Jayanta Mukherjee breathed his last at his Mumbai residence on Thursday, November 12. He was in his late 70s.
The veteran film producer and composer, married to Hindi cinema star Moushumi Chatterjee for over five decades, had grappled with severe diabetes and deteriorating health for months. Doctors briefly admitted him in critical condition earlier that afternoon. But with vitals sinking rapidly, medical staff advised the family to bring him home, where he died around 5:30 pm in the presence of his wife and daughter.
Hurting behind closed doors, his family confirmed the memorial arrangements for industry peers and well-wishers.
Daughter Megha Mukherjee issued a formal family announcement outlining the upcoming service:
With profound grief, we announce the sad news of the death of my father, Shri Jayanta Hemant Mukherjee, on the 12th of November. Prayer meet will be held on 15th November, Sunday at Shri Khatwari Darbar, 366 Shree Khatwari Darbar Marg, Linking Road, Khar West, Mumbai 400052. Timing: 5:30
7:30 pm."
Art ran in Mukherjee's blood. He was the son of legendary vocalist and composer Hemant Kumar, an artistic giant whose baritone defined mid-century Indian music. Rather than chasing the spotlight out front, Jayanta carved out a disciplined lane backstage. He stepped into the music department on Biwi Aur Makan, learning the machinery of sound before pivoting into full-fledged film production.
In the 1970s, Mukherjee steered marquee comedy features that gave Moushumi Chatterjee room to showcase her sharp comic timing. He backed Mazaaq in 1975 and followed it with Do Ladke Dono Kadke in 1979—both casting Chatterjee in pivotal roles. Decades later, he turned his creative lens to broadcast television, backing the 1992 show Talaash.
| Project Title | Release Year | Mukherjee's Credited Role | Key Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biwi Aur Makan | — | Music Department & Producer | Musical lineage under father Hemant Kumar |
| Mazaaq | 1975 | Producer | Feature starring Moushumi Chatterjee |
| Do Ladke Dono Kadke | 1979 | Producer | Ensemble comedy starring Chatterjee |
| Talaash |
Trouble arrived late, but it struck hard.
Moushumi Chatterjee married Mukherjee in 1972. She was just 15 years old—an arranged match organized to fulfill her ailing aunt's final wish. Then came the migration to Bombay. In an era when marriage routinely choked off a leading lady's screen prospects, Chatterjee did the opposite. Supported by Mukherjee, she racked up iconic performances across Hindi and Bengali cinema, headlining Anuraag, Naina, Kacche Dhaage, Benaam, Humshakal, and Roti Kapda Aur Makaan.
Yet personal tragedy tested the family in their later years. Their elder daughter, Payal Mukherjee, battled severe juvenile diabetes from 2017 onward. In 2018, both parents moved the Bombay High Court seeking legal guardianship of Payal amid deteriorating health circumstances and medical disputes. Payal slipped into a prolonged coma and died on December 13, 2019, aged 45. Friends close to the family noted that Jayanta's physical decline steepened sharply after her loss.
Mukherjee is survived by Moushumi and their younger daughter, Megha Mukherjee, an actor who featured in films including Radio, Ruslaan, and Aisa Kyun Hota Hai. Industry colleagues and family acquaintances will gather for the final memorial prayers at Khar on Sunday evening.
| 1992 |
| Producer / Associate |
| Primetime television broadcast series |