Jovial to the end, just like Jatayu

Bibhu Bhattacharjee breathed his last hours after he finished dubbing for ���������Royal Bengal Rahasya���������
Like a true professional, Bibhu Bhattacharjee had completed the final dubbing for Sandip Ray���������s ���������Royal Bengal Rahashya��������� hours before he breathed his last. Once the dubbing got over on Wednesday evening, he visited Sandip���������s home for a brief chat before returning to his Dumurjola home.
The heart attack struck just past midnight and Bibhu died even before the doctor arrived. He was 67 and leaves behind his wife, a son and a daughter.
Sandip still hasn���������t come to terms with the news. ���������He dubbed for me and was absolutely normal. In fact, he finished the dubbing before time. When he had begun dubbing for my other Feluda movies, he was a little slow on the uptake. Having worked in a different format during the early days of his career, he took time to get used to the new dubbing process when he shot for ���������Bombaiyer Bombete��������� or ���������Kailashey Kelenkari���������. But by the time he dubbed for ���������RBR���������, he had become very competent. It���������s such a huge loss for the Feluda team. When Shaheb replaced Parambrata as Topshe, we were apprehensive about how he would gel with Shaheb. But the two shared a great chemistry. We wanted to give at least a two-year gap before we started a new Feluda. It is in any case very difficult to search for a new actor to play Feluda. Now, we need to find someone to play Jatayu. He had almost become like Jatayu in his real life too. This will only increase the gap before I make another Feluda.���������
Sandip���������s wife, Lolita, who was also very involved with Team Feluda, says, ���������It���������s taking time for us to register this loss. We have had a professional relationship since ���������Jahangirer Swarnamudra���������.���������
A well-known child actor, Bibhu had made his acting debut in the 50s with ���������Morjada���������. Five-year-old Bibhu Bhattacharjee joined Uttam Kumar, Anup Kumar and Tulsi Chakraborty in the cast. He was also part of other films like ���������Agni Pariksha��������� and ���������Putrabadhu���������.
The Feluda team had shot for a chat show recently that was supposed to be aired on a private Bengali on Saptami. Says Sabysachi Chakrabarty, ���������I don���������t think the programme should be aired anymore on Saptami since Bidhuda is no longer there. Though the loss is immense, I admit that this is the best way for an actor to die. He didn���������t disturb anyone. Besides the fun at work, it was also a pleasure listening to him sharing experiences of working with legendary actors. He had such lovely stories to narrate about Tulsi Chakraborty. Everytime he shared such stories, we would be left asking for more.���������
Then, of course, was his love for cricket. ���������Once we were shooting in Dhenkanal during the World Cup. Bibhuda was a huge Sachin Tendulkar fan and he was ecsatic when Team India won. He was literally behaving like a child. Goriye pore jachhilen siri diye India jetar por! He would often behave like Jatayu. Oi rokom kathabatra bolten, bhoy peye jeten...��������� recalls Chakrabarty.
Who can forget the stories of him being a huge foodie? ���������He would have two rolls and then come to me and regret having had them. So, I���������d tell him to have puffed rice to help him digest it. Like a child, he would listen to me and do that too. We all loved to pull his leg and if we didn���������t do that, he would go grumpy!��������� Sabyasachi remembers.
Recalls Shaheb Bhattacherjee, ���������While shooting for ���������RBR��������� in Kolkata, my mother had cooked something and sent it over to the sets. Bibhujethu was very happy. He told me that when he comes to our house to invite my parents for his son���������s December wedding, my mother would have to cook a sumptuous meal for him. When my father woke me up in the morning to convey the news of his death, I immediately called up my mother (who is now in Scotland). She too is shattered. More than a professional loss, I am missing Bibhujethu personally. I made him quit smoking and he would thank me saying: ���������Shaheb, tui amar aayu bariye dili���������.���������
But what is most tragic, says Shaheb, is a comment that the actor had made while shooting for ���������RBR���������, which is supposed to have a December release. ���������We were in Bolpur shooting and Bibhujethu told me: ���������Etai amar sesh Feluda���������. Those words are still ringing in my ears. I don���������t know what will now happen to the Feluda franchise. Two years down the line, even I may look too old to play Topshe. Perhaps, we will see an all-new Feluda team on screen,��������� Shaheb says.