There have been very few actors who have been conferred with grand nicknames in the Bengali cinema. Uttam Kumar – fondly called Mahanayak (the great actor) – is regarded as the biggest name in the industry’s history among actors. So one can imagine that his female counterpart – the Mahanayika – would hold similar stature. Also, this actress had a successful Bollywood career as well, delivering hits with the likes of Dilip Kumar. But at age 48, she retired and faded away from the world, leading a life so reclusive that nobody saw her for the next 35 years.
The Mahanayika of Indian cinema
Suchitra Sen is regarded as one of the finest actresses in Indian cinema history. Born in 1931, she began her journey with Bengali cinema in 1952 and moved to Hindi films as well in 1955. Over a career that stretched almost three decades, she worked in 30 films opposite Uttam Kumar, giving some of the most memorable films together. She also appeared in iconic Bollywood films like Devdas, Aandhi, Bambai Ka Babu, and Mamta. In 1963, she became the first Indian actress to win an award at an international film festival.
Suchitra Sen’s sudden retirement and reclusive life thereafter
Till the mid-70s, Suchitra Sen continued to be successful. Aandhi received critical acclaim and Datta was a commercial success. But the actress did only one film after these two. Her last release – Pranay Pasha in 1978 – was a box office failure. Her husband’s death in 1970 had affected her but she had continued acting. But after Pranay Pasha, she announced her retirement, refusing Satyajit Ray’s Devi Chaudharani, and quitting Nati Binodini (opposite Rajesh Khanna) midway. She retired from public away and stayed largely confined to her room in her Calcutta home, shunning public appearances and devoting her time to the Ramakrishna Mission.
Suchitra Sen’s later years and death
In 2005, Suchitra Sen was conferred with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India’s highest cinematic award. But the reclusive actress refused it and remained out of the public eye. In January 2014, she passed away in a Kolkata hospital at the age of 82 after battling a lung infection for weeks. Her daughter Moon Moon Sen was herself an actress, popular in the 80s. Moon Moon’s daughters – Riya and Raima – are actresses as well, who continue to work in Hindi and Bengali films.
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