The death of Suchitra Sen marks the end of an era for the Bangla film industry. Dominating the silver screen with her mesmerising intense performances and delicate beauty for three decades, she was an iconic actor who marked the golden age of Bangla cinema with films like Saptapadi, Agnipariksha and Share Chuattar.
One of the greatest diva of all time, Suchitra came into the film scenario with the release of her film Sat Number Kaydi with Samar Roy as the hero in 1953. In actuality, the first film she worked in, Sesh Kothay in 1952, remained unfinished. Sen received a National Award for her performance in Bimal Roy’s 1955 Hindi classic Devdas, playing the defiant “Paro” to Dilip Kumar’s “Devdas.” In 1963, Sen became the first Indian actress to be honoured at an international film festival - best actress award for Saat Paake Bandha at Moscow film festival. She earned both national and international acclaim for her performances as the quintessential romantic heroine be it in the role of “Vishnupriya” in the fifties, “Rina Brown” in the sixties or “Bijaya” in the seventies.
She formed an unbeatable romantic pair with Bengali cinema legend Uttam Kumar. The duo gave a string of memorable hits such as Harano Sur (1957), Agnipariksha (1954), Saptapadi (1961), Grihadaha (1967), Indrani (1958), Sagarika (1956), Bipasha (1962), Kamal Lata (1969), Alo Amar Alo (1972), Har Mana Har (1972) and Priyo Bandhabi (1975).
She was cast opposite matinee idol Uttam Kumar in 30 films from 1953 to 1975. Sen acted in 52 Bengali and seven Hindi films. Champakali, with Bharat Bhushan, Sarhhaad and Bommbai Ka Babu with Dev Anand and Mamta were some of her other notable Hindi films.
However, her most famous Hindi film after Devdas was 1974’s Aandhi by Gulzar. She earned wide acclaim for her role opposite Sanjeev Kumar in the film which landed in controversy due to similarities between her character and Indira Gandhi.
After her 1978 movie Pronoy Pasha with Soumitra Chatterjee flopped, Sen quietly left the limelight and even allegedly refused the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2005 preferring not to make a public appearance. As per her wishes, her family maintained secrecy even when she was hospitalized. The reason behind Sen’s withdrawal from public life remains a mystery.
A follower of the Ramakrishna Mission order, Sen spent her retired life in meditation and prayer. In 1989, when Bharat Maharaj of the mission passed away, she was seen publicly walking all the way to the crematorium from Belur Math near Kolkata.
Her daughter Moon Moon, though a well-known Bengali actress, could never overcome the large shadow that her mother’s beauty and acting prowess cast. Sen’s grand-daughters Riya and Raima have also featured in some Bollywood and Bengali films.
