Legendary Suchitra Sen

A short Homage to Legendary Suchitra Sen

Super star of Bengali films and actress in Hindi films, the name itself spelled magic. Folks don’t go by the negative grapevines of her days as Super star in Bengali films with many escapades and misadventures with the then other male super stars (top name was of Uttam Kumar) in Bengal. The positive attributes and talents the Late Suchitra Sen possessed as a person were admirable.

I did not know her in person, but was aware of her on and off screen beauty and charisma, after the Bollywood beauteous Diva Madhubala. She was an actress and super star both as far as Bengali films are concerned, but remained only an actress with glamour in Hindi films. I had immensely liked her performance as Paro, the character she understood well and played as the great film maker Bimal Roy wanted her in the best Hindi film in the ‘Devdas’ series, opposite the tragedy king and thespian Dilip Kumar. In my opinion the pair of Dilip saab as Devdas and Suchitra Sen as Paro, in Bimal Da film was much impressive than the K L Saigal and Jamuna of earlier “Devdas” of Barua. Forget the mis-matched loud Paro of Bhansali’s ‘Devdas’.

In film “Mamta” of Asit Sen, she played a nautch girl with verve and emotions. However, we can’t forget her in “Andhi”, where Gulzar saab gave her character an Aura like Indira Gandhi in sartorial appearance as the lady politician. She and late thespian Sanjeev Kumar as her estranged hubby, performed wonderfully well. May be further 2-3 flop films thereafter, (Like Bambai Ka Baboo) she could not survive in the vast ocean of Bollywood. However, I would admire her sound principles and courage of conviction she displayed in refusing to accept the highest film honour of the nation viz; Dadasaheb Phalke award for Lifetime achievement for which her name was proposed by the late I & B Minister Priya Ranjan Das Munshi; because it was attached with pre-condition that she will have to come to New Delhi to accept the award in person from the President of India. Those days, Suchitra had completely withdrawn herself from the limelight or public appearances, no socialization and fully confined to her own isolated world. She, thus, preferred to decline the “Conditional award”. May God continue to create such persons in films. REST IN PEACE SUCHITRA.