Suchitra Sen

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Suchitra Sen
Suchitra Sen as Paro in Bimpal Roy's, Devdas (1955).jpg
Suchitra Sen as Paro in Bimal Roy's Devdas (1955)
Born Rama Dasgupta
6 April 1931
Pabna, Bengal Presidency, British India
(now in Bangladesh)
Died 17 January 2014 (aged 82)
Kolkata, West Bengal, India
Nationality Indian
Ethnicity Bengali
Years active 1952–79
Notable work(s) Saat Pake Badha
Sharey Chuattor
Saptapadi
Shaapmochan
Harano Sur
Deep Jele Jai
Aandhi
Religion Hinduism
Spouse(s) Dibanath Sen (1947-1970 till his death)
Children Moon Moon Sen
Awards Padma Shri, Banga Bibhushan
Signature Suchitra Sen English signature.jpg
Suchitra Sen (Bengali pronunciation: [ʃuːtʃiːraː ʃeːn] About this sound listen (help·info)), born Rama Dasgupta (About this sound listen (help·info); 6 April 1931 – 17 January 2014), was an Indian actress who acted in several Bengali and a few Hindi films. The movies in which she was paired opposite Uttam Kumar became classics in the history of Bengali Cinema.[1]
Suchitra Sen was the first Indian actress to receive an award at an international film festival when, at the 1963 Moscow International Film Festival, she won the Silver Prize for Best Actress for Saat Paake Bandha.[2] [3] In 1972, she was awarded the Padma Shri, one of the highest civilian awards in India.[4] From 1979 on, she retreated from public life and shunned all forms of public contact; for this she is often compared to Greta Garbo.[5][6] In 2005, she refused the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the highest cinematic award in India, in order to stay out of the public eye.[7] In 2012, she was conferred the West Bengal Government's highest honor: Banga Bibhushan.[8]

Personal life and education

Suchitra Sen was born in Pabna, in the present-day Pabna District of Bangladesh, on 6 April 1931.[9][10] Her father Late Karunamoy Dasgupta was the headmaster of the local school, and her mother Indira Devi was a homemaker. She was their fifth child and third daughter. She received her formal education in Pabna.
Suchitra Sen married Dibanath Sen, son of wealthy Bengali industrialist Adinath Sen, in 1947[11] and had one daughter, Moon Moon Sen, who is a former actress. Her father-in-law Adinath Sen was supportive of her acting in films after her marriage.[12]Her industrialist husband initially invested a lot in her career and gave her all possible support.[13]
Suchitra Sen made a successful entry into Bengali films in 1952, and then a less successful transition to the Bollywood film industry. According to persistent but unconfirmed reports in the Bengali press, her marriage was strained by her success in the film industry.[14]

Career

Suchitra Sen made her debut in films with Shesh Kothaay in 1952, but it was never released.[15] The following year saw her act opposite Uttam Kumar in Sharey Chuattor, a film by Nirmal Dey. It was a box-office hit and is remembered for launching Uttam-Suchitra as a leading pair. They went on to become the icons for Bengali dramas for more than 20 years, becoming almost a genre unto themselves.[16]
She received a Best Actress Award for the film Devdas (1955), which was her first Hindi movie. Her Bengali melodramas and romances, especially with Uttam Kumar, made her the most famous Bengali actress ever.[17] Her films ran through the 1960s and '70s. She continued to act in films even after her husband died, such as in the Hindi film Aandhi (1974). Aandhi was inspired by India's Prime Minister Indira Gandhi[18]. Sen received a Filmfare Award nomination as Best Actress, while Sanjeev Kumar, who essayed the role of her husband, won the Filmfare as Best Actor.[19]
One of her best known performances was in Deep Jwele Jaai (1959). She played Radha, a hospital nurse employed by a progressive psychiatrist, Pahadi Sanyal, who is expected to develop a personal relationship with male patients as part of their therapy. Sanyal diagnoses the hero, Basanta Choudhury, as having an unresolved Oedipal dilemma. He orders Radha to play the role though she is hesitant as in a similar case she had fallen in love with the patient. She finally agrees and bears up to Choudhury's violence, impersonates his mother, sings his poetic compositions and in the process falls in love again. In the end, even as she brings about his cure, she suffers a nervous breakdown. The film is noted for its partly-lit close ups of Sen, which set the tone of the film.[20] Asit Sen remade the film in Hindi as Khamoshi (1969) with Waheeda Rehman in the Suchitra Sen role.[21]
Suchitra Sen's other landmark film with Asit Sen was Uttar Falguni (1963). She plays the dual role of a courtesan, Pannabai, and her daughter Suparna, a lawyer. Critics note that she brought a great deal of poise, grace and dignity to the role of a fallen woman determined to see her daughter grow up in a good, clean environment.[22][23][24]
Suchitra Sen's international success came in 1963, when she won the best actress award at the Moscow International Film Festival for the movie Saat Paake Bandha, becoming the first Indian actress to receive an international film award.[25]
A film critic summed up Suchitra Sen's career and continuing legacy as "one half of one of Indian cinema's most popular and abiding screen pairs, Suchitra Sen redefined stardom in a way that few actors have done, combining understated sensuality, feminine charm and emotive force and a no-nonsense gravitas to carve out a persona that has never been matched, let alone surpassed in Indian cinema"[26]

In retirement

Suchitra Sen refused Satyajit Ray's offer due to a date problem; as a result Ray never made the film Devi Chaudhurani. She also refused Raj Kapoor's offer for a film under the RK banner.[27] Sen continued to act after her husband's death in 1970, but called it a day when "Pronoy Pasha" flopped,[28] and retired from the screen in 1978 after a career of over 25 years to a life of quiet seclusion. She was to do a film project 'Nati Binodini', also starring Rajesh Khanna,[29] but the film was shelved mid-way after shooting when she decided to quit acting. She assiduously avoided the public gaze after her retirement and devoted her time to the Ramakrishna Mission.[9] Suchitra Sen was a contender for the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2005, provided she was ready to accept it in person. Her refusal to go to New Delhi and personally accept it from the President of India deprived her of the award.[30]

Death

Suchitra Sen was admitted to the hospital on 24 December 2013 and was diagnosed with a lung infection. She was reported to have been recovering well in the first week of January.[31] She died at 8.25 am on 17 January 2014, due to a heart attack.[32][33]
Suchitra Sen's death has been condoled by many leaders, including the President of India Dr. Pranab Mukherjee, the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, and BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.[34] A gun salute was given before her cremation, as ordered by Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal.[35]

Selected Filmography

Year Title Role Language Director Co-star Notes
1952 Shesh Kothay
Bengali

Unreleased
1953 Saat Number Kayedi
Bengali


1953 Bhagaban Srikrishna Chaitanya Bishnupriya Bengali Debaki Bose Basanta Choudhury
1953 Sharey Chuattor Romola Bengali Nirmal Dey Uttam Kumar The first film to pair Uttam and Suchitra, in the film their story formed a sub-plot
1953 Kajori
Bengali Niren Lahiri, Satu Roy

1954 Sadanander Mela Sheela Bengali Sukumar Dasgupta Uttam Kumar
1954 Ora Thaake Odhare
Bengali Sukumar Dasgupta Uttam Kumar
1954 Grihaprabesh
Bengali Ajoy Kar Uttam Kumar
1954 Atom Bomb



Suchitra Sen appeared as a background performer or an 'extra' in the film. Shot around 1951, the film released in 1954
1954 Dhuli Minati Bengali Pinaki Bhushan Mukherji Prashanta Kumar
1954 Maraner Parey Tanima Bengali Satish Dasgupta Uttam Kumar
1954 Balaygras Manimala Bengali Pinaki Bhushan Mukherji

1954 Annapurnar Mandir
Bengali Naresh Mitra Uttam Kumar
1954 Agnipariksha
Bengali Agradoot Uttam Kumar First film where Uttam Suchitra pair got the main billing and the duo's first hit.
1954 Sanjher Pradip
Bengali Ajoy Kar

1955 Devdas Parvati(Paro) Hindi Bimal Roy Dilip Kumar First Hindi film. The film and her role is considered to be one of the classics of Indian cinema
1955 Shapmochan Madhuri Bengali Sudhir Mukherjee Uttam Kumar
1955 Sabar Uparey
Bengali Agradoot Uttam Kumar
1955 Snaajhghar




1955 Snaajher Pradeep
Bengali


1955 Mejo Bou
Bengali


1955 Bhalabaasa
Bengali Debaki Bose

1956 Sagarika Sagarika Bengali Agragami Uttam Kumar
1956 Trijama Swarupa Bengali Agradoot Uttam Kumar
1956 Amar Bou
Bengali


1956 Shilpi Anjana Bengali Agragami Uttam Kumar
1956 Ekti Raat Swantana Bengali Chitta Bose Uttam Kumar
1956 Subharaatri
Bengali
Basanta Chowdhury
1957 Harano Sur Dr. Roma Banerjee Bengali Ajoy Kar Uttam Kumar
1957 Pathe Holo Deri Mallika Bengali Agradoot Uttam Kumar
1957 Jeeban Trishna




1957 Chandranath Saraju Bengali Kartick Chattopadhyay Uttam Kumar
1957 Musafir Shakuntala Verma Hindi Hrishikesh Mukherjee Dilip Kumar
1957 Champakali
Hindi Nandlal Jaswantlal

1958 Rajlakshmi O Srikanta Rajlakshmi Bengali Haridas Bhattacharya Uttam Kumar
1958 Surya Toran Aunita Chatarjee Bengali Agradoot Uttam Kumar
1958 Indrani Indrani Bengali Niren Lahiri Uttam Kumar
1959 Deep Jwele Jaai Radha Bengali Asit Sen Ajit Chatterjee, Anil Chatterjee
1959 Chaaowa Pawoa
Bengali Tarun Majumdar, Dilip Mukherjee and Sachin Mukherjee Uttam Kumar
1960 Hospital Sarbari Bengali Sushil Majumdar Ashok Kumar
1960 Smriti Tuku Thaak Shobha Bengali Tarun Majumdar, Dilip Mukherjee and Sachin Mukherjee Asitbaran
1960 Bombai Ka Baboo Maya Hindi Raj Khosla Dev Anand
1960 Sarhad
Hindi Shankar Mukherjee Dev Anand
1961 Saptapadi Rina Brown Bengali Ajoy Kar Uttam Kumar
1961 Saathihara




1962 Bipasha




1963 Saat Paake Badha Archana Bengali Ajoy Kar Soumitra Chatterjee
1963 Uttar Fhalguni Debjani / Pannabai / Suparna Bengali Asit Sen Bikash Roy
1964 Sandhya Deeper Sikha Jayanti Bannerjee Bengali Haridas Bhattacharya Anil Chatterjee, Dilip Mukherjee
1966 Mamta Devyani / Pannabai / Suparna Hindi Asit Sen Ashok Kumar Dharmendra
1967 Grihadaha Achala Bengali Subodh Mitra Uttam Kumar
1969 Kamallata Kamallata Bengali Harisadhan Dasgupta Uttam Kumar
1970 Megh Kalo Dr. Nirmalya Roy Bengali


1971 Fariyaad
Bengali Bijoy Bose Utpal Dutt
1971 Nabaraag




1972 Alo Amaar Alo Atashi Bengali Pinaki Bhushan Mukherji Uttam Kumar
1972 Haar Maana Haar
Bengali Salil Sen Uttam Kumar
1974 Devi Chaudhurani Prafullamukhi Bengali Dinen Gupta Ranjit Mallik In the 1960s Satyajit Ray decided to film the famous Bengali novel 'Devi Chaudhurani' he had first approached Suchitra for the role. However Satyajit Ray wanted her to block her dates and sign an exclusivity clause during the shooting. This condition was not acceptable to the actress after which Ray altogether dropped the idea.
1974 Srabana Sandhya
Bengali Bireshwar Basu

1975 Priyo Bandhabi
Bengali
Uttam Kumar
1975 Aandhi Aarti Devi Hindi Gulzar Sanjeev Kumar
1976 Datta Bijoya Bengali Ajoy Kar

1978 Pranoy Pasha
Bengali

Last Film

Awards

Year Award Notes Film
1963 3rd Moscow International Film Festival – Best Actress Award Awarded Saat Paake Bandha
1963 Filmfare Best Actress Award Nominated Mamta
1972 Padma Shri Awarded For notable contribution in Arts
1976 Filmfare Best Actress Award Nominated Aandhi
2012 Banga Bibhushan Awarded Lifetime Achievement in Film acting

References

  1. Jump up ^ Sharma, Vijay Kaushik, Bela Rani (1998). Women's rights and world development. New Delhi: Sarup & Sons. p. 368. ISBN 8176250155.
  2. Jump up ^ "Suchitra Sen, Bengal's sweetheart". NDTV. 17 January 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  3. Jump up ^ "3rd Moscow International Film Festival (1963)". MIFF. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
  4. Jump up ^ "Padma Awards Directory (1954–2013)". Ministry of Home Affairs. "1972: 130: Smt Suchitra Sen"
  5. Jump up ^ Bannerjee, Monideepa (17 January 2014). "Why Suchitra Sen became a recluse and other stories". NDTV. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  6. Jump up ^ "India's Greta Garbo' Suchitra Sen dies". 17 January 2013. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  7. Jump up ^ "Suchitra Sen awarded Banga-Bibhusan". Zee News India. 20 May 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
  8. Jump up ^ Das, Mohua (20 May 2012). "The perils of a packed prize podium Ravi Shankar declines award". Telegraph, Kolkata (Calcutta, India). Retrieved 2 June 2012.
  9. ^ Jump up to: a b Deb, Alok Kumar. "APRIL BORN a few PERSONALITIES". www.tripurainfo.com. Retrieved 23 October 2008.
  10. Jump up ^ "Garbo meets Sen Two women bound by beauty and mystery". Telegraph (Calcutta, India). 8 July 2008. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
  11. Jump up ^ Chakraborty, Ajanta (18 Jun 2011). "Actress Suchitra Sen's secrets out!". TNN (Times of India).
  12. Jump up ^ http://www.firstpost.com/bollywood/rip-suchitra-sen-it-is-the-end-of-a-fairytale-1345169.html
  13. Jump up ^ http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/bengali-actress-suchitra-sen-passes-away-kolkata/1/338239.html
  14. Jump up ^ Pal, Deepanjana (17 Jan 2014). "RIP Suchitra Sen. It is the end of a fairytale". Firstpost. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  15. Jump up ^ Chatterjee, ed. board Gulzar, Govind Nuhalani, Saibal (2003). Encyclopaedia of Hindi cinema. New Delhi: Encyclopaedia Britannica. pp. PT647. ISBN 8179910660.
  16. Jump up ^ Nag, Amitava (17 January 2014). "Uttam Kumar and 'Mrs Sen': The magical, hypnotic Uttam-Suchitra years". Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  17. Jump up ^ Dasgupta, Piyashree (17 January 2014). "Why Suchitra Sen is a part of every Bengali’s favourite memories". Firstpost. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  18. Jump up ^ "The Best Films of Suchitra Sen". Rediff. 17 Januray 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  19. Jump up ^ Gupta, Subhra (17 Januray 2014). "Suchitra Sen: A superstar in Bengal, an accidental tourist in Mumbai". Indian Express. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  20. Jump up ^ Verma, Sukanya (2 December 2013). "Waheeda Rehman’s haunting melancholy in Khamoshi.". Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  21. Jump up ^ "Waheeda Rehman's haunting melancholy in Khamoshi". Rediff. 21 November 2013. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  22. Jump up ^ Ray, Gitanjali (17 January 2014). "Suchitra Sen, Bengal's sweetheart". NDTV. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  23. Jump up ^ "Bengali cinema's golden queen Suchitra Sen no more". India Today. 17 Januray 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  24. Jump up ^ Jamil, Maqsud (17 January 2014). "Endearments of boundless charm". Daily Star. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  25. Jump up ^ Sur, Prateek (17 January 2014). "10 less known facts about Suchitra Sen, the first Paro of Bollywood". Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  26. Jump up ^ Chatterjee, Saibal (17 January 2014). "Suchitra Sen: Iconic Indian Bengali actress dies". BBC. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  27. Jump up ^ "Suchitra said 'no' to Satyajit Ray, Raj Kapoor". Business Standard. 17 January 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  28. Jump up ^ http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news-interviews/Suchitra-Sen-The-quintessential-enigma-despite-59-films/articleshow/28935237.cms
  29. Jump up ^ http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news-interviews/Uttam-wanted-to-meet-Suchitra-Sen-a-week-before-his-death/articleshow/28971702.cms
  30. Jump up ^ Ray, Gitanjali (17 January 2014). "Actress Suchitra Sen cremated, given gun salute". NDTV. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  31. Jump up ^ "Veteran actor Suchitra Sen’s health improves". The Hindu. 4 January 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  32. Jump up ^ "Veteran acctress Suchitra Sen dies in Kolkata hospital after massive heart attack". Financial Express. 12 June 2012. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  33. Jump up ^ "Suchitra Sen suffers high massive heart attack, passes away – Entertainment – DNA". Dnaindia.com. 22 October 2013. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  34. Jump up ^ "Indian Leaders Condole the Sad Demise of Suchitra Sen". Biharprabha News. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  35. Jump up ^ "BBC News – Suchitra Sen: Iconic Indian Bengali actress dies". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 17 January 2014.

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