Moushumi Chatterjee


Moushumi Chatterjee is an Indian actress and politician known for her work in Hindi and Bengali cinema. She was one of the highest-paid actresses in Hindi films during the 1970s. She joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2019; she was previously a member of the Indian National Congress.

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.
Indira Chattopadhyaya was married to Jayanta Mukherjee at a young age. The couple has two daughters. Jayanta Mukherjee is the son of 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. Her daughter Payal, who had type 1 diabetes, had been in a coma since 2018 and died on 13 December 2019.

Career

1967–1984: Debut and breakthrough

Chatterjee made her film debut as a child heroine in the Bengali hit Balika Badhu, directed by Tarun Majumdar 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." She was called as Indira at home. She got engaged to guardian and neighbour Hemant Kumar's son, Jayant Mukherjee. "I fell in love with Babu. He was the first man I came in touch with outside my family." She was then seen in Bengali films like Parineeta, Anindita.
She made her debut as the leading lady in the Hindi film Anuraag directed by Shakti Samanta. Moushumi played the role of a blind girl and earned her first and only nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress; Anuraag won the Filmfare Award for Best Film. The film proved to be a major success. 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." When asked about her first role in Hindi films she said that "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, 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!"
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. 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, 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. Her Bengali film with Uttam Kumar, Ogu Bodhu Sundari, released in 1981 and became successful. In 1982, she did the Marathi film 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, 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 and Udhaar Ki Zindagi with Jeetendra and Keemat: They Are Back. She acted in the Indo-Canadian production Bollywood/Hollywood in 2003 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 her Bengali films as lead heroine include Parineeta, Anindita, Anand Ashram, Ogu Bodhu Sundari, Prarthana, Shatarupa, Kari Diye Kinlam, Bidhilipi and later as supporting actress; Nater Guru, Bhalobasar Anek Naam, The Japanese Wife and Goynar Baksho. She sang a song Tomar Duare in Mallick Bari. 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 career

Chatterjee contested in 2004 Lok Sabha election as a candidate for Indian National Congress for the Calcutta North East constituency, but lost to CPM's Mohammed Salim. In 2019, she joined Bharatiya Janata Party.

Filmography

Films

YearTitleRoleLanguageNotes and
1967Balika BadhuRajaniBengali
1969ParineetaLolitaBengali
1972AnuraagShivaniHindiDebut as heroine. Nominated: Filmfare Award for Best Actress
1973NainaNainaHindi
1973Kuchhe DhaageSonaHindi
1973Ghulam Begam BadshahLaxmiHindi
1974Zehreela InsaanAratiHindi
1974Us PaarKamlaHindi
1974Roti Kapada Aur MakaanTulsiHindiNominated: Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress
1974HumshakalSitaHindi
1974BenaamSheelaHindi
1974BadlaKalpanaHindi
1975Umar QaidDr. BhartiHindi
1975RaftaarRani/RitaHindi
1975NatakSunitaHindi
1975MazaaqMoushumiHindi
1975Do JhootLajwantiHindi
1975AnariRashmiHindi
1976Sabse Bada RupaiyaSunitaHindi
1976Jai Bajrang BaliDeviHindi
1976ZindagiSeemaHindi
1977Anand AshramKiranHindi
1977HatyaraGauriHindi
1977Ab Kya HogaHindiCameo
1978Tumhari KasamVidyaHindi
1978Swarg NarakShobhaHindi
1978Phool Khile Hain Gulshan GulshanShantiHindi
1978PhandebaazShantiHindi
1978Dil Aur DeewarSarojaHindi
1978Bhola BhalaRenuHindi
1978Ek Baap Chhe BeteReenaHindiCameo
1979Do Ladke Dono KadkeRaniHindi
1979Prem BandhanMeenaHindi
1979Gautam GovindaSandhyaHindi
1979ManzilArunaHindi
1979Love in CanadaSeemaHindi
1979Ghar Ki LaajJankiHindi
1980SwayamvarRoopaHindi
1980Maang Bharo SajanaSitaHindi
1980Jyoti Bane JwalaAnuHindi
1980Chambal Ki KasamTannibaiHindi
1980Badla aur BalidaanJyotiHindi
1980Do PremeePayal/ParvatiHindi
1980Be-RehamHameeda BanuHindiSpecial appearance
1981Pyaasa SawanShantiHindi
1981KrodhiAartiHindiCameo
1981Itni Si BaatAshaHindi
1981DaasiMangalaHindi
1981Kahani Ek Chor KiSeetaHindi
1981Ogo Bodhu ShundariSabitriBengali
1982RakshaAshaHindiSpecial appearance
1982AngoorSudhaHindi
1983Justice ChoudharyJanakiHindi
1984Pet Pyaar aur PaapHindi
1984JawaaniPrema MohanHindi
1984Ghar Ek MandirLaxmi bhabhiHindi
1984Aan aur ShaanRadhaHindiDelayed release
1985RusvaaiHindiLast film with late Sanjeev Kumar
1985Dekha Pyar TumharaMrs. MullickHindi
1986UrbashiUrbashiBengali
1987SindoorCameoHindi
1987Aag Hi AagGanga SinghHindi
1987MahanandaMahanandaHindiWith Farooq Sheikh
1987Mera Karam Mera DharamMalaHindi
1987Watan Ke RakhwaleLaxmi PrakashHindi
1987Param DharamSavitri SinghHindi
1988Taqdeer Ka TamashaGretaHindi
1988Waqt Ki AwazJustice ShardaHindi
1988VijayRitaHindi
1988AgneeShobhaHindi
1989Aakhri GhulamHindi
1989Aakhri BaaziParvati KumarHindi
1989Jung BaazMrs. SaxenaHindi
1989SikkaLaxmiHindi
1989ShehzaadePadmini SinghHindi
1990GhayalIndu MehraHindi
1991Ghar ParivaarParvati DeviHindi
1991Pyar Ka DevtaChief Justice SaraswatiHindi
1992Zulm Ki HukumatMrs. PitambarHindi
1992Khule-AamRoopadeviHindi
1992NishchaiyRenuka SinghHindi
1993PrateekshaLaxmiHindi
1993SantaanLaxmiHindi
1994Udhaar Ki ZindagiJankiHindi
1994Ikke Pe IkkaKaushalya DeviHindi
1995KartavyaSharda VarmaHindi
1995JallaadTara DeviHindi
1996MuqaddarBharati DeviHindi
1998KareebHindi
1998Doli Saja Ke RakhnaChandrikaHindi
1998Keemat – They Are BackSulakshanaHindi
1999Aa Ab Laut ChalenRama KhannaHindi
2002Na Tum Jaano Na HumMrs. MalhotraHindi
2002Bollywood/HollywoodMummyjiHindiCanadian comedy
2004Hum Kaun Hai?Martha PintoHindi
2006Zindaggi RocksIndraniHindi
2006Bhalobasar Onek NaamBiniBengali
2010The Japanese WifeMaashiBengali
2013Goynar BakshoPishiBengali
2015PikuChhobi MaashiHindi
2016Sesh SangbadElinaBengali
2025AariiJoya SenBengali