Sabitri Chatterjee

Sabitri Chatterjee is a renowned Indian actress celebrated for her exceptional contributions to Bengali theatre and cinema over more than six decades.

She was born on 22 February 1937 (some sources cite 21 February 1937) in Kamalapur, a small town in the Comilla District of what was then British India and is now part of Bangladesh.

She was the youngest of ten daughters in her family, and her father, Sashadhar Chatterjee, belonged to a famous Kulin Brahmin family and worked as a station master in Indian Railways.

Full Name	Sabitri Chatterjee
Occupation	Actress
Date of Birth	22-February-1937 (89 years)
Birth Location	Comilla, British India, (now in Bangladesh)
Gender	Female
Nationality	Indian
Religion	Hindu
Zodiac Sign	Pisces
Height	162 cm
Weight	53 kg
Eye Colour	Black
Hair Colour	Black
Hobbies	Traveling,

During the partition of Bengal in 1947, at the age of ten, she witnessed the carnage of the Partition and was sent to the safety of her older married sister's home in Kolkata, specifically in Tollygunge, which served as the central district of the Bengali film industry.

Growing up in Tollygunge, she often had opportunities to see famous film stars of that era, which nurtured her early interest in acting.

Her acting career began in theatre when she was noticed by veteran actor Bhanu Banerjee during her class ten years. He selected her for a role in "Natun Yahudi" (also spelled "Natun Ihudi"), a play by the Uttar Sarathi theatre group that dealt with the lives of refugees from East Pakistan, directed by Kanu Banerjee.

She also acted in the film version of this play, which was released in 1953. Her prominent breakthrough in theatre came with the titular role in the play "Shyamali," staged at Star Theatre, which established her as a prominent thespian personality.

Sabitri Chatterjee made her big screen debut in 1951 with "Sahajatri," a Uttam Kumar-starrer directed by Agradoot, where she played a supporting role opposite the legendary actor. Her first female lead role came in Sudhir Mukherjee's comedy film "Pasher Bari" (1952), which became a major box office success.

That same year, she appeared in "Subhadra" (based on a novel by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay) and the family drama "Basu Paribar," both featuring Uttam Kumar.

The Uttam Kumar-Sabitri Chatterjee combination became a favorite among Bengali cine-goers, and their friendship endured despite false rumors of marriage.

They appeared together in numerous memorable 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). She also had major roles in Mrinal Sen's first feature film "Raat Bhore" (1955) and Tapan Sinha's second effort "Upahaar" (1955).

Some of her most noteworthy films include "Anupama" (1955), "Upahar" (1955), "Nabajanma" (1956), "Raja-Saja" (1960), "Dui Bhai" (1961), "Nishi Padma" (1970), "Dhanyi Meye" (1971), and "Malyadan" (1971). Other significant films in her repertoire include "Raat Bhor" (1955), "Abhayer Biye" (1957), "Nupur" (1958), "Gali Theke Rajpath" (1959), "Kuhak" (1960), "Badhu" (1962), "Bhranti Bilas" (1963), "Uttarayan" (1963), "Jaya" (1965), "Kal Tumi Aleya" (1966), and "Nishipadma" (1970).

In the early 1980s, she appeared less frequently on screen, but she returned in the late 1980s with films such as "Mamoni," "Anandalok," and "Haar-Jeet".

Sabitri Chatterjee has received numerous prestigious awards for her contributions to Indian arts. In 1999, she was conferred the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Acting in Bengali theatre. In 2013, the Government of West Bengal awarded her its highest civilian award, the Banga Bibhushan.

In 2014, the Government of India conferred upon her the Padma Shri, its fourth-highest civilian award. She is also a two-time recipient of BFJA Awards (Bengali Film Journalists' Association). Soumitra Chatterjee, another legendary Bengali actor, described her as the finest actor he has worked with.

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