There is something in the air of Pabna, where Mahanayika Suchitra Sen (Rama Dasgupta) was born in the then undivided Bengal Presidency.
As the legend goes, Pabna gets its name from a Robin Hood-like bandit named Pobana who lived there long ago and was venerated for his good deeds. Later the district became the epicenter of the Indigo revolt (Neel Bidroho) and the same Pabna gave us Rajanikanta Sen, whose fiery patriotic songs immensely inspired the freedom fighters and the Swadeshi Movement.
59 films, the quintessential doe-eyed Bengali beauty, the hypnotic smile, the larger than life screen presence, what really defines Suchitra Sen ? Probably all of them and much more.
So how will Suchitra Sen’s legacy shape up? That is best left to the film historians to ponder over and of-course her films will take up lion’s share of any such discussion. After all, her rise to super stardom is marked by some unforgettable performances which mesmerized a whole generation of the bhadrolok bengali. And her on-screen pairing with the other matinee idol Uttam Kumar ushered in the Golden Age of mainstream Bengali cinema. In fact there are very few instances in World Cinema where a reel-life duo can generate such adoration, hysteria and an almost distinct genre of cinema. Elizabeth Taylor – Richard Burton in Hollywood or Marcello Mastroianni – Sophia Loren in Italian Cinema , immediately come to mind. And to think of it, Suchitra-Uttam shared a wonderful friendship with tremendous mutual respect (“metaphysical” is how the Mahanayak’s son Goutam described their relationship)..
Sen in fact created a new image in Bengali Cinema of the articulate if tragic heroine carving out an independent space outside that of family and tradition. That in my view, is her most important contribution to Bengali society and her enduring legacy as well. In a male dominated film industry and a patriarchal society, Mrs. Sen was the original feminist. As the noted film critic Saibal Chatterjee puts it, Sen “combined understated sensuality, feminine charm and emotive force and a no-nonsense gravitas to carve out a persona that has never been matched, let alone surpassed in Indian cinema”.
Two of her most memorable performances as the Anglo-Indian Rina Brown in Saptapadi or in the dual role of the courtesan Pannabai and her lawyer daughter in Uttar Falguni , established her as actress par excellence but also provided an insight into a dynamic personality, someone who lived life on her own terms. In fact all through out her glittering career, she broke the established norms. Be it acting post-marriage (considered unthinkable in those times) or charging more than her male co-stars, Mrs. Sen (as she was called on the sets) challenged the status quo. Being married to a rich industrialist, money was never the motivation, passion for acting was. The industry held her in such awe and admiration that her name appeared above Uttam Kumar’s in the credits of Harano Sur & Saptapadi. Such instances where unheard of, even in Hollywood, where things started changing only with Meryl Streep and much later Julia Roberts. And did I mention her refusal to act in Satyajit Ray’s Devi Chaudhurani which forced the maestro to shelve the project. Only Mrs. Sen had the audacity to this 🙂
No wonder when Gulzar decided to make the political drama Aandhi, he cast Sen as the mature female politician, a role modeled loosely on the real life persona of the then prime minister Indira Gandhi.
And then in a Greta Garboesque act, Suchitra Sen quit movies, leading a life of determined seclusion, far away from the public & media gaze at her Ballygunge residence till her last breath.
In her native Pabna (modern Bangladesh), the Suchitra Sen Memory Preservation Committee has been set up, to celebrate her life and achievements, clearly showcasing the pride and adulation she commands on the other side of the Ichamati.
An Icon , an Enigma, the Diva, in the words of my friend Navonil HAzra ,
“Suchitra Sen holo ekta Concept” ..
.. maybe he is right , a concept that will remain timeless in public memory.
An example of how deeply she has invaded the Bengali psyche. Even to this day and age, if a girl drapes herself in a saree in the traditional bengali style, there is a high probability of her getting the below compliment,
“Puro Suchitra Sen lagche. (You look exactly like Suchitra Sen).”
মহানায়িকা … in your absence, our lives certainly seem less magical ..
Calcutta Chromosome 