Supriya Devi


Supriya Devi was an Indian actress who is known for her work in Bengali cinema for more than 50 years. She is best known for her portrayal of Neeta in Ritwik Ghatak's Bengali film Meghe Dhaka Tara. She was conferred the Filmfare Award and the BFJA Award twice. In 2011, she received the Banga-Vibhushan, the highest civilian honour in West Bengal. In 2014, she was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India, the fourth highest civilian award in India, for her contributions to the entertainment industry.
She made her debut alongside Uttam Kumar in Basu Paribar, under the direction of Nirmal Dey, and successively appeared in Prarthana directed by Pranab Ray. However, IMDb lists 1951 Hindi film Shokhiyan as her first film. She, then took a hiatus and returned to filmdom in Marmabani. She rose to prominence after she had appeared in the Uttam Kumar blockbuster Sonar Harin. At the beginning of the 1960s, she came to wider notice for her successive roles in films such as Meghe Dhaka Tara, Shuno Baranari, Komal Gandhar, Swaralipi, Agnisanskar and others. She made her Bollywood debut opposite Dharmendra in Begaana.

Early life

Supriya was born in Myitkyina, Burma. Her father was Gopal Chandra Banerjee, a lawyer from Faridpur. During World War II, her family moved to Calcutta.
Supriya was seven years old when she made her acting debut in two plays directed by her father. She was a dancer since her childhood, even receiving an award from Thakin Nu, then-Prime Minister of Burma, who was moved by one of her dance recitals. From her childhood, her closest friend was Nihar Dutta, who married into the Guha Thakurata Family and as Nihar Guha Thakurata, was an eminent Burmese social worker of her time.
In 1948, the Bannerjees left Burma for good and re-settled in Calcutta. They had been refugees in 1942 when the Japanese forces occupied Burma. The young Supriya and her family were forced to undertake an arduous trek on foot to the safety of Calcutta.

Career

In Calcutta, she resumed her dance lessons and trained under Guru Muruthappan Pillai and later under Guru Prahlad Das. Supriya and her family were on friendly terms with Chandrabati Devi who was their neighbour. It was through Chandrabati Devi's inspiration and contacts that Supriya Choudhury stepped into the world of Bengali films.
She made her debut in the Uttam Kumar starrer Basu Paribar under the direction of Nirmal Dey and successively appeared in Prarthana directed by Pranab Ray and Shyamali directed by Binoy Bandyopadhyay. She, then took a hiatus and returned to filmdom in Marmabani under Sushil Majumdar's direction. She rose to prominence after she had appeared in the Uttam Kumar starrer blockbuster Sonar Harin directed by Mangal Chakraborty.
She rose to higher prominence after she had played the role of Amrapali in Amrapali directed by Sree Tarashankar and produced by Nalanda Films. Vyjayanthimala who was later found to play the same titular role was full of praise for her performance in the film.
At the beginning of the 1960s, she came to a bigger attention for her successive roles in films such as Meghe Dhaka Tara, Shuno Baranari, Komal Gandhar, Swaralipi to name a few. She made her Bollywood debut opposite Dharmendra in Begaana under Sadashiv Rao Kavi's direction. She was applauded for her performance in the 1973 blockbuster Sanyasi Raja.
She was applauded for her performance in Raja Sen's National Award winning Bengali film Atmiyo Swajan. Rediff described her performance in the film as "a fairly good fleshing out Supriya Devi".

Personal life

In 1954, Supriya married Bishwanath Choudhury and a few years later her only daughter Soma was born. The couple divorced in 1958.
She retired from films for a while before returning in the late 1950s. In 1963 she married Uttam Kumar, who had been a childhood friend of her youngest brother, whom she lived with until his death in 1980.
Supriya died of a heart attack in Kolkata on 26 January 2018, aged 85.

Filmography

  1. The Namesake as Ashima's Grandmother
  2. Arjun Aamar Naam
  3. Ekti Nadir Naam
  4. Shesh Thikana as Sriradha's grandmother
  5. Atmiya Swajan
  6. Honeymoon
  7. Kari Diye Kinlam
  8. Iman Kalyan
  9. Kalankini Kankabati
  10. Uttar Meleni
  11. Dui Prithibi
  12. Debdas as Chandramukhi
  13. Bahnisikha
  14. Dui Purush as Bimala
  15. Sandhya Raag
  16. Sabyasachi
  17. Sanyasi Raja
  18. Bhola Moyra
  19. Sister
  20. Jadi Jantem as Sujata
  21. Bagh Bondi Khela
  22. Raktatilak as Binata
  23. Bon Palashir Padabali as Padma
  24. Andha Atit
  25. Chhinnapatra
  26. Bilambita Loy
  27. Duti Mon
  28. Chiradiner
  29. Mon Niye
  30. Sabarmati Hiren Nag Chhaya Debi
  31. Jiban Mrityu
  32. Chowringhee as Karabi Guha
  33. Teen Adhayay
  34. Kal Tumi Aleya as Dr. Labanya Sarkar
  35. Shudhu Ekti Bachhar
  36. Aap Ki Parchhaiyan as Asha in Hindi Movie
  37. Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein as Meera
  38. Nishithe
  39. Lal Pathore
  40. Begaana
  41. Surya Sikha
  42. Uttarayan
  43. Swaralipi
  44. Komal Gandhar as Anasuya
  45. Madhya Rater Tara
  46. Meghe Dhaka Tara as Nita
  47. Natun Fasal
  48. Suno Baranari
  49. Khelaghar
  50. Sonar Harin
  51. Amrapali
  52. Basu Paribar as Sukhen's Sister

    Awards

Amar Jiban Amar Uttam.