Joy Banerjee, veteran Bengali actor and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, passed away at the age of 62. He had been battling pneumonia and breathed his last at 11:35 am on Monday, according to hospital sources.
Banerjee was first admitted to Medica Hospital on August 15 and discharged the next day. However, his condition worsened soon after, and on August 17, he was placed on ventilator support. Despite efforts, he succumbed on Monday morning.
Party colleagues and supporters gathered at his residence to pay their respects to the actor-turned-politician, whose contributions to both cinema and public life left a lasting impression.
Speaking to Indian Express Bangla, Trinamool MLA from Barasat, Chiranjit Chakraborty, recalled his last conversation with Joy Banerjee. “He was unwell and called me after almost 40 years. He said he needed some money, but I didn’t have enough. I assured him that I would inform the BJP, and they reached out to him. Unfortunately, he passed away very soon after,” Chakraborty said.
He added, “Ananya, his first wife, informed me of his death. She also mentioned that he had remarried. It is a very sad incident. Though I never worked with him on a film, I remember how audiences would gather to watch his movies.”
BJP Bengal spokesperson Pamela Goswami expressed her condolences on X, writing, “It is with profound sorrow that I learned of the passing of the esteemed actor and BJP leader, Shri Joy Banerjee. His remarkable contributions to Bengali cinema and public life will forever be etched in our memories. May his soul find eternal peace.”
🌹🙏 শ্রদ্ধাঞ্জলি 🙏🌹🙏 श्रद्धांजलि 🙏
— Rakesh Singh राकेश सिंह 🇮🇳 রাকেশ সিং (@RakeshSinghKol) August 25, 2025
Deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Shri Joy Bandopadhyay Ji, a respected figure in the film industry, senior leader of Bharatiya Janata Party Bengal, and my esteemed colleague.
This is not only an irreparable loss for our party… pic.twitter.com/ulJk3M0znV
Who was Joy Banerjee?
Born on 23 May 1963, Joy Banerjee was a popular face in Bengali cinema before stepping into politics. He was once married to Trinamool councillor Ananya Banerjee.
Banerjee made his acting debut opposite Debashree Roy in Nimnulur Banabas (1982), directed by Bidesh Sarkar. He went on to earn critical acclaim for his performance in Chopper (1987), directed by Nabyendu Chatterjee. His 1990 release Hirak Jayanti proved to be a major box office hit, cementing his place in Tollywood.
In 2014, Banerjee entered politics and contested the Lok Sabha elections as a BJP candidate from Birbhum, where he ran against sitting MP and fellow actress Shatabdi Roy.
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Joy Banerjee on Chinese products
In 2020, Joy Banerjee stirred controversy with his strong remarks urging a boycott of Chinese goods. He said, “A lesson should be taught to China, and this should start with a boycott of Chinese products. Everyone should refrain from using them. Those who continue to use such goods should be dealt with strictly.”
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