Rahul Gandhi pays homage to filmmaker Mrinal Sen

Congress president Rahul Gandhi Sunday condoled the demise of noted filmmaker Mrinal Sen, saying he will "live on" through his work. "I am sorry to hear about the demise of Mrinal Sen Ji. He will live on through his vast body of critically acclaimed work," the Gandhi scion said in a Facebook post. "I extend my heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and fans all around the world," he added.

Bestowed with the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke award, Sen was the last of the triumvirate of directing icons, including Satyajit Ray and Ritwik Ghatak. He breathed his last at his residence after a prolonged battle with age-related ailments, family source said. He was 95.

"Sen passed away today (Sunday) around 10.30 am due to age-related ailments," a family member said. Sen's trilogy-- "Interview", "Calcutta 71" and "Padatik"-- is considered to be a masterpiece for depicting the social and political upheaval in the Kolkata of the 1970s. In a career spanning for over six decades, Sen was one of the greatest ambassadors of parallel cinema, directing films in both Bengali and Hindi.