A great chapter in Bangla cinema ended yesterday as legendary actor Suchitra Sen died in Kolkata at the age of 82 after prolonged illness.
Suchitra had been undergoing treatment for chest infection at Kolkata’s Belle Vue Clinic, where a seven-member medical board was treating her over the past three weeks as her condition fluctuated between critical and stable.
The iconic actor of Bangla cinema chose a reclusive life after retiring from the silver screen and had appeared in public only twice.
With Uttam Kumar, Suchitra formed Bangla cinema’s most beloved on-screen pair, reigning the industry for over two decades and became legendary figures in the hearts of audience.
Suchitra also won praises for her performances in a number of Hindi films, which included Devdas (1955) and Aandhi (1974).
Indian newspaper Times of India quoted Suchitra’s doctors as saying that her condition had started deteriorating since Thursday night and she suffered a heart attack yesterday morning.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee officially announced the actor’s death and hailed Suchitra’s achievements, saying: “It would be wrong to address her as a legend. She was a goddess.”
Suchitra’s body was cremated at the Kewratala crematorium in Kolkata yesterday afternoon. She was honoured with a 21-gun salute by the state government.
Suchitra Sen was born Rama Dasgupta in Pabna on April 16, 1931. At the age of 16, she married Dibanath Sen and the couple had their only daughter Moon Moon Sen in 1948.
In 1952, Suchitra had her first experience in front of the camera when she worked in Shesh Kothay– a film that was never released. The following year marked her silver screen debut in Saat Number Koyedi; but it was not until the release of Sharey Chuattor the same year that her meteoric rise to stardom began. The film also set the grounds for what was to become the most romantic screen couple of Bangla cinema in Uttam-Suchitra.
The actor went on to score further popularity in her first Hindi film, Bimal Roy’s adaptation of Bangla classic Devdas, where she played Parbati to Dilip Kumar’s eponymous role.
Suchitra’s dominance in Bangla film arena continued as she produced regular hits over the next decades. The moviegoers were treated to on-screen magic of the Uttam-Suchitra pair in films like Sagarika (1956), Harano Sur (1957) and Saptapadi (1961).
Suchitra strengthened her claim to the throne of Bangla cinema with memorable performances in films like Dweep Jele Jai (1959), where her performance as a nurse who develops personal relationships with male psychiatric patients, was hailed by both audience and critics alike.
Suchitra Sen became the first Indian actress to win an international award when she was handed the Silver Prize for Best Actress at the Moscow Film Festival in 1963 for her work in Saat Pake Badha (1963).
The veteran actor ended her film career with Pronoy Pasha in 1978, retiring also from public life to lead a hermit-like existence. Suchitra, who had not been seen in public since
1989, only allowed a handful of people at her home apart from daughter Moon Moon and grand-daughters Riya and Raima Sen who are also actresses.
The reclusive Suchitra refused the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2005 as it meant travelling to New Delhi to accept the award. In 2012, Suchitra received the Banga Bibhushan award from the government of West Bengal.