Suchitra Sen

Introduction

Suchitra Sen was an iconic Indian actress who appeared in both Hindi and Bengali movies. Unfortunately, she died on January 17, 2014, due to a heart attack. She left behind a remarkable legacy in the world of cinema.

Early Life

Suchitra Sen was actually born on Monday, April 6, 1931, in Bhanga Bari village of Belkuchi Upazila, Pabna, Bengal Presidency, British India (which is now in Siraj Ganj District, Greater Pabna, Bangladesh). Her zodiac sign is Aries. After the partition of India in 1947, her family had to move to Bengal as refugees. She finished her schooling at Pabna Government Girls High School.

Family

Suchitra Sen came from a middle-class Bengali family. Her mother, Indira Devi, was a homemaker, while her father, Korunamoy Dasgupta, served as a headmaster in a school in Pabna. Among her siblings, Suchitra was the fifth child and second daughter. She was also the granddaughter of the renowned Bengali poet Rajanikanta Sen.

Raima Sen and Riya Sen, the granddaughters of Suchitra Sen, have indeed continued her legacy. Both Raima and Riya have appeared in numerous Hindi and Bengali films, showcasing their talent and keeping the family name alive in the industry.

Husband

At just 15 years old, Suchitra Sen got married to Dibanath Sen, who was the son of the renowned industrialist Adinath Sen. Sadly, in 1970, her husband passed away in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A. Her daughter, Moon Moon Sen, has made a name for herself in the film industry, working in various languages like Bengali, Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada.

Relationship

Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen were actually known as one of the most romantic couples in the Bengal film industry. Their on-screen chemistry was so incredible that people often speculated about their relationship. However, Suchitra clarified the nature of their bond by saying that she had a deep and meaningful friendship with Uttam Kumar.

Career

Suchitra Sen had a remarkable career in Bengali films, where she achieved great success. While she also appeared in several Hindi films, her Bollywood journey wasn't as prosperous. Her debut film, "Shesh Kothaay," unfortunately, never got released in 1952. However, her first released Bengali film was "Saat Number Kayedi," directed by Sukumar Dasgupta in 1953. She went on to star in "Sharrey Chuattor" alongside Uttam Kumar, and the film was produced by Nirmal Day. After that movie, Suchitra Sen and Uttam Kumar became the first iconic pair in Bengali cinema. Out of her impressive career of 60 films, she was paired with Uttam Kumar in nearly 30 of them. Even though the society of that time was hesitant to accept the kind of romance portrayed by Suchitra Sen and Uttam Kumar on-screen, their chemistry turned out to be a huge hit with the audience. In fact, the youth of that era started following their fashion style.

After being cast as Vishnupriya in "Bhagaban Shree Krishna Chaitanya" in 1953, Suchitra Sen's career took off, and she never looked back. Her first Hindi film, "Devdas," was released in 1955, and she received a nomination for Best Actress. In 1959, she garnered appreciation for her performance in "Deep Jale Jaai," directed by Asit Sen. And in 1963, she collaborated with Asit Sen once again for another successful film, "Uttar Falguni."

In 1978, she retired after her Bengali movie Pronoy Pasha and never went back to Tollygune Studios. While shooting for Nati Binodini with Rajesh Khanna, she decided to quit acting, and unfortunately, the film was halted. She took a break from the media and avoided public places. After retiring, she dedicated most of her time to the Ramakrishna Mission and would visit Bharat Maharaj of Belur Math and Kanai Maharaj in Golpark Ramkrishna Mission.

After retiring, she chose to stay away from the camera and public eye, earning her the nickname "Greta Garbo" in the film industry. Moon Moon Sen once revealed that one reason for her retirement was the decline in the quality of Bengali cinema. Many of the directors she admired had passed away, and the scripts she received were not up to her standards. With the loss of Uttam Kumar, she wondered who she would collaborate with.

Death

Suchitra Sen died on January 17, 2014, due to a heart attack. She had been admitted to the hospital on December 24, 2013, because of a lung infection. Although she initially showed signs of recovery in early January, her health took a turn for the worse, leading to her unfortunate demise.

On January 17, at Suchitra Sen's Kolkata home, the police made sure to enhance security measures. They transformed the entire lane across from Ballygunge Science College into a heavily fortified area. Trucks carrying guardrails arrived, barricading both the lane and the road leading to it. The authorities received strict instructions to sanitize the entire route to Suchitra Sen's house, leaving no room for any risks. A deputy commissioner overseeing security arrangements outside Vedanta stated, "So we are not taking any chances." Five minutes later, the hearse and cars departed for the crematorium. Moon Moon turned towards the crowd gathered outside the house and greeted them with folded hands.

After Suchitra Sen's passing, several Indian leaders, including the President and Prime Minister of India at that time, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, and PM Narendra Modi, expressed their condolences. Mamta Banerjee, the C M of West Bengal, ordered a gun salute before her cremation. Fans gathered at the cremation site to bid their final farewell to their beloved idol. However, both her medical treatment and cremation were conducted with utmost secrecy and privacy.

Awards

Suchitra Sen had an incredible career! She won several awards for her amazing performances. In 1962, she received the BFJA Best Actress award for "Saptapadi," and in 1964, she won it again for "Uttar Phalguni." She also received the Best Actress award for "Saat Pakey Bandha" at the Moscow Film Festival in 1963. She also received the Padma Shri in 1972 for her contributions to the arts. In 1973, she won the BFJA Best Actress award for "Alo Amaar Alo," and in 1975, she got the Filmfare Best Actress award for "Priya Bandhabi." She also received the BFJA Best Actress award for "Aandhi" in 1976. In 2012, she was honored with the prestigious Banga Bibhushan by the Government of West Bengal. In 2014, she was posthumously awarded the Filmfare East Lifetime Achievement Award.

In 1967, Suchitra Sen was nominated for the Best Actress award for her role in "Mamta." Similarly, in 1976, she received a nomination for the same award for her performance in "Aandhi."

Facts about Suchitra Sen

• Before entering the film industry, Suchitra Sen had the nickname Krishna. Her original name was Roma Dasgupta, but assistant director Nitish Roy felt that Roma Sen wasn't a suitable name for a movie star so he gave her the name Suchitra Sen.
• It's been reported that her immense success in the film industry caused some difficulties in her married life.
• She was often seen as a self-centered person who preferred to handle things on her own and avoid seeking help from others.
• Sen was a nature lover. After retiring, she would spend her mornings admiring the sky, trees, and flowers in her garden. In the evenings, she would enjoy watching the beautiful twilight sky.
• She shared a great bond with Sanjeev Kumar after their film Aandhi in 1975. It's believed that Sanjeev Kumar would visit Suchitra Sen's house whenever he was in Kolkata.
• After the release of the film Aandhi, which starred Suchitra Sen and Sanjeev Kapoor, it faced a ban. This was because some people believed that the movie was based on the life of Indira Gandhi, with Suchitra Sen portraying her character. However, the film was eventually released in 1977 when the Janta Party came into power.
• During an interview, when Suchitra Sen was talking about Raj Kapoor, she mentioned that he visited her residence and offered her a lead role. However, she didn't accept the offer because she didn't like his personality. She specifically mentioned that the way he behaved, sitting near her foot and offering her a bouquet of roses, didn't seem appropriate for a man.
• In 1963, Suchitra made history by becoming the first Indian actress to win the prestigious Moscow International Film Festival award for her outstanding performance in the movie Saat Pakey Bandha.
• In 2005, she made a unique decision by refusing the esteemed Dada Sahab Phalke Award. She did this to avoid any unnecessary attention from the media and to maintain her privacy.
• During an interview, she openly expressed her strong desire to portray the character of Damini in Rabindranath Tagore's Chaturanga.
• While shooting for the movie Saat Pakey Bandha, Suchitra Sen revealed that what was written in the script was actually happening in her own life.
• During the shooting of a film, Suchitra Sen had a disagreement with the director, Haridas Bhattacharya, because she wanted to portray a scene in her unique way. This led her to walk off the set. However, after some time, Haridas Bhattacharya eventually agreed to her approach, and she resumed work, bringing her own style to the scene.
• She also had the opportunity to endorse the popular LUX brand.
• Suchitra Sen became quite reclusive after retiring. She mentioned that she even missed attending her younger sister's daughter's wedding because of her reclusive nature. When it comes to traveling, she mentioned a preference for hills, but she rarely left her home after retiring.
• She had a last wish to portray the role of Ma Sarada, which unfortunately remained unfulfilled.
• There are actually quite a few books that have been written about Suchitra Sen's life. Some of them include "Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen (Bengali Cinema's First Couple)" by Maitrayee B Chowdhary, "Sabar Upore Suchitra Sen" by Ashishtaru Mukhopadhyay, and "Suchitra Sen (The Legend and The Enigma)" by Shoma A. Chatterji.

Conclusion

Suchitra Sen, a legendary Indian actress, left a lasting impact on Hindi and Bengali cinema. She was famous for her amazing chemistry with Uttam Kumar and received lots of praise and awards for her incredible performances. After retiring, she lived a secluded life, which added to her mysterious charm. When she passed away in 2014, it marked the end of an era in Indian cinema.