‘Sir’ wouldn’t lose her sleep over awards – Excerpts from an interview by Gulzar –
This respect for an actress was unique. No other actress before her or since has been accorded this status — not even highly regarded names like Nutan, Nargis or Suraiya.
It’s true that some of this regard — or awe, some may say — was created by keeping people at a distance. But it wasn’t an “I don’t care” attitude; she was very reserved because she was very careful with her personal life. I don’t know what happened in her personal life but I found that she never indulged in any loose talk. Koi faltu baat nahin karti thee, kabhi bhi. But though she habitually kept people at abeyance, once she accepted someone, s/he became part of her “family”.
Enigma extraordinaire –
She was an icon beyond the Uttam-Suchitra genre. Her most acclaimed performances in Asit Sen’s ‘Deep Jwele Jai’ (1959) opposite Basanta Choudhury and Ajoy Kar’s ‘Saat Pake Bandha’ (1963) opposite Soumitra Chatterjee gave her the quality of the unattainable, tragic enigma. Her defined make-up, the soft focus, black and white close-ups and her famous mannerisms, as opposed to Uttam’s naturalistic style, made Suchitra the truly exclusive star.
Sen had a brief innings in Bombay when she worked with the likes of Dilip Kumar and Dev Anand, but she was in every sense a Bengali icon.
Suchitra Sen, Bengal’s sweetheart Written by Gitanjali Roy
Six decades ago, long before Aishwarya Rai and Kareena Kapoor set out to prove that married actresses could be celluloid heroines, a 21-year-old actress was single-handedly leading the charge in Bengal.
By the time she had her first big hit in 1953’s Sharey Chuattor opposite Uttam Kumar, the man who was to be one-half of Bengali cinema’s most revered screen couple with her, Suchitra Sen had already been married six years and was the mother of five-year-old Moon Moon.
Suchitra Sen – The Greta Garbo of Indian Cinema
Expressive eyes, bewitching smile and subtle gestures – all this define the beauty of the late actress Suchitra Sen. Called ‘The Greta Garbo’ of the Indian cinema by filmmaker Gautam Ghose, there was something to her, that even after going into recluse in the mid-seventies, her memories are still fresh. We remember the late actress.
A rare glimpse into the reclusive Suchitra Sen’s life
Journalist Gopal Kumar Roy, one of the few people to have access to Suchitra Sen ever since she retired from public life, on how she became a recluse.
Suchitra Sen (1931 – 2014): Forever young – Maitreyee B Chowdhury
To many she was the diva, to me she was a woman who while relishing her stardom also loved living, tremendously. She could be flirtatious, glamorous, spiritual, all in one go. Difficult as it might seem, Suchitra Sen was actually all of these and perhaps more. As a diva, she did the unimaginable by prancing around in a towel for photographer Dhiren Deb. A photograph that drove her fans crazy and yet such was her star power that none of this ever made her look cheap.
RIP Suchitra Sen. It is the end of a fairytale -by Deepanjana Pal
Few people in show business can say that they have been remembered only for the work they’ve done.
Ironically, despite Sen’s modest acting talent, she is remembered exclusively for her films. Her personal life could easily have become the stuff of gossip but Sen preserved her privacy zealously.
The wrong cheek – Suchitra Sen
Photographer Dhiren Dev insists the taboo was painted on Suchitra’s cheek, not on the photo
Her Hindi Films
Devdas (1955) – Dilip Kumar||
Musafir (1957) – Dilipkumar ||
Champakali (1957) – Bharat Bhushan ||
Sarhad (1960) – Dev Anand ||
Bombai Ka Baboo (1960) – Dev Anand ||
Mamta (1966) – Ashok Kumar ||
Aandhi (1975) – Sanjeev Kumar
Here is a collection of tributes that have flowed in on the media:
Bengali cinema’s golden queen Suchitra Sen no more
Suchitra Sen’s presence was felt everywhere: Sharmila Tagore
Suchitra Sen passes away
Bengali Veteran Actress Suchitra Sen Passes Away
Suchitra Sen, Indian actor and Bengali screen legend, dies
Suchitra Sen: So far, yet so near – Upala Sen, Hindustan Times
Suchitra Sen: after the magic moments Gautaman Bhaskaran , Hindustantimes.com
Veteran actor Suchitra Sen dies at 82
Life and Times of Suchitra Sen
Suchitra Sen: The reclusive star – Shamik Bag – Bengali cinema’s star and feminine authority, who died at the age of 83 in Kolkata, is known only through her films
Suchitra Sen, Actress famed in Bengali Cinema, dies at 82 by Haren Pandya
Suchitra Sen: Iconic Indian Bengali actress dies
Video and Photo slideshows:
Tere Bina Zindagi Se – A Tribute To Suchitra Sen – http://youtu.be/WItLah8nvfU
Suchitra- the star who became invisible
Suchitra Sen- the actor who entered into films five years after her marriage made an indelible mark in Bengali film industry for more than two decades. The evergreen pair of Uttam Kumar- Suchitra Sen is still a talking point in Tollywood. A pictorial tribute by V. B. Ganesan
Suchitra Sen (1931-2014): 10 Stunning Pictures Of India’s Greta Garbo