Chhabi Biswas

Chhabi Biswas (13 July 1900 – 11 June 1962) was a celebrated Indian actor, best known for his performances in Tapan Sinha’s Kabuliwala and Satyajit Ray’s films Jalsaghar (The Music Room, 1958), Devi (The Goddess, 1960), and Kanchenjungha (1962).

He is most remembered for portraying the quintessential aristocratic patriarch, a role that mirrored his own life as the scion of a wealthy and cultured North Kolkata zamindar family.

Born in Calcutta (now Kolkata) in the Bengal Presidency of British India, Chhabi Biswas was actually named Sachindranath, the youngest among his siblings.

Full Name	Chhabi Biswas
Nick Name	Chhabi
Occupation	Actor
Date of Birth	13-July-1900 (61 years)
Birth Location	Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India
Gender	Male
Nationality	Indian
Zodiac Sign	Cancer
Death Time	01-June-1962
Death Location	Naktala, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
Eye Colour	Black
Hair Colour	Black
School	Hindu School

His mother passed away before he was one year old, and since she had called him “Chhabi,” he adopted that name for his entire acting career. His father, Bhupatinath Biswas, was well known for his charitable works. The family belonged to Chhoto Jagulia, and their house was on Beadon Street in North Calcutta, with a bylane named after his ancestors.

He made his cinema debut in 1936 in the film Annapurnar Mandir and soon received major roles in Chokher Bali (1937), Nimai Sannyas (1940), Nartaki (1940), and Pratisruti (1941).

Over a span of 25 years, he acted in nearly 250 films, establishing himself as the pivot around whom the Bengali film industry revolved. Among his most enduring performances are Head Master, Kabuliwala, Devi, Jalsaghar, and Kanchenjungha, which remain widely remembered today.

Satyajit Ray considered Chhabi Biswas the greatest actor ever to grace Indian celluloid and felt that no laurel was enough for this charismatic and gifted performer.

In his personal life, he shared interests with many of his screen characters; he enjoyed gardening and even reared animals at his rented red-floored house in Naktala, which had a garden and a pond.

On 11 June 1962, at the age of 61, Chhabi Biswas died in Calcutta after meeting a fatal car accident while driving to his ancestral home in Chhoto Jagulia. His death cut short a brilliant career, and Ray lamented that he could have experimented much more with this dignified actor if Biswas had not died.