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Early and personal life

Chatterjee was born in Calcutta to a Bengali Brahmin family that hailed from Bikrampur in Bangladesh. Her father, Prantosh Chattopadhyaya, was in the Indian Army, and her grandfather was a judge. Her real name is Indira, and Moushumi is her screen name.¹

Indira Chattopadhyaya (her real name) was married to Jayanta Mukherjee at a young age. The couple has two daughters. Jayanta Mukherjee is the son of popular film producer, music composer, and singer Hemanta Mukhopadhyay, popularly known as Hemant Kumar in Hindi film industry. Jayanta is also an exponent of Rabindra Sangeet.She always prioritised her family above her film roles.² Her daughter Payal, who had type 1 diabetes, had been in a coma since 2018 and died on 13 December 2019.³

Career

1967–1984: Debut and breakthrough

Chatterjee made her film debut as a child heroine in the Bengali hit Balika Badhu (1967), directed by Tarun Majumdar⁴ when she was a preteen. In an interview, Moushumi Chatterjee quoted: "After Balika Badhu, I was flooded with Bengali movies but I wished to complete my studies. However, movies were in my fate hence when I was studying in class X, a close aunt of mine was on her death-bed and her last wish was to see me married. Hence, to satisfy her wish I got married."⁵ She was called as Indira at home. She got engaged to guardian and neighbour Hemant Kumar's son, Jayant Mukherjee (Babu). "I fell in love with Babu. He was the first man I came in touch with outside my family."⁶ She was then seen in Bengali films like Parineeta, Anindita.

She made her debut as the leading lady in the Hindi film Anuraag in 1972 was directed by Shakti Samanta. The film proved to be a major success. She played a blind girl who falls in love, and she earned her first and only nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress; Anuraag won the Filmfare Award for Best Film. About her Hindi film debut, she said in an interview: "As my father-in-law was a renowned film celebrity, many film personalities used to throng our house. One among them was filmmaker Shakti Samanta, who insisted upon me to act in movies. I declined, but both my father-in-law and my husband encouraged me, thus I got Anuraag."⁷ When asked about her first role in Hindi films she said that "[w]hen Shaktida told me that I have to play a blind lady I was taken aback. I honestly told Shaktida that I may not do justice to the role as I have never studied a blind person, but Shaktida assured me that he will take me to a blind school and train me ... he insisted to do a small Mahurat shot before. [...] When I reached the studio I was excited to see Bollywood luminaries like Nutanji, Dadamoni (Ashok Kumar fondly called), Rajesh Khanna, S. D. Burman and others. The moment Shaktida called action I did my Mahurat shot confidently and was applauded. After the shot, Shaktida told me that I had given the shot so skillfully that there was no need to visit a blind school!"⁸

In 1973, she acted in Naina opposite Shashi Kapoor, Kachhe Dhaage with Vinod Khanna and Us Paar with Vinod Mehra. In 1974, she acted with the then-struggling Amitabh Bachchan in the thriller Benaam and opposite Rajesh Khanna in the drama Humshakal. Her most successful film came at the end of 1974, where she played a rape survivor, in Manoj Kumar's Roti Kapada Aur Makaan.⁹ She received her first and only nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. She went on to become a part of several successful films like Swarag Narak, Maang Bharo Sajna, Pyaasa Sawan, Jyoti Bane Jwala with Jeetendra, Swayamvar with Shashi Kapoor and Anand Ashram with Rakesh Roshan. She acted with Rishi Kapoor in four films none of which were successful.

She was paired with Vinod Mehra in 10 films,¹⁰ including Anuraag, Us-Paar, Raftaar, Umar Qaid, Mazaaq, Zindagi and Do Jhoot. She only acted in 2 films with Amitabh Bachchan, Benaam and Basu Chatterjee's Manzil (1979). Her Bengali film with Uttam Kumar, Ogu Bodhu Sundari, released in 1981 and became successful. In 1982, she did the Marathi film (cameo in song Tumhi Adkitta Mi Ho Supari) Bhannat Bhanu. Her films with Rajesh Khanna include Bhola Bhala, Prem Bandhan and Ghar Parivar. She worked with Sanjeev Kumar in many movies including Angoor, Daasi and Itni Si Baat. In 1985, she acted in the Bengali film Pratigna.

After 1985, she graduated to supporting roles and acted in movies like Watan Ke Rakhwale, Aag Hi Aag, Ghayal and many more

1985–present: Transition period

From 1985 to 1991, Chatterjee got more offers as a character actress and she made the transition to roles of mother and bhabhi (sister-in-law), often pairing with Dharmendra or Sunil Dutt. She played Sunny Deol's sister-in-law in Ghayal. Occasionally, she got lead roles in films in the 1990s such as Ghar Parivaar and Aa Ab Laut Chalen, both opposite Rajesh Khanna, then Santaan, Prateeksha (1993) and Udhaar Ki Zindagi with Jeetendra and Keemat: They Are Back (1998). She acted in the Indo-Canadian production Bollywood/Hollywood in 2003¹¹ and Na Tum Jaano Na Hum, Hum Kaun Hai? in 2004. Moushumi Chatterjee made a comeback to cinema, with Tanuja Chandra's Zindaggi Rocks in 2006.

Apart from Balika Badhu (1967) her Bengali films as lead heroine include Parineeta (1969), Anindita (1972), Anand Ashram (1977), Ogu Bodhu Sundari (1981), Prarthana (1984), Shatarupa (1989), Kari Diye Kinlam (1989), Bidhilipi (1991) and later as supporting actress; Nater Guru (2003), Bhalobasar Anek Naam (2005), The Japanese Wife (2010) and Goynar Baksho (2013). She sang a song Tomar Duare in Mallick Bari (2009). In 2014, she won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for the Bengali film Goynar Baksho and received the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015.

Political foray

Chatterjee contested in 2004 Lok Sabha election as a candidate for Indian National Congress, but lost.¹² In 2019, she joined Bharatiya Janata Party.¹³

Awards

Filmography

also acted in the following additional films

1. The Cheat with Vinod Khanna 2. Ek Baap Chhe bete with Mehmood 3. Kahani ek chor ki - with Jeetendra and Vinod Mehra

Television

External links

• Moushumi Chatterjee at IMDb

References

1. Gupta, Priya (13 May 2015). "Moushumi Chatterjee: God is not kind to me, he is partial to me - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 2 September 2020. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/Moushumi-Chatterjee-God-is-not-kind-to-me-he-is-partial-to-me/articleshow/47249555.cms ↩

2. "Veteran actress Moushumi Chatterjee moves Bombay HC, wants to meet comatose daughter". The Economic Times. 23 November 2018. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/veteran-actress-moushumi-chatterjee-moves-bombay-hc-wants-to-meet-comatose-daughter/articleshow/66761345.cms ↩

3. "Moushumi Chatterjee's daughter Payal dies at 45". India Today. 13 December 2019. Retrieved 5 March 2019. https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/celebrities/story/moushumi-chatterjee-s-daughter-payal-dies-at-45-1628048-2019-12-13 ↩

4. "How Moushumi Chatterjee stunned Shakti Samanta in ANURAAG". glamsham.com. Retrieved 27 April 2014. http://www.glamsham.com/movies/scoops/14/apr/26-news-how-moushumi-chatterjee-stunned-shakti-samanta-in-anuraag-041410.asp ↩

5. "How Moushumi Chatterjee stunned Shakti Samanta in ANURAAG". glamsham.com. Retrieved 27 April 2014. http://www.glamsham.com/movies/scoops/14/apr/26-news-how-moushumi-chatterjee-stunned-shakti-samanta-in-anuraag-041410.asp ↩

6. "Bollywood News, Filmfare Awards, Movie Reviews, Celebrity Photos & Updates". filmfare.com. https://m.filmfare.com/features/candid-chat-with-moushumi-chatterjee-27878-2.html ↩

7. "How Moushumi Chatterjee stunned Shakti Samanta in ANURAAG". glamsham.com. Retrieved 27 April 2014. http://www.glamsham.com/movies/scoops/14/apr/26-news-how-moushumi-chatterjee-stunned-shakti-samanta-in-anuraag-041410.asp ↩

8. "How Moushumi Chatterjee stunned Shakti Samanta in ANURAAG". glamsham.com. Retrieved 27 April 2014. http://www.glamsham.com/movies/scoops/14/apr/26-news-how-moushumi-chatterjee-stunned-shakti-samanta-in-anuraag-041410.asp ↩

9. http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=180 [dead link] http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=180 ↩

10. "Bengali Beauty Moushumi Chatterjee - Ruling Bollywood Lady". businessofcinema.com. 26 April 2014. Retrieved 27 April 2014. http://businessofcinema.com/news/bengali-beauty-moushumi-chatterjee-ruling-bollywood-lady/143018 ↩

11. "Bengali Beauty Moushumi Chatterjee - Ruling Bollywood Lady". businessofcinema.com. 26 April 2014. Retrieved 27 April 2014. http://businessofcinema.com/news/bengali-beauty-moushumi-chatterjee-ruling-bollywood-lady/143018 ↩

12. "Actress Moushumi Chatterjee Joins BJP Just Months Ahead of Lok Sabha Polls". News18. 2 January 2019. Retrieved 2 November 2020. https://www.news18.com/news/politics/actress-moushumi-chatterjee-joins-bjp-just-months-ahead-of-ls-polls-1989693.html ↩

13. "Veteran Indian actor joins BJP, praises Modi". Khaleej Times. Indo-Asian News Service. 19 February 2019. Retrieved 5 May 2019. https://www.khaleejtimes.com/wknd/entertainment/veteran-indian-actor-joins-bjp-praises-modi ↩

14. "Latest in entertainment, lifestyle, fashion | t2ONLINE - Vibe With The tRIBE". www.t2online.in. Retrieved 11 April 2025. https://t2online.in/goodlife/wheels-1/the-trailer-of-aarii-points-to-a-sweet-mother-son-relationship%25C2%25A0/1398930 ↩