After devastating floods in Nepal, 332 bodies have reportedly been recovered so far. Popular Bengali actor Kharaj Mukherjee, known to Hindi audiences for films such as Parineeta and Kahaani, and his wife Pratibha Mukherjee are among those stranded in the flood-hit country. The couple had travelled to Nepal for a film shoot.
Mukherjee had been in regular contact with his family after the flooding began. However, his phone later became unreachable, causing concern among his relatives. Several other members of the film’s shooting unit were also with him at the time.
Kharaj Mukherjee has worked in many major Bollywood films.
According to a Hindustan Times report citing a member of Kharaj Mukherjee’s family, the actor and his wife are safe, although the situation in the surrounding areas has worsened. They are currently unable to leave Nepal.
Actor Rajatava Dutta is also stranded in Nepal along with Kharaj. His group was unable to get a flight out of Kathmandu because of the situation there. They are now planning to travel to Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, by road and take a flight to Kolkata from there.
Who is Kharaj Mukherjee?
Kharaj Mukherjee is a well-known actor in the Bengali film industry and has appeared in films such as The Namesake, Accident, Muktodhara and Jaatishwar.
His Hindi film credits include Yuva, Parineeta, Laaga Chunari Mein Daag, Special 26 and Lafangey Parindey.
He is particularly known to Hindi audiences for playing Inspector Chatterjee in Sujoy Ghosh’s Kahaani.
His work in Bengali cinema has also earned him recognition. He received the Bengal Film Journalists’ Association Award for Best Male Playback for Paatalghar in 2004.
Before entering films, Mukherjee worked with the Indian Railways. He made his Bengali film debut with Hulusthul in 1980.
Kharaj Mukherjee in the role of Inspector Chatterjee in the Vidya Balan starrer film ‘Kahaani’.
Bengali actress also stuck in floods
Bangladeshi actress Apu Biswas is stuck amidst the severe floods and landslides in Nepal. She was in Nepal for the shooting of a film. She stated that she is currently safe in Pokhara and is preparing to return to Dhaka.
Actor Ankur Rathee narrowly escapes floods
Actor Ankur Rathee is still in disbelief after narrowly escaping the floods in Nepal. Rathee, who has worked in several web series and films like ‘Mai’, was in Nepal’s Rasuwa district a day before the floods hit on Wednesday.
Ankur Rathee and his group narrowly escaped the disaster
Many people were killed in the devastating floods that hit the region on Wednesday, while more than 500 are still missing. Actor Ankur Rathee had reached Kathmandu on August 22 for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra with a group from the Maharashtra-registered club SAAD Mountaineers. His wife, Anuja Joshi, and cousin Sonali Kapadia were also part of the trip.
Rathee said that the three had passed through the area affected by the disaster just 12 to 16 hours before it was hit by the floods.
Speaking to The Indian Express on Thursday, Rathee said, “We were all very excited about the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. Just a day before, my wife, cousin and I were taking pictures there.”
SAAD Mountaineers founding member Rajan Deshmukh also recalled passing through the same location shortly before the disaster. “Just 18 hours ago, we were at this very spot. What a fate we have,” he said.
Other members of the group, Pune-based advocates Surendra Datar and Sonal Datar, said they were shocked to realise that they had been at the same spot just seven to eight hours before the disaster.
332 bodies recovered, more than 500 still missing
Following Wednesday’s devastating floods in Nepal, 332 bodies have reportedly been recovered so far. The highest number of deaths has been reported from Chitwan district, where 121 bodies have been recovered.
The large number of bodies has also created a shortage of storage space. Chitwan’s mortuary has the capacity to hold only 50 bodies, making it difficult to accommodate all the victims recovered from the disaster.
Relief and rescue operations and the search for missing persons are underway in the flood-affected areas. A search is ongoing for approximately 1,500 people. Contact has not yet been established with 288 Indian citizens. This includes 73 Indians working on the Trishuli-1 power project.
21 Indians stranded in the floods have been rescued, 11 of whom have been identified. In Nepal, teams from the Army, Police, and Armed Police Force are engaged in the search for the missing persons.
