BENGALI ACTRESS MADHABI MUKHERJEE..NOW 75+!

Veteran Bengali actress Madhabi Mukherjee.

'Charulata' fame veteran Bengali actress..Madhabi Mukherjee today celebrated her 77th Birthday!

Madhabi Mukherjee in Mrinal Sen's 'Baishey Shravan' (1960).

Well known for her critically acclaimed roles in Bengali cinema..Madhabi Mukherjee began acting on stage and in 1950 appeared on screen as child artist in Premendra Mitra's Bengali film.. 
'Kankantala Light Railway'!

Madhabi Mukherjee in Ritwik Ghatak's 'Subarnarekha' (1962).

After ten years she got major roles in sensible filmmakers of Bengali.. cinema.. first was in  
Mrinal Sen's 'Baishey Shravan' (1960)..and second in Ritwik Ghatak's 'Subarnarekha' (1962) which was a third film in socio-economical trilogy!

Madhabi Mukherjee in Satyajit Ray's 'Charulata' (1964).

With 'Mahanagar' (1963).. Madhabi Mukherjee started working with renowned filmmaker Satyajit Ray! She mentioned about it, "This was the first woman-centered screenplay I had!" Then in 1964 her famous character came..'Charulata' which Ray made on Bengali novel 'Nastanirh' wrote by great Rabindranath Tagore!..And she superbly portrayed this lonely wife who loves creative things!

Madhabi Mukherjee and filmmaker Satyajit Ray!

Then she did notable roles in films like..Mrinal Sen's 'Calcutta 71', Manu Sen's 'Biraj Bou' & Purnendu Patri's 'Streer Patra' (1972), Tarun Majumdar's 'Ganadevata' (1978), Tapan Sinha's 'Bancharamer Bagan' (1980) and Rituparno Ghosh's 'Utsab' (2000) which I saw in 'MAMI's film festival, Mumbai!..After that I also met her in 'NFAI', Pune!

She won 'Best Actress National Award' for her role in Bimal Bhowmik's Bengali film 'Dibratrir Kabya' (1973). Her films screened in prestigious film festivals here and abroad!

In 1995..Madhabi Mukherjee wrote her autobiography 'Ami Madhabi'!

Best Wishes!!

- Manoj Kulkarni