Suchitra Sen: The Legend and the Enigma

by Shoma Chatterji

The definitive biography of one of Indian cinema's biggest icons

 

Arguably the greatest star of Bengali cinema, Suchitra Sen mesmerized audiences for years, before withdrawing from the public gaze and refusing to emerge in the limelight in the last decade of her life. In this nuanced biography, Shoma Chatterji unveils the two different dimensions of the Suchitra Sen as a legendary romantic star with an audience pull spanning over two decades, and her slow but steady metamorphosis into a powerful performing artist through films like Deep Jele Jai, Hospital, Mamta and Aandhi who could seamlessly and effortlessly essay completely different characters without the on-screen partnership of Uttam Kumar. Award-winning author and film critic Shoma Chatterji presents a fascinating portrait of an icon of Indian cinema, addressing two significant elements that have not been touched by other Suchitra Sen as a working woman in films and her wilful social seclusion.

306 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 10, 2015

Reviews

[Akshay · Rating 4 out of 5]

For close to two decades beginning from the mid-1950s, Suchitra Sen mesmerised the cinema going public in Bengal. My earliest memories of her come from her depictions in Devdas and Aandhi. As a child, I vaguely remember watching one of the many films, where Suchitra Sen was paired opposite Uttam Kumar on DD7 (Doordarshan Bangla). "Suchitra Sen: The Legend and The Enigma" by Shoma Chatterji is a nuanced biography which analyses her growth as an actress from a legendary romantic star to a powerful artist. Her reclusive nature contributed to the mystique and enigma that is once the legend Suchitra Sen. Shoma Chatterji's book tackles issues which not many have addressed before, thereby becoming a definitive guide in mapping out the evolution of an icon of Bengali cinema.

[SUBRATA DATTA · Rating 3 out of 5]

The cover s absolutely stunning.

But the same cannot be said about the book as a whole.

Moderately interesting.

[Vikas Datta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goes much beyond the her hugely successful pairing with Uttam Kumar to give a full and nuanced portrait of this accomplished and enigmatic star, who could perform without subsuming her own identity into that of her onscreen character..