Kolkata, March 1 (IANS) The members of Kolkata's cultural fraternity Monday paid their last tribute to noted theatre personality Kumar Roy, the pioneer of the Bengali theatre movement for decades, who died Sunday.

Roy was suffering from cardiac enlargement and lung problem, and passed away at a city hospital early Sunday. He was 84.

Born in Dinajpur (now in Bangladesh), Roy was associated with popular Bengali theatre group Bohurupee. He was also the president of the Bengali Theatre Academy.

'It was a great loss to Bohurupee and to the Bengali theatre community as a whole. I have never seen such a great personality who devoted his entire life to theatre. He loved the profession so much,' veteran film-maker Mrinal Sen said.

'Roy led Bohurupee from the front and shouldered all responsibilities his entire life,' he recalled.

Besides Sen, many eminent personalities from Kolkata's cultural arena also thronged at Rabindra Sadan. West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee also paid his floral tribute to the mortal remains of Roy there.

Later, his body was handed over to the anatomy department of R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital for medical research.