President condoles demise of Rituparno Ghosh

President Pranab Mukherjee Thursday condoled the death of eminent director Rituparno Ghosh, saying the demise of this "promising and creative" genius is a huge loss to the Indian film industry.

In a condolence message to the director's brother, Indranil Ghosh, Mukherjee said: "An acclaimed and highly talented director, Rituparno Ghosh shall always be remembered for his innovative films which will continue to inspire film-makers."

"The untimely demise of this promising and creative genius is a huge loss to the Indian film industry, particularly Bengali cinema," he said.

Rituparno, who was suffering from pancreatitis, passed away at his South Kolkata residence in sleep around 7.30 a.m. following a massive cardiac arrest, film industry sources said. He was 49.