Indian Actress Suchitra Sen Dies
Devdas, Suchitra Sen
Jan 18, 2014, 12.01 AM IST
Sen was hospitalized in Kolkata more than three weeks ago for treatment of a respiratory infection and died following cardiac arrest, said her daughter, Moon Moon Sen, who is also an actress.
She was to be cremated later Friday.
Sen started acting in 1952 and reigned supreme for 26 years. She won fame in Bengali films, especially co-starring with actor Uttam Kumar. The two become icons for Bengali melodramas and romantic movies through the 1960s and the 1970s. Her most memorable Bengali films included "Agnipariksha," ''Devdas" and "Saat Paake Bandha."
The doe-eyed beauty acted in 57 Bengali and seven Hindi films. She shunned public appearances after her retirement from movies in 1978.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Sen had carved a special niche in the hearts of millions of Indians through her graceful cinematic presence. "Her versatility and range of performances mark a unique contribution to Indian cinema, and to Bengali films in particular," he said.
Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan said she "adorned the film world of Bengal with exquisite performances ... She graced Hindi films too!"
"She was a wonder. She was not just a legend," said Mamta Banerjee, West Bengal state's top elected official.
Sen made her debut in Bollywood with the 1955 film "Devdas," co-starring with Dilip Kumar, another legendary actor, and won the best actress award for the movie. Another big Bollywood hit was "Aandhi," in which she played the role of a politician inspired by the life of the then-Indian prime minister, Indira Gandhi.
She was the first Bengali actress to be honored at an international film festival. She was picked best actress at the 1963 Moscow film festival for her role in "Saat Paake Bandha," a Bengali language film. The Indian government honored her with "Padma Shri,'" a top civilian award, in 1972.
She married Dibanath Sen, an industrialist, in 1947 before launching her acting career. Her husband died in the early 1970s.
Also in 1953, she was seen opposite Uttam Kumar in the Bengali film Sharey Chuattor which turned out to be a box office hit and became the genesis of the Uttam-Suchitra legend, still Bengal's most revered screen couple. Of the 60 films Ms Sen worked in, 
She She went on to deliver a series of Bengali hit films like Kajori (1953), Sadanander Mela (1954) and Agnipariksha (1954) before making her Bollywood debut in 1955 with Bimal Roy's classic Devdas opposite Dilip Kumar. Her serene beauty made her the perfect Paro in Bimal Roy's adaptation of the Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay novel.
Back Back in Bengal, Suchitra Sen appeared in women-oriented hit films like Sabar Uparey (1955), Sagarika (1956), Shilpi (1956), Harano Sur (1957) and Chaoa Paoa (1959). Among her most acclaimed performances is that of the psychiatric nurse in a relationship with a male patient in 1959's Deep Jwele Jaye. The movie was remade in Hindi in 1969 as Khamoshi with Waheeda Rehman in the role played by Suchitra Sen.
In In 1961, Ms Sen played the role of the beautiful Rina Brown opposite Uttam Kumar in the film Saptapadi (1961). The movie was critically acclaimed and was a huge hit, winning her the Silver Prize for Best Actress at the Moscow International Film Festival. This made Suchitra Sen the first Indian actress to be awarded abroad.
In in 1963, Suchitra Sen delivered another landmark performance in the film Uttar Falguni (1963) in which she played a double role of a courtesan and her daughter. The film won the National Award for Best Feature Film in Bengali.
The The same year, Ms Sen became the first actress in Indian cinema to win an award in an international film festival when she won the Best Actress award at the Moscow Film Festival for her role in the film Saat Paake Bandha.
In In 1966, Suchitra Sen also featured in Mamta, the Hindi remake of Uttar Falguni, opposite Dharmendra. She was nominated for the Filmfare Best Actress award that year.
