Sabitri Chatterjee (Bengali: সাবিত্রী চট্টোপাধ্যায়) (born 22 February 1937) is an Indian Bengali female actor whose career as an actor spans more than 50 years. She was born in Comilla, in British India (now in Bangladesh).Sabitri was born on 22 February 1937 in a small town of Kamalpur in Comilla district of modern Bangladesh and is youngest among ten sisters. Her father Sashadhar Chatterjee worked in Indian Railways. During the partition of Bengal, young Sabitri was sent to the safety of an older, married sister’s house in Kolkata located at Tollygunge – the hub of filmmaking in Kolkata.
Career
She joined a theatre group Uttar Sarathi who were doing a play on the refugees from East Pakistan titled 'Natun Yahudi'. The play was being directed by Kanu Banerjee – the actor who would later performed as Harihar Roy, in Satyajit Ray’s Pather Panchali and Aparajito. Sabitri also acted the film version of the play which was released in 1953. Sabitri appeared as the female lead in Sudhir Mukherjee’s comedy film Pasher Bari (1952).
Sabitri Chatterjee’s next film assignment Subhada (1952) – a film based on a novel by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay and directed by Niren Lahiri along with Chhabi Biswas and Pahari Sanyal. In this film she played the role of an unfortunate girl named Lalana. In the same year, she appeared in her first film opposite Uttam Kumar – the family drama Basu Parivar (1952) directed by Nirmal Dey, which had Supriya Devi in the role of Uttam Kumar’s sister. Sabitri and Uttam Kumar had been friends since 1951, Uttam Kumar offered her to act in a theatrical production to be produced by his group Krishti O Srishti. The Uttam-Sabitri combination became a favourite of the Bengali cine-goers and their friendship withstood strong but false rumours of marriage.
They would be responsible for a series of memorable films including Lakh Taka (1953), Kalyani (1954), Anupama (1954), Raikamal (1955), Nabojanma (1956), Punar Milan (1957), Marutirtha Hinglaj (1959), Raja-Saja (1960), Dui Bhai (1961), Bhranti Bilas (1963), Momer Alo (1964) and Nishipadma (1970). They also had major roles in Mrinal Sen’s first feature film Raat Bhore (1955) and Tapan Sinha’s second effort Upahaar (1955). Bhranti Bilas,Mouchak and Dhanyi Meye rank high among the popular Bengali comedy cinema.
In the early eighties, Sabitri did not appear on screen as before. However, in the late 1980s, she came back with films like Mamoni, Anandalok and Haar-Jeet. Sabitri Chatterjee continues to act in commercial Bengali cinemas and television till date. She is one of the stars of the mega soap opera Sonar Harin that has run more than 1000 episodes.Currently she is acting as Muktokeshi in serial Subarnalata, adaptation of Ashapurna Devi's novel.
Awards
Best Actress in Supporting Role by The Bengal Film Journalists' Association (BFJA) in 1971.
Filmography
- Podokkhep (2006) .... Shobita
- Tapasya (2006)
- Haar-Jeet (2000)
- Anandalok (1988)
- Mamoni (1986)
- Heerey Manik (1979)
- Seyi Chokh (1976)
- Sesh Parba (1972)
- Dhanyee Meye (1971)
- Malyadaan (1971) .... Patal
- Pratham Pratissuti (1971)
- Nishipadma (1970) .... Padma
- Kalankita Nayak (1970)
- Manjari Opera (1970) .... Manjari Devi
- Pathey Holo Dekha (1968)
- Grihadaha (1967) .... Mrinal
- Kal Tumi Aleya (1966) .... Sonaboudi
- Antaral (1965)
- Jaya (1965) .... Jaya
- Momer Alo (1964) .... Deepa
- Shesh Anka (1963) .... Lata Bose
- Uttarayan (1963)
- Nav Diganta (1962)
- Dui Bhai (1961)
- Haat Baraley Bandhu (1960)
- Kuhak (1960)
- Raja-Saja (1960)
- Gali Theke Rajpath (1959)
- Marutirtha Hinglaj (1959)
- Daak Harkara (1958)
- Daktar Babu (1958)
- Punar Milan (1957)
- Daner Maryada (1956) .... Usha
- Nabajanma (1956)
- Paradhin (1956)
- Raat Bhore (1956)
- Raikamal (1955)
- Godhuli (1955)
- Paresh (1955)
- Upahar (1955) .... Krishna
- Annapurnar Mandir (1954)
- Anupama (1954)
- Bidhilipi (1954) .... Sandhya
- Bratacharini (1954)
- Champadangar Bou (1954)
- Kalyani (1954)
- Kajari (1953)
- Lakh Taka (1953)
- Natun Yahudi (1953)
- Subhadra (1952) .... Lalana
- Basu Paribar (1952)
