Miss Shefali, also known as Arati Das (1944 – 6 February 2020) was an Indian Bengali actress and dancer who was recognized for her work in Bengali cinema. She had worked with film director Satyajit Ray in classics like Pratidwandi and Seemabaddha. She is known as the Queen of Cabaret.
Early life and background
Arati Das was the youngest of three sisters from a
Bengali Hindus family of Narayanganj,
East Pakistan (now in
Bangladesh) which migrated to India during the Partition of Bengal. She started performing
cabaret at the age of 11 at Firpo's hotel and later in the Grand Hotel to earn for her family and then there was no looking back.
Career
Arati Das had made her film debut in Bengali film named
Chowringhee, in which she acts with actors like
Supriya Devi,
Uttam Kumar,
Utpal Dutt, and Biswajit. Besides films, she also acted in several stage plays and theater. Her plays include
Samrat O Sundari,
Saheb Bibi Golam, and
Ashlil. She was also a writer. Her autobiography
Sandhya Rater Shefali (Shefali of the Evenings and Nights) was published recently.
Personal life
An American national named Robin Rootland once wanted to marry her, but she decided to stay in India as unmarried for her family.
Selected filmography
External links
