scored a hat trick for Santos despite a muscular injury. He is expected to play again on Sunday against Cruzeiro.
Ancelotti said Brazil does not have a “referential player” at the moment, a tag for the most valuable player that Neymar has mainly worn since the 2014 home World Cup.
“We have one of the world's best goalkeepers, some of the best defenders, top midfielders and some players up front. I don't want players who want to be the best in the world, I want players who want to win the World Cup,” Ancelotti said.
Asked about his team's group, Ancelotti said Brazil can top it.
“We can win all three matches, our idea is very clear. We need to be competitive during the entire World Cup. Our goal is to play in the final and for that to happen you need to face very strong teams anyway.”
Brazil won the last of its five World Cup trophies in 2002.
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