Suchitra Sen

 ( 1931 Births ) 

Suchitra Sen, widely known as the Mahanayika (), was an Indian actress who worked in Bengali and Hindi cinema. The movies in which she was paired opposite actor Uttam Kumar became classics in the history of Bengali cinema.

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 Pake Bandha. She was catapulted to stardom after she was cast as Vishnupriya by Devaki Kumar Bose in his Bhagaban Shree Krishna Chaitanya (1953).

In 1972, she was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award in India. From 1979 on, she retreated from public life and shunned all forms of public contact; for this she is often compared to Greta Garbo. In 2005, she refused the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the highest cinematic award in India, to stay out of the public eye. In 2012, she was conferred the West Bengal Government's highest honour: Banga Bibhushan. Her first official release was Sukumar Dasgupta's Saat Number Kayedi (1953).

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Personal life and education Suchitra Sen was born on 6 April 1931, in a Bengalis family of Bhanga Bari village of Belkuchi Upazila in Bengal Province of British India (now in Rajshahi Division, Bangladesh). Her father, Korunamoy Dasgupta, was a Sanitary Inspector of Pabna Municipality and her mother, Indira Devi, was a homemaker. Sen was their fifth child and second daughter. She was a granddaughter of the poet Rajanikanta Sen. She received her formal education in Pabna Government Girls High School. The violence of Partition in 1947 brought her family to West Bengal. Here she married Dibanath Sen, son of wealthy industrialist Adinath Sen, in 1947, at the age of 16 years. She had one daughter, Moon Moon Sen, who is a former actress. Suchitra's father-in-law, Adinath Sen, was supportive of her acting career in films after her marriage. Her industrialist husband invested greatly in her career and supported her. He died in 1970.

Sen had made a successful entry into Bengali films in 1952, and then a less successful transition into the Hindi movie industry. According to persistent but unconfirmed reports in the Bengali press, her marriage was strained by her success in the film industry.

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Career Suchitra Sen made her debut in films with Shesh Kothaay in 1952, but it was never released.

(2025). 9788179910665, Encyclopædia Britannica. . ISBN 9788179910665

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. She has acted in 30 of her 60 films with Uttam Kumar. Her first Hindi movie was Devdas (1955). Dilip Kumar won the Filmfare Award best actor award and Vyjayantimala won best supporting actress award but she hasn't even nominated for best actress award due to political reason, she is later only nominated by Filmfare award for Mamta (1966) and Aandhi (1974). Her Bengali melodramas and romances, especially with Uttam Kumar, made her the most famous Bengali actress ever.

Her films ran through the 1960s and '70s. Suchitra went on to act in films such as in the Hindi film Aandhi (1974). Aandhi was inspired by India's Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Sen this time same due to politics in film industry even though she had more powerful rules than Sanjeev Kumar and her acting was praised, she only received a Filmfare Award nomination as Best Actress where Sanjeev Kumar, who played the role of her husband, won the Filmfare as Best Actor. Rishi Kapoor once said in his interview his Filmfare award been bought with Rs30,000 for film Bobby, if the award not bought then it would be won by Amitabh Bachchan for film Zanjeer (1973).

One of her best known performances was in Deep Jwele Jaai (1959). She played in a character named Radha Mitra, 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. Asit Sen remade the film in Hindi as Khamoshi (1969), with Waheeda Rehman in the Suchitra Sen role.

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.

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.

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In retirement Suchitra Sen refused Satyajit Ray's offer due to a scheduling problem. As a result, Ray never made the film Devi Chaudhurani, based on the novel written by Rishi Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay. She also refused Raj Kapoor's offer for a film under the RK banner.

Sen continued to act after her husband's death in 1970, but called it a day when Pronoy Pasha flopped, 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, 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.

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Death 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. But her condition worsened later and she died at 8.25 am on 17 January 2014, due to a heart attack. She was 82 years old.

Sen's death was condoled by many leaders, including the President of India Pranab Mukherjee, the Prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, and BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. A gun salute was given before her cremation, upon the orders of Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal.

Respecting her fierce desire for complete privacy, her last rites were performed at Kolkata's Kaioratola crematorium, barely five and half hours after she died, with her coffin reaching the crematorium in a flower-decked hearse with dark-tinted windows. Despite being Bengal's greatest star, referred to as "Mahanayika", she had consciously chosen to step into oblivion and she remained an enigma till her last, although thousands of fans had converged at the crematorium to catch one last glimpse of their idol. Her entire medical treatment had also been done in seclusion and secrecy.

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Legacy Sen is best known for her acting, beauty and grace. She was noted for her unique ability to convincingly portray both an Indian girl as well as the anglicised city sophisticate. Rediff wrote about Sen, "Suchitra Sen is not just a yesteryear heroine, who produced numerous box office hits. She is a cult figure, an integral part of Bengali fantasy. Her affair with Hindi films was a short one. But whatever the role, she performed it with an intensity that kept audiences glued to their seats. It is this magnetism that has made her a legend. Together with Uttam Kumar, she gave us Bengali movies that speak to our hearts even today." Film critic Saibal Chatterjee summed up Sen's career saying "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".

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Filmography From 1953 to 1978, both in Bengali and Hindi, Suchitra Sen acted in 61 films.

1	1952	Shesh Kothaay	NA	NA	Bireswar Basu (??)	NA	Never released. However, after 22 years in January 1974 this movie was finally released in different name as " Shrabana Shandhya ", directed by may be Bireswar Basu (??).
This was her first officially released film.
First hit of "Uttam-Suchitra's".
First hit of legendary "Basanta-Suchitra" pair. And it was one of the first Suchitra Sen's Hindu Vaishnab Philosophy based movies. She acted the role of "Vishnu Priya', the wife of Sri Cahaitanya Mahaprobhu
She appeared as an extra in this film. It was shot in 1951 but released in 1954. Sabitri Chatterjee was the actual heroine of this small film
Music Director's name is unavailable and unfortunately was NOT even mentioned on the Title-Card of this movie
Suchitra-Uttam starring first Box Office Superhit Movie. That was the beginning of their Bengali film iconic image of "Sonar-Juti"
Her First Hindi language film Based on Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's novel "Devdas"
Suchitra-Uttam starring Second Box Office Superhit Movie based on Phalguni Mukhopadhyay's novel " Sandhya Raag".
Based on Scottish Writer A. J. Cronin's novel, "Beyond This Place". From this novel Bengali Movie "Sabar Uparey" was made in 1955. Then in 1958 Dev Anand made the same story in Hindi name "Kala Pani" directed by Raj Khoshla. However, the English film with the same title of the book was released in 1959 directed by Jack Cardiff
Basanta Chaudhury
Based on James Hilton's immortal Novel "Random Harvest" a 1942 Hollywood hit movie starring Ronald Colman and Greer Garson
Based on Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's novel "Chandranath". It is also the first Bengali movie ever released in Calcutta Metro Cinema.
A novel by then novelist Ms. Prativa Basu.
Hindi language
Hindi language
Based on Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's novel "Srikanta"
Based on the 1949 Warner Brothers film "The Fountain Head" written by then Russian-American writer Ayn Rand. Starring Garry Cooper, Patricia Neal, Raymond Messy, Kent Smith, the film was directed by Mr. King Vidor. In the Bengali film "Suryatoran", Suchitra Sen did the role of "Dominique" the main female character which was portrayed by Ms. Patricia Neal in "The Fountainhead".
Block-buster movie.
The Story was taken from Samual Hopkins Adams's one of the short stories " Night Bus" publishes in 1933. Director Frank Capra made it later a 1934 Oscar-winning block-buster Hollywood movie "It Happened One Night", starring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert.
She first time acted in Double Role in her career
Hindi language
Hindi language
This was the first film where Suchitra Sen charged Rs. one lakh for doing her role., and this was the first time any Bengali actor received Rs.1 Lakh for doing any film acting role.
Based on well known Bengali Writer Dr. Nihar Ranjan Gupta's Novel "Uttar Falguni".
It was based on Bengali novelist Tarun K. Bhaduri's book Sandhya Deeper Shikha. The movie was also produced by Dilip Mukherjee.
Hindi version of Bengali film "Uttar Phalguni"
Based on Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's novel "Grihadaha"
Based on Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's novel "Kamallata"
Basanta Chaudhury
However,"Shrabana Shandhya's" original name was "Shesy Kothaay" it was half done in 1952 and was never released at that time, after 22 years later it came out and released in Jan 1974, may be it was directed by Bireswar Basu, who was the original Director of "Shesy Kothaay" film in 1952 .
Hindi language
Based on Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's novel Datta
This was her last movie released

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Honours Suchitra Sen received 10 awards during her lifetime. In 1963, she became the first Indian actress to receive an international award.

• 1962 – Won BFJA Award for Best Actress for Saptapadi
• 1964 – Won BFJA Award for Best Actress for Uttar Phalguni
• 1973 – Won BFJA Award for Best Actress for Alo Amaar Alo
• 1976 – Won BFJA Award for Best Actress (Hindi) for Aandhi
• 1963 – Won 3rd Moscow International Film Festival for Best Actress for Saat Paake Badha
• 1967 – Nominated Filmfare Award for Best Actress for Mamta
• 1972 – Won Padma Shri for notable contribution in arts
• 1975 – Won Filmfare Bangla Award for Best Actress for cinema Priya Bandhabi
• 1976 – Nominated Filmfare Award for Best Actress for Aandhi
• 2012 – Won Banga Bibhushan for lifetime achievement in film acting
• 2014 – Won Filmfare East Lifetime Achievement Award (Posthumous)

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Footnotes

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External links

• Calcuttaweb article on Suchitra Sen

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