Sumitra Devi (actress)

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Sumitra Devi
Saheb Bibi Golam
Jagte Raho
Andhare Alo
Joutuk
Kinu Gowalar Gali
SpouseDebi Mukherjee[1]
Children1
AwardsBFJA Awards[1]

Sumitra Devi (listen

Hindi film Mamta directed by Dada Gunjal.[5] She was the recipient of BFJA Award for Best Actress for two times.[6][1] She was one of the exquisite beauties of her time and has been regarded as the most beautiful woman of her time by veterans such as Pradeep Kumar and Uttam Kumar.[7][8]

In 1943 she was summoned for an interview and look test in the office of

Deewana (1952), Ghungroo (1952), Mayurpankh (1954), Chor Bazaar (1954) Raj Yogi Bharthari (1954) and Jagte Raho (1956).[1]

She sustained her career in

Asian Film Festival in China as a delegate from India.[11]

Early life

Sumitra Devi was born in 1923 at Shiuri, in Birbhum, West Bengal. Her original name was Nilima Chattopadhyay. Her father Murali Chattopadhyay was an advocate.[1] Her brother's name was Ranajit Chattopadhyay. She was brought up in Muzaffarpur, Bihar. Her family shifted to Calcutta after their house and estate in Muzaffarpur was demolished due to a major earthquake.[11]

Career

During her teenage, she was immensely influenced by the beauty and stature of the veteran actresses like Chandrabati Devi and Kanan Devi and aspired to be an actress.[14][11]

She decided to send an application letter along with a photograph of her own to the office of New Theatres. As her father was conservative, she decided to do it secretly and to make her plan fruitful, she sought the help of her younger brother Ranajit, who agreed to cooperate with her.[15] Her letter was answered and she was summoned for an interview and look test. At the office of New Theatres, she was asked to read lines from Tarasankar Bandyopadhyay's Ganadevata and she mesmerized everyone present there with her beauty as well as her lucid, euphonic voice. She was chosen for the leading role opposite K. L. Saigal in New Theatres's Meri Bahen (1944).[16] Nilima adopted her screen name Sumitra Devi.[17][18] Though

Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay's classic novel of the same name.[28] She delineated the character of a Prafulla who is abandoned by her clink, gets kidnapped by some ruffians but manages to escape and hides herself in a lone forest where she meets a person who trains her as the leading figure of his gang of robbers. Indian columnist Rinki Bhattacharya appreciated her performance.[29]
The film was a major success at box office.

Sumitra Devi in Mamta (1952)

In 1950, she appeared in Nitin Bose's Hindi film Mashaal, which is based on Rajani, a famous Bengali novel by the veteran author

Deewana and Ghunghroo received remarkable success at box office.[27] Her other releases were Mayurpankh (1954), Chor Bazaar (1954), Jagte Raho (1956)[31] and Delhi Darbar (1956), to name a few.[32]

Sumitra Devi in Aandhare Alo (1957)

In 1955, she appeared in Ardhendu Mukhopadhyay's Bengali film Dasyu Mohan, which became a huge hit at the box office.

Saheb Bibi Golam (1956), which is an adaptation of Bimal Mitra's classic novel of the same name. She plays the character of a beautiful, alcoholic wife of an aristocrat, who forms a loving yet platonic relationship with the protagonist Bhootnath.[33]
She has been most remembered for her role in this film. Director Kartik Chattopadhyay was keen to cast her in the role of the beautiful, eeyorish mistress of the junior landlord, but felt on edge at the same time as he thought that she might be repulsed by this role as it mirrored her conjugal life to some extent. He found his breath when Sumitra Devi gave her consent.

"Initially I was getting befogged whether she would love the script or reject it. I kept narrating on and she was there with those inert eyes, patiently sitting on her couch and listening to me. Once in a while she was enquiring into something but that was all. Overall she became reticent. As I went on, I saw her altering her posture with her elbow supported on the armrest of her couch and I envisioned the scenario at once, the scenario of Bhootnath sitting before a prepossessing Pateshwari boozing over her elbow rested on her lavish cushion."

— Kartik Chattopadhyay during on an interview session with Ekaal[9]

The film was released on 9 March 1956 and turned out as a massive hit at the box office.[

National Award winning film Aandhare Alo (1957).[34]

"I was certain that, with those transfixing attributes, she would be the best choice for the role of Bijali. I didn’t have to direct her at all. She herself figured it out how to render Bijali, how to interpret her journey from an enticing, playful coquette to an ardent devotee of love."

- Haridas Bhattacharya during on an interview session with Ekaal[9]

Sumitra Devi in the boozing sequence from Saheb Bibi Golam (1956)
Sumitra Devi in Ekdin Ratre (1956)
Sumitra Devi in Andhare Alo (1957)

In 1958, she was paired with Uttam Kumar in Jiban Gangopadhgay's ambitious venture Joutuk. Sumitra Devi's reign began to slow down in the sixties. In 1964, she rendered the character of Draupadi in Chandrakant Gor's Hindi film Veer Bhimsen. In the same year, she appeared in O. C. Gangopadhyay's Kinu Gowalar Gali, where she played the character of a woman who is desperate to win back her husband's love for her.[11][12]

Personal life

Sumitra Devi married actor Debi Mukherjee on 21 October 1946.[1] On 1 December 1947, she gave birth to her son Bulbul and on 11 December 1947, Mukherjee passed away.[25][35]

Trivia

I think I would walk out of a lot of due compliments if I just use the term ‘beautiful’ to describe Sumitra Devi. She has the face that can arrest an unblinking gaze for long. She is marvellous. At the same time, I hold regards to the noble way she demonstrates herself. It is her etiquette and politeness that brighten up her beauty.

— Shammi Kapoor on Sumitra Devi[11]

Sumitra Devi was known for her exquisite beauty and subtle administration of seduction. It was said that she often cast her spell on the actors, directors, producers and journalists of her time.

Saheb Bibi Golam.[27] Raj Kapoor said: "Sumitra Devi doesn't need any reference; she is beautiful than anything else." Shammi Kapoor said: "She has the face that can arrest an unblinking gaze for long."[9][36][37]

Filmography

Hindi Films

Year Title Director Note Ref.
1944 Meri Bahen Hem Chunder [16][38]
1945 Vasiyatnama Soumyen Mukherji [39][40][41]
1947 Bhai Dooj Narottam Vyas [42]
1948 Oonch Neech Hemchandra Chunder [43]
Vijay Yatra Niren Lahiri [44]
1950 Mashaal Nitin Bose [45][46]
1952 Diwana Abdur Rashid Kardar [47][48]
Mamta Gunjal [49][50]
Raja Harischandra Raman B. Desai [51][52]
Ghungroo Hiren Bose [53][54]
1954 Mayurpankh Kishore Sahu [55][56]
Chor Bazaar P. N. Arora [57][58]
Raj Yogi Bharthari Raman B. Desai [59]
1955 Ganga Maiya Chandrakant Gaur [60]
Chirag-E-Chin Chimanlal Trivedi [61]
1956 Jagte Raho Amit Maitra [62]
Sati Ansuya Dhirubhai Desai [63]
Delhi Darbar Chandrakant Gor [64]
1958 Hum Bhi Kuchh Kam Nahin Raman B. Desai
1962 Kailashpati Dhirubhai Desai
1963 Mere Arman Mere Sapne Arabind Sen
Rustom-E-Baghdad B J Patel
1964 Veer Bhimsen Chandrakant Gor
1974 Har Har Mahadev Chandrakant Gor Cameo
1976 Bajrangbali Chandrakant Gor
1977 Bolo He Chakradhari Cameo

Bengali films

Year Title Director Note Ref.
1944 Sandhi Apurba Mitra
1947 Pather Dabi Satish Dasgupta,
Digambar Chattopadhyay 		[65]
Abhijog Sushil Majumdar [66]
1948 Pratibad Hemchandra Chandra
Joyjatra Niren Lahiri [67]
1949 Devi Chowdhurani Satish Dasgupta [68]
Swami Pashupati Chattopadhyay [69]
1950 Samar Nitin Bose [70]
1951 Niyoti Naresh Mitra
1955 Dasyu Mohan Ardhendu Mukhopadhyay [71]
1956 Asabarna Pinaki Mukhopadhyay [72]
Saheb Bibi Golam
 		Kartik Chattopadhyay [73]
Ekdin Ratre Sambhu Mitra,
Amit Maitra
1957 Aandhare Alo Haridas Bhattacharya [74]
Garer Math Aaj Productions Unit
Khela Bhangar Khela Ratan Chattopadhyay [75]
Nilachaley Mahaprabhu Kartik Chattopadhyay [76]
1958 Joutuk Jiban Gangopadhyay [77]
1959 Thakur Haridas Gobinda Ray
1964 Kinu Gowalar Gali O. C. Gangopadhyay [78][79]

References

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