Chhaya Debi

Chhaya Devi (; 3 June 1914 – 25 April 2001) was an Indian actress known for her work in Bengali and Hindi cinema. She appeared in over two hundred films for over five decades.

Her first lead role was in Debaki Bose's Bengali film ''Sonar Sansar'' (1936). She rose to hall of fame for her role as Rani Lakshmi in Debaki Bose's ''Vidyapati'' (1937). Some of her notable films are such as ''Nirjan Saikate'' (1963), ''Hatey Bazarey'' (1967) and ''Apanjan'' (1968) by Tapan Sinha, ''Saptapadi'' (1961), '' Uttar Falguni'' (1963), ''Antony Firingee'' (1967), in Bengali, '' Alaap'' (1977) in Hindi, which also starred Amitabh Bachchan.

Early life

Chhaya Devi was born in Bhagalpur. Her father was Haradhan Gangopadhyay. She started her education in the Mokshda Girls High School in Adampur, Bhagalpur. Later her father was transferred to Delhi and she continued her education in the Indraprastha Girls School. She was married to Buddhadeb Chattopadhyay, a teacher at Ranchi, at the age of eleven. Her marriage did not last long and she came to Kolkata with her father when she was a student of tenth standard only. She was first cousin of actor Ashok Kumar's wife Shobha Ganguly, thus was related to the Ganguly family as well. However, though very little is known about her early life, her life is believed to be full of struggle. After she reached Kolkata she chose her career as an actress in films and stage, which she pursued for the next five decades.

Career

Though Chhaya Devi debuted in Bengali movie ''Sonar Sansar'' in 1936, she acquired fame for the outstanding acting in the role of Queen Lakshmi in the movie ''Bidyapati'' in 1938. From lead female roles in her early days to character roles in her later years, Chhaya Devi had shown her creative ability in acting.
In ''Atal Jaler Ahwan'' (1962), she stole the heart of the viewers with her soft and loving acting as surrogate mother of Soumitra. In ''Deya Neya'' (1963) she acted as the helpless mother of the aspirant singer Prashanta (Uttam Kumar). In the movie ''Saat Pake Badha'' (1963) she was the heartless, rude and indifferent mother of Suchitra Sen opposing the affair of her daughter with Soumitra. Chhaya Devi played the role of the mother of Uttam Kumar in many films. In ''Anthony Firingee'' (1967), Chhaya Devi was mother of Hensman Antony (Uttam Kumar). ''Apanjan'', an outstanding film directed by Tapan Sinha in 1967, which won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Bengali, as well as several BFJA Awards, was considered having one of the best of the performances of Chhaya Devi. In ''Podi Pisir Bormi Bakso'' (1972), a children's movie made from a story written by Leela Majumdar and directed by Arundhati Devi, Chhaya Devi played an unforgettable lead comic role of ''Podi Pisi'', the widowed elderly aunt. Her last film was ''Tomar Rakte Amar Sohag'', which was released in 1993, in which she acted in a cameo role.

Filmography

1930s

*1936 ''Sonar Sansar'' - Roma

*1936 ''Rajani'' - Maid Servant

*1937 ''Bidyapati'' - Queen Laxmi

*1937 ''Ranga Bou'' - Kalyani

*1938 ''Bekar Nashan'' - Kamal

*1938 ''Hal Bangla'' - Sefali

*1939 ''Bamanabatar'' - Sachi

*1939 '' Jakher Dhan''

*1939 ''Debjani'' - Debjani

*1939 ''Janak Nandini'' - Chandika

*1939 ''Rikta'' - Karuna

1940s

*1940 ''Abhinetri''

*1940 ''Haar Jeet''

*1941 ''Sree Radha''

*1942 ''Jiban Sangini'' - Atar

*1942 ''Avayer Biye''

*1942 '' Chauranghee''

*1942 ''Mera Gaon''

*1945 ''Bondita''

*1946 ''Uttara Abhimanyu''

*1947 ''Burmar Pathey''

*1947 ''Jharer Par''

*1948 ''Dhatri Debata''

*1948 ''Anirban''

*1949 ''Abhijatya''

*1949 ''Kuasha''

1950s

*1950 ''Sree Tulsidas''

*1951 ''Ratnadeep''

*1956 ''Raat Bhore''

*1956 ''Shankar Narayan Bank''

*1956 ''Daner Maryada'' - Malati

*1956 ''Saheb Bibi Golam''- Bororani

*1956 ''Subhalagna''

*1956 ''Trijama''

*1958 ''Bagha Jatin''

*1958 ''Marmabani''

*1959 ''Gali Theke Rajpath''

1960s

*1961 ''Pankatilak''

*1961 ''Manik''

*1961 ''Agni Sanskar''

*1962 ''Kancher Swarga''

*1962 ''Abasheshe''

*1962 '' Atal Jaler Ahwan'' - Anuradha Debi

*1962 ''Rakta Palash''

*1963 ''Kanchan Kanya''

*1963 ''Deya Neya'' -the hero's mother

*1961 ''Saptapadi'' - Rina's Mother (Aayah)

*1963 ''Nirjan Saikate''

*1963 ''Saat Pake Bandha'' - Archana's Mother

*1963 ''Uttar Falguni'' - Baijee

*1964 '' Pooja Phalam'' Telugu

*1965 '' Mukhujey Paribar''

*1965 ''Antaral''

*1965 ''Arohi''

*1965 ''Kanch Kata Hirey''

*1965 ''Surya Tapa''

*1965 '' Thana Theke Aschi''

*1965 ''Tu Hi Meri Zindagi''

*1966 ''Galpo Holeo Satti'' - Bara Bou

*1966 ''Mamta'' - Minabai

*1967 ''Mahashweta''

*1967 '' Chikkadu Dorakadu'' Telugu

*1967 ''Antony Firingee'' - Antony's Mother

*1967 ''Hatey Bazarey'' - Nani

*1968 ''Teen Adhaya''

*1968 ''Apanjan''- Anandamoyee

*1968 ''Baghini''

*1969 ''Arogya Niketan'' - Atar Bou

*1969 '' Kamallata''

*1969 '' Pita Putra''

*1969 ''The Fiancée'' - Bhubaneswari

*1969 ''Protidan''

1970s

*1970 ''Kalankita Nayak''

*1970 ''Rajkumari''

*1970 ''Muktisnan''

*1970 ''Samantaral''

*1971 ''Kuheli''- Mandadi.

*1971 ''Rajakota Rahasyam'' (Telugu)

*1972 '' Har Mana Har''

*1972 '' Sesh Parba''

*1972 ''Muhammad bin Tughluq'' (Telugu)

*1972 '' Padi Pishir Barmi Baksha'' - Aunt Padipishi

*1972 ''Zindagi Zindagi''

*1974 '' Debi Chowdhurani'' - Brajeswar's mother

*1974 ''Alor Thikana''

*1975 ''Swayamsiddha''

*1975 ''Harano Prapti Niruddesh''

*1975 ''Phool Sajya''

*1976 ''Harmonium''

*1976 ''Sei Chokh''

*1977 ''Kalpana''

*1977 ''Proxy''

*1977 ''Pratima''

*1977 ''Ae Prithibi Pantha Niwas''

*1977 '' Baba Taraknath''

*1977 ''Ek Je Chhilo Desh''

*1977 ''Babu Moshai''

*1977 '' Alaap'' - Sarju Bai Banaraswali

*1978 '' Dhanraj Tamang''

*1978 '' Amara Prema'' (Telugu)

*1978 ''Nadi Theke Sagare''

*1979 ''Tayaramma Bangaryya'' (Telugu)

*1979 '' Arun barun O Kironmala''- The Jogini Maa

1980s

*1981 ''Kalankini''

*1981 ''Subarnalata''

*1981 ''Manikchand''

*1981 '' Surya Sakhi''

*1982 ''Rajbadhu''

*1982 ''Pipasa''

*1983 ''Shinkhal''

*1983 ''Rang Birangi'' - Mrs. Bannerjee

*1983 ''Prayashchitta''

*1984 ''Rashifal''

*1984 ''Lal Golap''

*1984 ''Simantarag''

*1987 ''Swarnamoir Thikana''

*1987 ''Pratikar''

*1988 ''Boba Sanai''

Awards

*IFFI Best Actor Award (Female) (1965) for "Nirjan Saikate" at 3rd IFFI

References

External links

*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Devi, Chhaya
Indian film actresses
1914 births
2001 deaths
Actresses in Bengali cinema
Actresses in Hindi cinema
Actresses from Kolkata
20th-century Indian actresses