Joy Banerjee, Bengali actor known for Chopper and Hirak Jayanti, dies at 63

Bengali actor Joy Banerjee passed away at a Kolkata hospital on Monday at the age of 63, his family confirmed.

He was admitted to a private hospital on August 15 with severe breathing issues and had been battling Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). His health deteriorated steadily, and he remained on ventilator support for the past few days.

Banerjee, who had also contested elections on a BJP ticket, breathed his last at 11:35 am. He is survived by his wife and mother.


A matinee idol of the '80s and '90s, he had given Tollywood a string of hits, such as Hirak Jayanti (1990), Milan Tithi (1985), and Nagmati (1983), besides the critically acclaimed Chopper (1986).

He fought the 2014 and 2019 elections from the Birbhum and Uluberia seats, respectively, on a BJP ticket. However, he quit politics in November 2021.

TMC MP Satabdi Roy, his co-actor in many films, said, "I am shattered. I knew Joy was ailing for quite some time, and we all were praying for his recovery."

Union minister Sukanta Majumdar condoled Banerjee's untimely demise.