Sabitri Chatterjee

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sabitri Chatterjee
Chatterjee receiving the Padma Shri Award from Indian president Pranab Mukherjee, 2014
Born (1937-02-21) 21 February 1937 (age 87)
Comilla, British India, (now in Bangladesh)
NationalityIndian
OccupationActress
Parent
AwardsBFJA Awards
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Banga Bibhushan
Padma Shri

Sabitri Chatterjee (born 21 February 1937) is an Indian actress who is known for her work in Bengali theatre and cinema. Her career spans more than 60 years.[1] She is the recipient of BFJA Awards for two times. In 1999, she was conferred with Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Acting in Bengali theatre. In 2013, she was awarded by the Government of West Bengal its highest civilian award; the Banga Bibhushan. In 2014, Government of India conferred upon her its fourth-highest civilian award the Padma Shri.[2]

She was born in Comilla, in British India (now in Bangladesh). During the partition of Bengal, she was sent to the safety of an older, married sister's house in Kolkata located at Tollygunge. At her teenage she got noticed by Bhanu Banerjee who took her to Uttar Sarathi group theatre for a role in their play Natun Ihudi. Later she emerged as a prominent thespian personality for the title role in the play Shyamali which was staged at Star Theatre. She made her big screen debut in Uttam Kumar starrer Sahajatri (1951) directed by Agradoot and appeared as her first female lead in Sudhir Mukherjee's comedy film Pasher Bari (1952) which was a major success at box office. She is remembered for her roles in films such as Raat Bhor (1955), Upahar (1955), Abhayer Biye (1957), Nupur (1958), Gali Theke Rajpath (1959), Marutirtha Hinglaj (1959), Kuhak (1960), Badhu (1962), Bhranti Bilas (1963), Uttarayan (1963), Jaya (1965), Kal Tumi Aleya (1966), Nishipadma (1970), Dhanyi Meye (1971) and Malyadan (1971) to name a few. Soumitra Chatterjee described her as the finest actor he has worked with.[citation needed]

Early life and background[edit]

Sabitri was born on 21 February 1937 in a small town of Kamalapur in Comilla District of present-day Bangladesh[3] and is youngest among ten sisters.[4] Her father Sashadhar Chatterjee, who belonged to a famous Kulin Rarhi Brahmin family from a Kulin Brahmin village called Kanaksar in Bikrampur, worked as a station master in Indian Railways. During the partition of Bengal, young Sabitri was sent to the safety of an older, married sister's house in Kolkata located at Tollygunge – the hub of filmmaking in Kolkata. Being brought up in Tollygunge she often got opportunity to see filmstars of that time.[5]

Career[edit]

Film career[edit]

When Sabitri Chatterjee was in class ten, she was noticed by veteran actor Bhanu Banerjee who picked her up for a role in Natun Ihudi, a play of Uttar Sarathi group theatre on the refugees from East Pakistan. The play was being directed by Kanu Banerjee – the actor who would later perform as Harihar Roy, in Satyajit Ray's Pather Panchali and Aparajito. Sabitri also acted the film version of the play which was released in 1953.[citation needed] She made her big screen debut in Uttam Kumar starrer Sahajatri (1951) directed by Agradoot and appeared as her first female lead in Sudhir Mukherjee's comedy film Pasher Bari (1952) which was a major success at box office.[citation needed]

Sabitri Chatterjee's next film assignment was Subhada (1952) – a film based on a novel by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay and directed by Niren Lahiri along with Chhabi Biswas and Pahari Sanyal. In this film, she played the role of an unfortunate girl named Lalana. In the same year, she appeared in the Uttam Kumar starrer family drama Basu Poribar (1952), directed by Nirmal Dey, which had Supriya Devi in the role of Uttam Kumar's sister. Sabitri and Uttam Kumar had been friends since 1951, Uttam Kumar offered her to act in a theatrical production to be produced by his group Krishti O Srishti. The Uttam-Sabitri combination became a favourite of the Bengali cine-goers and their friendship withstood strong but false rumours of marriage.[1]

They would be responsible for a series of films, including Lakh Taka (1953), Kalyani (1954), Anupama (1954), Raikamal (1955), Nabojanma (1956), Punar Milan (1957), Marutirtha Hinglaj (1959), Raja-Saja (1960), Dui Bhai (1961), Bhranti Bilas (1963), Momer Alo (1964) and Nishipadma (1970). They also had major roles in Mrinal Sen's first feature film Raat Bhore (1955) and Tapan Sinha's second effort Upahaar (1955). Bhranti Bilas, Mouchak and Dhanyi Meye rank high among the Bengali comedy films.[citation needed]

In the early eighties, Sabitri did not appear on screen as before. However, in the late 1980s, she came back with films such as Mamoni, Anandalok and Haar-Jeet.

TV career[edit]

Sabitri Chatterjee continues to act in commercial Bengali cinemas and television till date. She is one of the stars of the mega soap opera Sonar Horin, that has run more than 1000 episodes, which was aired on ETV Bangla. She has acted as Muktokeshi in the serial Subarnalata. (The title role was played by the National Film Award-winning Ananya Chatterjee), an adaptation of Ashapurna Devi's novel, which was aired on Zee Bangla and as Sona thamma in Jol Nupur which was aired on Star Jalsha.

She is acted as a senior matriarch of a family in the TV serial Kusum dola, which is aired in STAR Jalsha. She has played the master chef in Joto Hashi Toto Ranna, which is a fiction cum reality cookery show, where kitchen skills are weaved around a fictional plot revolving around a certain Gupta family. She played a minor role in 2012 Star Jalsha serial Tapur Tupur, and is currently playing the role of a yesteryear actress in Chokher Tara Tui.[6] This TV serial is also aired in Star Jalsha. She acted in an Indian Bengali show named Andarmahal, which aired on very popular Bengali Entertainment channel Zee Bangla. She is currently acting in series of Dhulokona aring on Star Jalsha.

Awards[edit]

Filmography[edit]

  1. Pradhan (film) (2023)
  2. Aporajeyo (2022)
  3. Maati (2018)
  4. Thammar Boyfriend (2016) ... Nandini Mitra[8]
  5. Praktan (2016)
  6. Highway (2014)
  7. Hemlock Society (2012)
  8. Podokkhep (2006)... Shobita
  9. Tapasya (2006)
  10. Har Jeet (2000)
  11. Bahadur (1992)
  12. Anandalok (1988)
  13. Mamoni (1986)
  14. Rajnandini (1980)
  15. Brojobuli (1979)
  16. Phool Sajya (1975)
  17. Mouchak (1974)
  18. Heerey Manik (1979)
  19. Sei Chokh (1976)
  20. Sesh Parba (1972)
  21. Dhanyee Meye (1971)
  22. Malyadaan (1971)... Patal
  23. Pratham Pratishruti (1971)
  24. Nishi Padma (1970)... Padma
  25. Kalankita Nayak (1970)
  26. Manjari Opera (1970)... Manjari Devi
  27. Pathey Holo Dekha (1968)
  28. Grihadaha (1967)... Mrinal
  29. Kal Tumi Aleya (1966)... Sonaboudi
  30. Antaral (1965)
  31. Jaya (1965)... Jaya
  32. Momer Alo (1964)... Deepa
  33. Shes Anko (1963)... Lata Bose
  34. Uttarayan (1963)
  35. Bhranti Bilaas (1963)
  36. Nav Diganta (1962)
  37. Dui Bhai (1961)
  38. Haat Baralei Bandhu (1960)
  39. Kuhak (1960)
  40. Raja-Saja (1960)
  41. Gali Theke Rajpath (1959)
  42. Marutirtha Hinglaj (1959)
  43. Daak Harkara (1958)
  44. Daktar Babu (1958)
  45. Punar Milan (1957)
  46. Abhoyer Biye (1957)
  47. Daner Maryada (1956)... Usha
  48. Nabajanma (1956)
  49. Paradhin (1956)
  50. Raat Bhore (1956)
  51. Raikamal (1955)
  52. Godhuli (1955)
  53. Paresh (1955)
  54. Upahar (1955)... Krishna
  55. Annapurnar Mandir (1954)
  56. Anupama (1954)
  57. Bidhilipi (1954)... Sandhya
  58. Bratacharini (1954)
  59. Champadangar Bou (1954)
  60. Kalyani (1954)
  61. Moyla Kagaj (1954)
  62. Kajari (1953)
  63. Lakh Taka (1953)
  64. Natun Yahudi (1953)
  65. Subhadra (1952)... Lalana
  66. Basu Paribar (1952)
  67. Pasher Bari (1952)
  68. Ladies Seat
  69. Protinidhi
  70. Protishodh
  71. Obaak Prithibi
  72. Notun Diner Alo
  73. Dinanter Alo
  74. Baluchori
  75. Montromugdho
  76. Muktisnam

Television[edit]

Year Serial Role Channel
2006 Sonar Horin ETV Bangla
2007 Sanai Mrs. Choudhury Akash Bangla
2010–2012 Subarnalata Muktakeshi Zee Bangla
2011–2013 Tapur Tupur Star Jalsha
2011–2015 Ishti Kutum
2013–2015 Jol Nupur Kamalini Krishnendushekhar Basumallick
2014–2016 Chokher Tara Tui
2016–2017 Ei Chheleta Bhelbheleta Shaluk's Maternal Grandmother Zee Bangla
2016–2018 Kusum Dola Savitri Chatterjee Star Jalsha
2017–2018 Andarmahal Swatilekha Dutta Zee Bangla
2017–2018 Sanyashi Raja Rashmani Basu Star Jalsha
2019–2020 Mayurpankhi Kamalini Sen
2019–2022 Mohor Saraswati Bose
2021–2022 Dhulokona Ratulmani Ganguly
2023 Balijhor Srot's Grandmother

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ a b Sengupta, Sujit. "Sabitri Chatterji". calcuttaweb.com. Archived from the original on 10 August 2003. Retrieved 4 December 2006. (in Bengali)
  2. ^ "Padma Awards Announced". Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Home Affairs. 25 January 2014. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  3. ^ "মহানায়কের প্রতি প্রেম নিয়ে আজও অকপট, আজীবন অবিবাহিতই রয়ে গেলেন সাবিত্রী". Hindustantimes Bangla (in Bengali). 21 February 2021. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  4. ^ আনন্দ, ওয়েব ডেস্ক, এবিপি (26 June 2022). "নাচের চরিত্রে অভিনয় করে ১০-১৫ টাকা উপার্জন, সিনেমা দেখার পয়সা জোগাড় করতে কী করতেন সাবিত্রী?". bengali.abplive.com (in Bengali). Retrieved 19 November 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ "We had no food for days on end: Sabitri Chatterjee - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  6. ^ "Sabitri Chatterjee turns masterchef for Joto Hashi Toto Ranna - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  7. ^ "Padma Awards Announced". Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 25 January 2014. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  8. ^ "Actor Sabitri Chatterjee to star in rom-com opposite Abir Chatterjee". Hindustan Times. 30 November 2016. Retrieved 23 March 2018.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sabitri_Chatterjee&oldid=1220095241"