Sumitra Devi(1923-1990)
- Actress
Nilima Chattopadhyay was born in 1923 at Shiuri, in Birbhum district of
undivided Bengal in a Brahmin orthodox family but was brought up in
Muzaffarpur district of Bihar. While in her teens Nilima used to dream
of the beautiful heroines of her time and dreamed that one day her name
would find place by the side of Kanan Devi, Leela Desai, Chandrabati,
Menaka Devi, Jamuna Barua, Sandhyarani and others. Films of New
Theatres were household names by then and one day she sent an
application to New Theatres' along with a photograph. Her younger
brother Ranajit was her only friend and confidante and gave her
encouragement. Her letter was answered and she was called for an
interview at N.T. and had to undergo a rigorous session of
interrogation before finally being selected and Nilima's screen name
became Sumitra Devi. On the family front she faced a lot of obstacles
from father Murali Chattopadhyay, an advocate by profession. However
she could overcome all odds only through her determination to enter the
film world and it was the prestigious New Theatres where she could make
her first film contract for My Sister. However, she was immediately
offered another role by Debaki Kumar Bose in Sandhi and this film
was a great hit and Sumitra received that year's Best Actress Award
from BFJA. Apurba Mitra was credited as the director of the film but it
was Debaki Bose, Apurba's uncle, who did the job of direction for this
super hit film that was re-made several years later. My Sister was
released after Sandhi. All through the early period of her stardom,
Sumitra was troubled by domestic affairs, her totally non co-operative
family and finally a marriage at Bhagalpur which ended in a divorce.
She became a star with her first films and her extremely beautiful face
was used to best advantage by film directors and cameramen. Other films
like Pratibad, Achhyut, Wasiyatnama, Pather Dabi, Abhijog, Swami, Debi
Choudhurani followed leading her from success to success. She went to
Bombay in response to a call from Bombay Talkies to act in Mashal and
Samar, a double version film. The story was based on Bankim Chandra
Chatterjee's novel Rajani. Other films like Mayurpankh, Mamta, Deewana,
Arabian Nights followed. She came to Calcutta from time to time and
appeared in lead roles in Asabarna, Dashyu Mohan, Andhare Alo, Saheb
Bibi Golam, Neelachale Mahaprabhu, Joutuk to name some. Raj Kapoor
procured her services for his double version film Ekdin Ratre and Jagte
Raho. In the late fifties Sumitra Devi visited China as a delegate from
India at the Asian Film Festival. Her last film was Kinu Gowalar Gali
in 1964. She married actor Devi Mukherjee in the forties but
Mukherjee's suicide in 1947 left her alone again. Later in life she
married a Bombay based businessman, Sharma and died as his wife in
1990.
