In life as in death, Suchitra Sen remained an enigma. The 83-year-old actor, who breathed her last this morning at a private hospital in Kolkata, stayed away from public life for over three decades. To respect her last wishes, she was cremated in complete privacy of her family, far away from public glare.

To the frustration of shutterbugs, her mortal remains were carried by a hearse car with black tinted windows covered in floral wreaths. Thousands of her admirers, who gathered on the streets to pay last tributes to the legendary actor of Bengali and Hindi films, were not allowed near the hearse.

Ajit Kundu (65) rushed to the hospital, where Sen had breathed her last, for one last glance. He remembers the last time he got a glimpse of the heart-throb of Bengal coming out of a city cinema hall in the 1970s.

Sixty-two-year-old Chitra Sahana was heartbroken to be denied a last glimpse of the legend.

They will pay their tributes before a photograph of the actress at Rabindra Sadan – the city’s cultural centre.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said as per the wishes of her family, the last rites were kept low profile barring the exception of 21-gun salute offered by the State.

According to Banerjee, “the actress was beyond all awards”. The posh South Kolkata locality where she stayed would be named ‘Suchitra Sen Square’ and the road – Ballygunge Circular Road – would be renamed as ‘Suchitra Sen Sarani’.

Governor, M. K. Narayanan, said: “I am deeply grieved to learn about the sad demise of Suchitra Sen, the most popular actress of Bengali cinema, and acclaimed as the ‘Greta Garbo’ of the Indian screen.”

Sanjiv Goenka, Chairman of Saregama India, told a news agency that: “The hearthrob of the nation has chosen to stop and, along with the rest of the world, I deeply mourn the passing away of a great actress.”

ayan.pramanik@thehindu.co.in

abhishek.l@thehindu.co.in

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