Exclusive! Satyajit Ray's son, Sandip Ray on Soumitra Chatterjee's demise: "They don't make men like him anymore"

Satyajit Ray's son, Sandip Ray, is an extremely sad man today. COVID has snatched away his family friend Soumitra Chatterjee (85), who started his career with his legendary father in 'Apur Sansar' (1959).
In a conversation with ETimes an hour ago, Sandip Ray said, "What can I say? I have lost someone whose association with me is 60-years old. Soumitra babu had all the elements required to be a perfect gentleman.He was focused, punctual, kind, understanding, affectionate and gentle. What stood out the most was the amount of hard work he put in behind every role. And you can't even imagine the amount of homework he did. Not that he didn't have his light moments with the crew when he joked and laughed, but once the camera was switched on- he was something else, just magic."
Talking about Soumitra Chatterjee's work, Sandip Ray said, "He did several colourful characters in my father's films and all of them had so much flourish. He loved my father's techniques. He used to come home on my father's birthday and pay respect even after my father passed away in 1992."
Sandip Ray last met Soumitra Chatterjee sometime in late September a few days before he was hospitalised for COVID-19. "His daughter was making an archival thing of his various qualities like elocution, theatre, painting, acting. He was giving interviews there, he was so lively and animated on that day."
Sandip Ray was in frequent touch with Soumitra Chatterjee's daughter during the legendary actor's hospitalisation period. "It is extremely unfortunate that Soumitra babu is no more. Men like him are rare, today. Let's say 'they don't make men like him anymore'."