'Handa Bhonda' & 'Bantul The Great' creator Narayan Debnath passes away at 97

Famous Bengali cartoonist Narayan Debnath passed away at 97 on Tuesday morning at a South Kolkata nursing home after a prolonged illness. He was undergoing treatment at a city hospital.

A hospital official confirmed that the Padma Shri awardee took his last breath at 10.15 am. He was admitted to the private hospital on December 24 and was on ventilator support.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took to social media to share the news. She was personally monitoring Debanath's health since he was admitted to the hospital in the first week of January.

"I am deeply saddened by the demise of eminent children's writer and cartoonist Narayan Debnath. He breathed his last in Calcutta today," she wrote.

The late 97-year-old artist was known for creating Bengali comic characters 'Bantul The Great', 'Handa Bhonda', 'Bahadur Beral' and 'Nonte Phonte'.

Banerjee said that Debnath gained a permanent place in the minds of readers of all ages.

Extending her sincere condolences to the family of Debanth, the CM said, "His death is an irreparable loss in the world of Bengali literature."

West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar expressed his sadness at the demise of the legendary cartoonist.

He said that the world of literary creativity and comics has suffered a 'huge loss'.


Last month, Dhankhar has visited Debnath at his Howrah residence. He said he felt inspired and energised after the artists's blessing. "At 96, found him very alert," he had tweeted.

Debnath was admitted to hospital several times last year and was suffering from age related ailments including kidney and heart problems. The state government had taken the responsibility of his medical treatment.

The West Bengal government awarded Debnath the 'Banga Bibhushan' in 2013. In addition to the Padma Shri Award, he was also presented with the Sahitya Akademi Award. The Rabindranath Tagore University had also honoured him with D.Litt degree.