Suchitra Sen’s 3rd death anniversary today

Today is the third death anniversary of iconic Bengali film actress Suchitra Sen.

Her ethereal beauty coupled with her phenomenon screen presence and immense box office popularity, particularly her on-screen pairing with the late Uttam Kumar, gave her a legendary cult status in Bengal.

She was born Roma Sen, it is said, in 1931. Her film debut was in the unreleased Shesh Kothai made in 1952.

Sen was the first Indian actress to receive an award at an international film festival when, at the 1963 Moscow International Film Festival, she won the Silver Prize for Best Actress for playing a disillusioned alcoholic in Saptapadi.

In 1972, she was awarded the Padma Shri, one of the highest civilian awards in India. From 1979 on, she retreated from public life and shunned all forms of public contact; for this she is often compared to Greta Garbo.

In 2005, she refused the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the highest cinematic award in India, to stay out of the public eye. In 2012, she was conferred the West Bengal Government’s highest honour: Banga Bibhushan.

Her pairing with Bengal’s King of Hearts Uttam Kumar created classic romantic hits (Agnipariksha, Harano Sur, Saptapadi, Pathey Holo Deri, Kamal Lata, Indrani, Sabar Upore, Suryatoran, Shaare Chuattor, Sadanander Mela, Jiban Trishna, Ekti Raat, Chaawa Paawa, Shapmochan, Bipasha, Naborag, Trijama, Rajlakshmi Srikanto, Har Mana Har, Alo Amar Alo, Ora Thakey Odhare, Grihaprabesh and others) that have enjoyed ageless popularity and are watched, loved and admired even to this day.

Suffering from a lung infection, Suchitra Sen was hospitalized on December 23rd, 2013. She died on January 17, 2014 due to cardiac arrest. Her daughter Moon Moon Sen and granddaughters Riya and Raima are all actresses as well.