Industry mourns the demise of Nirmala Mishra

Nirmala, who lent her voice to several Bengali and Odia songs, had been battling age-related ailments

Noted Bengali and Odia singer Nirmala Mishra passed away at her residence in the Chetla area of Kolkata in the early hours of July 31, after suffering a massive heart attack.

After the news came out, several people from the industry expressed grief over the demise of Mishra and shared memories of their beloved ‘Nirmala di’.

Singer Indrani Sen, who was one of her greatest admirers, was deeply saddened by the incident. Addressing the media, she said: “I grew up listening to her songs. I used to perform her songs on the radio. Nirmala Di was a very kind human being and a very witty person too. Unfortunately, she hadn’t been keeping well for quite some time and was almost bedridden. She suffered a lot but has now moved on to find peace. May her soul rest in peace.”

Singer and ‘Ismrat Jodi’ contestant Rupankar Bagchi also expressed grief. He said: “She was one of the greatest singers and was blessed with a very melodious voice. Nirmala Di was a great human

Mishra is a recipient of the ‘Sangeet Sudhakar Balakrushna Das Award’, which was conferred on the singer for her lifetime contribution to Odia music

being and had a very friendly and warm nature. I have many pleasant memories of her.”

Noted Bengali singer Heimanti Shukla said: “We can never take someone’s departure well, but I am breathing a sigh of relief for Nirmala di. She had been in bed for more than five years and was suffering a lot. It was hard to see her in that condition.”

In addition, she said: “I remember once she came to sing at Rabindra Sadan. We met, talked, and spent a lot of time together. She was like a relative. She corrected me if I sang something wrong and guided me whenever she could.”