Famous Bengali film and theatre personality Manoj Mitra passed away on Tuesday at the age of 86 in Kolkata. He was known mainly for writing and directing farces and fantasies to highlight social and political issues. His plays also underscored the struggle of the oppressed common man.

A legendary actor, he immortalised the character of Banchharam in Tapan Sinha's 1980 film 'Banchharamer Bagan' (The Garden of Banchharam). This dark comedy on the oppression of the peasants by the zamindars was adapted from a play by Mitra. Mitra had around 100 one-act and full-length plays to his credit besides film scripts. Mitra has also acted in the legendary director Satyajit Ray's classics such as 'Ghare Baire' and 'Ganashatru'.