April 6 marks the birth anniversary of one of the most iconic actresses of Indian cinema, Suchitra Sen.
Suchitra was a prominent face in both Hindi and Bengali film industries. The films in which she was paired opposite Uttam Kumar became classics in the history of Bengali cinema.
Suchitra was the second Indian actress to receive an award at an international film festival when, at the 1963 Moscow International Film Festival, she won the Silver Prize for Best Actress for 'Saat Pake Bandha'.
In 1955, she marked her Bollywood debut with 'Devdas', in which she essayed the role of Paro.
In 1972, Suchitra was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award in India. In 2012, she was conferred the West Bengal Government's highest honour: Banga Bibhushan.
On Suchitra's 90th birth anniversary, here's a look at some lesser-known facts about the yesteryear actress:
- Suchitra Sen's real name was Roma Dasgupta.
- She got married at the age of 15 to Dibanath Sen, the son of a wealthy industrialist, after the violence of the partition in 1947 brought her family to West Bengal.
- Suchitra Sen’s debut film Shesh Kothaay in Bengali was never released.
- Suchitra Sen’s 'Aandhi' was banned for 20 weeks after its release in Gujarat. It was later telecast on a state-run national television channel, when the Janata Party came to power in 1977.
- Suchitra refused to work in Satyajit Ray's 'Chaudhurani' due to date issues, and the Oscar-winning director never made the film with anyone else.
- In 2005, she refused the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the highest cinematic award in India, to stay out of the public eye.
