Journey from Roma Dasgupta to Suchitra Sen

Her forte was Bengali films, usually opposite Uttam Kumar, and she only appeared in a handful of Hindi films out of the 60-odd she made before retiring into seclusion, à la Greta Garbo, but Suchitra Sen is still fondly remembered.

 

First there is her classical beauty, expressive features and dignified-- not to mention understated-- portrayals of a range of morally complex roles. She also began acting after marriage and motherhood-- a rare feat in an industry that champions youth over experience.

 

She is also the only star to turn down an offer from Satyajit Ray, and decline the Dadasaheb Phalke Award-- Indian film’s most prestigious honor-- if it meant making a public appearance after she had retired from the spotlight, thus maintaining her enduring mystique.

 

Well-known are her carefully calibrated, but no less powerfully-emoted, performances in 1953’s Sharey Chuattor (the first of 30 films opposite Kumar), Sadanander Mela (1954), Harano Sur (1957), Saptapadi (1961) and Saat Pake Badha (1963), as well as Uttar Falguni (1963) and its Hindi remake Mamta (1966).

 

There is less awareness, however, of the contours of her journey from Roma Dasgupta to Suchitra Sen.

 

How did Roma become Suchitra Sen? 

 

She was encouraged by her husband Dibanath to step into films. The story goes that she was initially offered a singing assignment at a recording studio in Park Street. She was introduced as Roma Sen. But that assignment was shelved in favor of the female lead in a film to be directed by Sukumar Dasgupta, a noted filmmaker of the time. 

 

Dasgupta put Sen through a screen test. The film was Saat Number Koyedi. One of his assistants, Nitish Roy (not to be confused with the Mumbai-based production designer Nitish Roy), rechristened this new actress Suchitra.

 

In 1952, she signed three more films. One was Kajori, directed by Niren Lahiri; then there was Saare Chuattar, directed by Nirmal Dey; and then Bhagawan Sri Sri Krishna Chaitanya, directed by Debaki Bose in which Basanta Choudhury made his debut in the title role. Her hero in Saat Number Koyedi was Samar Roy, while in Saare Chuattar it was Uttam Kumar.

 

The number of people in the industry who could call her Roma could be counted on one's fingers. Uttam Kumar was one of them. Among the few others were producer and distributor Asit Choudhury, and Anil Bandopadhyay, the DCP at the time.

 

Finally the era ended. Suchitra 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. She died at 8:25 am on 17 January 2014, due to a heart attack at the age of 82. On her second death anniversary today we pay solemn tribute to her! 

 

 

 

Source: IANS, Dailyo, Business Standard