Kazi Liakat Hossain :
January 17 was the death anniversary of our legendary film personality prime and graceful woman of Bengali speaking people Suchitra Sen. She was born on 6 April, 1931 and died on 17 January 2014. Many of us do not know actual birthplace of Shuchitra Sen. She was born in Belkuchi Upozila under Shirajgonj in her maternal grandfather’s house. Her ancestral home was in Pabna town, where she lived and read up to class ix before migration to west Bengal, Kolkata. It is our great pride that this colossus held from Pabna.
The inhabitants of Dhaka city can also be proud to know that Shuchitra’s grandfather -in- law Denanath Sen was son of old Dhaka Gendaria. A road has been established after his name Denanath Sen road at Gendaria, once it was a posh area. We remember, during sixties when we were school going students, we used to enjoy her popular films like ‘Harano- Shur,’ ‘Shilpi,’ ‘Shat Pake Badha,’ ‘Shagorika,’ ‘Agni Parikha,’ etc. All these movies were unparalleled; we saw these movies several times and drew a picture of her in our mind’s eye. In our School going age, we used to put by coins in a pot to see the movies acted by Shuchitra Sen. During golden days cinema halls buzzed with avid cine goers and movie going was a way of life because there was Shuchitra, the heart throb beauty queen of Bengal, the lady with the tantalising gaze, her winsome features and her statuesque height, her gait and style of talking and she walked in grace. Most of all her boundless unparalleled talents were heightened by her personal charm.
Her time is gone forever and she retired to self -imposed seclusion from the public eye; lest her charming image be tainted by the ravages of age. Her first film was ‘Sesh Kothai.’ It was never released. Next film was ‘Sharey Chuattur’ was released in 1952. It was box office hit and made Shuchitra-Uttam as the most popular leading pair in Bengali cinema. Her next popular film was ‘Agnipariksha’ (1954) which set in a new era of Bengali films with Shuchitra Sen playing an important role.
Shuchitra Sen entirely changed Bengali cinema as none could do; in the process adding standard to cinematic acting and special attraction to cine going. She was on a pedestal in a Bengali movie. A height nobody yet crossed, there was nobody of her kind and there is nobody her kind. Kanon Bala, an actress and also a renowned singer of her time and Shandharani both of them had served their time. Cinema goers of her (Shuchitra) time still muse over the mesmerism of her cine persona. With the name of Shuchitra they drift in nostalgia. That is why cine goers flocked to cinema halls to quench their hearts with the enchantment of watching Shuchitra appear in grace, gaze in the most winsome fashion, speak in a delectable style-melt the male lead with the most exquisite expression of love submitting to his arms with ardent love, comforting his head in her lap with assurance of love and crystal tear drops glistening in her lovely eyes. So movie theaters were packed with the viewers. They came from the cinema halls lost in the thoughts of Shuchitra magic.
During her school going age she liked to travel. One of her uncle was justice of Kolkata high court. She used to go to his residence off and on. Once she came across with Debanath Babu (Debanath Sen) near the residence of her justice uncle at a tender age she was given in marriage to DebanathSen in 1947 in Pabna. She was an ambidexter, she could recite poems, could sing well. She was also a good dancer and actress. In every year she received first prizes in school functions. Her nick name was Rama Dasgupta . One of her classmates Sara Ahmed said, “Rama was very smart ultra modern and used to wear well dress always. In school functions she played a key role.” Former director of Science and Industries Research Parishadof Dhaka Dr SafuraNabi said, Shuchitra was adept in dancing, reciting, acting and singing.
Another classmate of Shuchitra, Dr Mina met her in Kolkata in 1986. In Kolkata’s new theatre, many people of Pabna used to work, from them Rama used to get information of Pabna people known to her and those who were close to her. In pabna town, there is a lane called Abdul Hamid Road near to it there is a Gobindo public library. Near this library Gaitry Goha (China) resides here, who was a classmate of Shuchitra Sen, Rama used to see Cinema with her friends when any new picture was released in Pabna. Gaitry said “Roma used to come in our residents regularly and asked my mother ‘Kakima’ I want to eat such and such things, my mother served her with a sweet smile. Gaitry met Rama in 1996-97 that was the last meeting of her with Rama, a dream girl of Bengal.
It is also interesting to know that she (Shuchitra) was also fond of ‘Jatraplay.’ Once she told some Journalists that Jatraplay is the most powerful mass media. She had feelings regarding Jatra .There is a tale that a few days before the death of Uttam Kumar, he joined in Janata opera in Kolkata at the contact of nine lac rupees per night. She was at that time in seclusion. When she came to know this, she said “our Chabi Biswas, Pahari Sannal and Jahar Ganguly- they came to cinema from their first profession, Jatra play.” But Uttam went to Jatra from cinema. With a laugh she said “Whose end is good, all are best”. In the name of “A Memorable day in my life” Shuchitra wrote a memoir with the request of the editor of ‘The Prashad’ newspaper in Bengali calendar 1369. She wrote very interesting and at the same time heartrending story on Chaya Debi and herself.
Shuchitra mesmerised the movie goers – following are the names of the films- ‘Shapmochon’ (1955), ‘Sobar Upare'(1955), ‘Shagorika’ (1956), ‘Shilpi’ (1956), ‘Pothe Holo Deri’ (1957), ‘Dwip Jele Jai’ (1959), ‘Harano Shur’ (1957), ‘Shaptapadi’ (1961), she played in Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’ and ‘Uttar Falguni (1963).’
Our Rama got the best actress award at the Moscow Film Festival in 1963 for the film ‘Shat Pakey Bandha.’ Shuchitra also acted in Hindi films such as ‘Devdas’ (1955), ‘Aandhi’ (1975), ‘Bombay Kababu’ (1960), ‘Mamta’ (1966),etc.
Her father and mother’s name were Karunamoy Dasgupto and Indira Dasgupto. Her father- in- law was an entrepreneur Adinath Sen. Her father was sanitary inspector of Pabna Municipality. Shuchitra Sen will live as long as Bengali films and movie goers live. She left behind her only daughter Moonmoon Sen and two granddaughters RiyaSen and Raima Sen. They are also film actresses.
January 17 was the death anniversary of our legendary film personality prime and graceful woman of Bengali speaking people Suchitra Sen. She was born on 6 April, 1931 and died on 17 January 2014. Many of us do not know actual birthplace of Shuchitra Sen. She was born in Belkuchi Upozila under Shirajgonj in her maternal grandfather’s house. Her ancestral home was in Pabna town, where she lived and read up to class ix before migration to west Bengal, Kolkata. It is our great pride that this colossus held from Pabna.
The inhabitants of Dhaka city can also be proud to know that Shuchitra’s grandfather -in- law Denanath Sen was son of old Dhaka Gendaria. A road has been established after his name Denanath Sen road at Gendaria, once it was a posh area. We remember, during sixties when we were school going students, we used to enjoy her popular films like ‘Harano- Shur,’ ‘Shilpi,’ ‘Shat Pake Badha,’ ‘Shagorika,’ ‘Agni Parikha,’ etc. All these movies were unparalleled; we saw these movies several times and drew a picture of her in our mind’s eye. In our School going age, we used to put by coins in a pot to see the movies acted by Shuchitra Sen. During golden days cinema halls buzzed with avid cine goers and movie going was a way of life because there was Shuchitra, the heart throb beauty queen of Bengal, the lady with the tantalising gaze, her winsome features and her statuesque height, her gait and style of talking and she walked in grace. Most of all her boundless unparalleled talents were heightened by her personal charm.
Her time is gone forever and she retired to self -imposed seclusion from the public eye; lest her charming image be tainted by the ravages of age. Her first film was ‘Sesh Kothai.’ It was never released. Next film was ‘Sharey Chuattur’ was released in 1952. It was box office hit and made Shuchitra-Uttam as the most popular leading pair in Bengali cinema. Her next popular film was ‘Agnipariksha’ (1954) which set in a new era of Bengali films with Shuchitra Sen playing an important role.
Shuchitra Sen entirely changed Bengali cinema as none could do; in the process adding standard to cinematic acting and special attraction to cine going. She was on a pedestal in a Bengali movie. A height nobody yet crossed, there was nobody of her kind and there is nobody her kind. Kanon Bala, an actress and also a renowned singer of her time and Shandharani both of them had served their time. Cinema goers of her (Shuchitra) time still muse over the mesmerism of her cine persona. With the name of Shuchitra they drift in nostalgia. That is why cine goers flocked to cinema halls to quench their hearts with the enchantment of watching Shuchitra appear in grace, gaze in the most winsome fashion, speak in a delectable style-melt the male lead with the most exquisite expression of love submitting to his arms with ardent love, comforting his head in her lap with assurance of love and crystal tear drops glistening in her lovely eyes. So movie theaters were packed with the viewers. They came from the cinema halls lost in the thoughts of Shuchitra magic.
During her school going age she liked to travel. One of her uncle was justice of Kolkata high court. She used to go to his residence off and on. Once she came across with Debanath Babu (Debanath Sen) near the residence of her justice uncle at a tender age she was given in marriage to DebanathSen in 1947 in Pabna. She was an ambidexter, she could recite poems, could sing well. She was also a good dancer and actress. In every year she received first prizes in school functions. Her nick name was Rama Dasgupta . One of her classmates Sara Ahmed said, “Rama was very smart ultra modern and used to wear well dress always. In school functions she played a key role.” Former director of Science and Industries Research Parishadof Dhaka Dr SafuraNabi said, Shuchitra was adept in dancing, reciting, acting and singing.
Another classmate of Shuchitra, Dr Mina met her in Kolkata in 1986. In Kolkata’s new theatre, many people of Pabna used to work, from them Rama used to get information of Pabna people known to her and those who were close to her. In pabna town, there is a lane called Abdul Hamid Road near to it there is a Gobindo public library. Near this library Gaitry Goha (China) resides here, who was a classmate of Shuchitra Sen, Rama used to see Cinema with her friends when any new picture was released in Pabna. Gaitry said “Roma used to come in our residents regularly and asked my mother ‘Kakima’ I want to eat such and such things, my mother served her with a sweet smile. Gaitry met Rama in 1996-97 that was the last meeting of her with Rama, a dream girl of Bengal.
It is also interesting to know that she (Shuchitra) was also fond of ‘Jatraplay.’ Once she told some Journalists that Jatraplay is the most powerful mass media. She had feelings regarding Jatra .There is a tale that a few days before the death of Uttam Kumar, he joined in Janata opera in Kolkata at the contact of nine lac rupees per night. She was at that time in seclusion. When she came to know this, she said “our Chabi Biswas, Pahari Sannal and Jahar Ganguly- they came to cinema from their first profession, Jatra play.” But Uttam went to Jatra from cinema. With a laugh she said “Whose end is good, all are best”. In the name of “A Memorable day in my life” Shuchitra wrote a memoir with the request of the editor of ‘The Prashad’ newspaper in Bengali calendar 1369. She wrote very interesting and at the same time heartrending story on Chaya Debi and herself.
Shuchitra mesmerised the movie goers – following are the names of the films- ‘Shapmochon’ (1955), ‘Sobar Upare'(1955), ‘Shagorika’ (1956), ‘Shilpi’ (1956), ‘Pothe Holo Deri’ (1957), ‘Dwip Jele Jai’ (1959), ‘Harano Shur’ (1957), ‘Shaptapadi’ (1961), she played in Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’ and ‘Uttar Falguni (1963).’
Our Rama got the best actress award at the Moscow Film Festival in 1963 for the film ‘Shat Pakey Bandha.’ Shuchitra also acted in Hindi films such as ‘Devdas’ (1955), ‘Aandhi’ (1975), ‘Bombay Kababu’ (1960), ‘Mamta’ (1966),etc.
Her father and mother’s name were Karunamoy Dasgupto and Indira Dasgupto. Her father- in- law was an entrepreneur Adinath Sen. Her father was sanitary inspector of Pabna Municipality. Shuchitra Sen will live as long as Bengali films and movie goers live. She left behind her only daughter Moonmoon Sen and two granddaughters RiyaSen and Raima Sen. They are also film actresses.
