KOLKATA: Bengali actor Kharaj Mukherjee, known for films such as Kahaani and Special 26, and his wife Pratibha are stranded in Nepal following the devastating flash floods, their family said on Thursday.
The couple had travelled to the Himalayan country on August 20 with the production team of a Bangladeshi film for a shoot, along with family and friends.
"Despite the challenging circumstances, Mukherjee has assured us over the phone that they are safe," a family member said.
Fellow actor Rajatabha Dutta, who is also stranded in Nepal along with Mukherjee, is safe, the family said.
The group was unable to fly back from Kathmandu due to the situation there and now plans to travel by road to Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh before taking a flight to Kolkata.
A well-known name in the Bengali film industry, Mukherjee has acted in films including The Namesake, Accident, Muktodhara and Jaatishwar.
His Hindi film credits include Yuva, Parineeta, Laga Chunari Mein Daag and Lafangey Parindey.
The death toll in the massive flash floods in Nepal rose to 177, with authorities racing against time to find thousands of missing people, including 300 Indian tourists, in one of the country's worst disasters in recent years.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari expressed deep anguish over the loss of lives in the flash floods.
"I am deeply saddened by the tragic loss of lives.
My heartfelt condolences are with those who have lost their relatives, friends and loved ones.
I pray for Nepal and the affected people," he said in a social media post.
Adhikari said the state government was closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu and Nepalese authorities to assist affected tourists, pilgrims, workers and businessmen from the state.