# Moushumi Chatterjee

Moushumi Chatterjee is an Indian actress 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 undivided Bengal. 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 (her real name) was married to Jayanta Mukherjee at a young age. The couple has two daughters. Jayanta Mukherjee is the son of popular 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. With the support and encouragement of her husband and father-in-law, Indira accepted the offer to act in films and adopted Moushumi as her screen name. Her film career as a heroine began only after her wedding. 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 (1967), 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 (Babu). "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 in 1972 was directed by Shakti Samanta. The film proved to be a major success. She played a blind girl who falls in love, and she earned her first and only nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress; Anuraag won the Filmfare Award for Best Film. 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 "[w]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 (Ashok Kumar fondly called), 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 (1979). Her Bengali film with Uttam Kumar, Ogu Bodhu Sundari, released in 1981 and became successful. In 1982, she did the Marathi film (cameo in song Tumhi Adkitta Mi Ho Supari) 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 (sister-in-law), 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 (1993) and Udhaar Ki Zindagi with Jeetendra and Keemat: They Are Back (1998). 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 (1967) her Bengali films as lead heroine include Parineeta (1969), Anindita (1972), Anand Ashram (1977), Ogu Bodhu Sundari (1981), Prarthana (1984), Shatarupa (1989), Kari Diye Kinlam (1989), Bidhilipi (1991) and later as supporting actress; Nater Guru (2003), Bhalobasar Anek Naam (2005), The Japanese Wife (2010) and Goynar Baksho (2013). She sang a song Tomar Duare in Mallick Bari (2009). 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 foray

Chatterjee contested in 2004 Lok Sabha election as a candidate for Indian National Congress, but lost. In 2019, she joined Bharatiya Janata Party.

## Awards

| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
| 1968 | Bengal Film Journalists' Association | Best Actress | Balika Badhu | Won |
| 1972 | Filmfare Awards | Best Actress | Anuraag | Nominated |
| 1974 | Filmfare Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Roti Kapda Aur Makaan | Nominated |
| 1974 | Bengal Film Journalists' Association | Best Supporting Actress | Roti Kapda Aur Makaan | Won |
| 2002 | Genie Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Bollywood/Hollywood | Nominated |
| 2014 | Filmfare Awards | Best Supporting Actress – Bengali | Goynar Baksho | Won |
| 2015 | Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award | Lifetime Achievement Award | | Won |
| 2016 | Bengal Film Journalists' Association Awards | Lifetime Achievement Award | | Won |

## Filmography

| | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1967 | Balika Badhu | Rajani | First movie; Bengali |
| 1969 | Parineeta | Lolita | Bengali |
| 1972 | Anuraag | Shivani | Debut Hindi film. Nominated- Filmfare Award for Best Actress |
| 1973 | Naina | Naina | |
| 1973 | Kuchhe Dhaage | Sona | |
| 1973 | Ghulam Begam Badshah | Laxmi | |
| 1974 | Zehreela Insaan | Arati | |
| 1974 | Us Paar | Kamla | |
| 1974 | Roti Kapada Aur Makaan | Tulsi | Nominated Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress |
| 1974 | Humshakal | Sita | |
| 1974 | Benaam | Sheela | |
| 1974 | Badla | Kalpana | |
| 1975 | Umar Qaid | Dr. Bharti | |
| 1975 | Raftaar | Rani/Rita | |
| 1975 | Natak | | |
| 1975 | Mazaaq | Moushumi | |
| 1975 | Do Jhoot | Lajwanti | |
| 1975 | Anari | Rashmi | |
| 1976 | Sabse Bada Rupaiya | Sunita | |
| 1976 | Jai Bajrang Bali | Devi | |
| 1976 | Zindagi | Seema | |
| 1977 | Anand Ashram | Kiran | |
| 1977 | Ab Kya Hoga | Cameo | |
| 1977 | Hatyara | Gauri Vijay Singh | |
| 1978 | Tumhari Kasam | Vidya | |
| 1978 | Swarg Narak | Shobha | |
| 1978 | Phool Khile Hain Gulshan Gulshan | Shanti | |
| 1978 | Phandebaaz | Shanti | |
| 1978 | Dil Aur Deewar | Saroja | |
| 1978 | Bhola Bhala | Renu | |
| 1979 | Do Ladke Dono Kadke | Rani | |
| 1979 | Prem Bandhan | Meena | |
| 1979 | Gautam Govinda | Sandhya | |
| 1979 | Manzil | Aruna | |
| 1979 | Love in Canada | Seema | |
| 1979 | Ghar Ki Laaj | Janki | |
| 1980 | Swayamvar | Roopa | |
| 1980 | Maang Bharo Sajana | Sita | |
| 1980 | Jyoti Bane Jwala | Anu | |
| 1980 | Chambal Ki Kasam | Tannibai | |
| 1980 | Badla aur Balidaan | Jyoti | |
| 1980 | Do Premee | Payal/Parvati | |
| 1980 | Be-Reham | Hameeda Banu | Special appearance |
| 1981 | Pyaasa Sawan | Shanti | |
| 1981 | Krodhi | Aarti | Guest appearance |
| 1981 | Itni Si Baat | Asha | |
| 1981 | Ogo Bodhu Shundari | Sabitri | Bengali |
| 1981 | Daasi | Mangala | |
| 1982 | Raksha | Asha | Special appearance |
| 1982 | Angoor | Sudha | |
| 1983 | Justice Choudhary | Mrs. Choudhary | |
| 1984 | Pet Pyaar aur Paap | | |
| 1984 | Jawaani | Prema Mohan | |
| 1984 | Ghar Ek Mandir | Laxmi bhabhi | |
| 1984 | Aan aur Shaan | Radha | Delayed release |
| 1985 | Rusvaai | | Last film with late Sanjeev Kumar |
| 1985 | Dekha Pyar Tumhara | Mrs. Mullick | |
| 1986 | Urbashi | Urbashi | Bengali |
| 1987 | Sindoor | Cameo | |
| 1987 | Aag Hi Aag | Ganga Singh | |
| 1987 | Mahananda | Mahananda | Bengali |
| 1987 | Mera Karam Mera Dharam | Mala | |
| 1987 | Watan Ke Rakhwale | Laxmi Suraj Prakash | |
| 1987 | Param Dharam | Savitri Singh | |
| 1988 | Taqdeer Ka Tamasha | Greta | |
| 1988 | Waqt Ki Awaz | Justice Sharda | |
| 1988 | Vijay | Rita | |
| 1988 | Agnee | Shobha | |
| 1989 | Aakhri Ghulam | | |
| 1989 | Aakhri Baazi | Mrs. Parvati Kumar | |
| 1989 | Jung Baaz | Mrs. Saxena | |
| 1989 | Sikka | Laxmi | |
| 1989 | Shehzaade | Padmini Singh | |
| 1990 | Ghayal | Indu Mehra | |
| 1991 | Ghar Parivaar | Parvati Devi | |
| 1991 | Pyar Ka Devta | Chief Justice Saraswati | |
| 1992 | Zulm Ki Hukumat | Mrs. Pitambar | |
| 1992 | Khule-Aam | Roopadevi | |
| 1992 | Nishchaiy | Renuka Singh | |
| 1993 | Prateeksha | Laxmi | |
| 1993 | Santaan | Laxmi | |
| 1994 | Udhaar Ki Zindagi | Janki | |
| 1994 | Ikke Pe Ikka | Kaushalya Devi | |
| 1995 | Kartavya | Sharda Varma | |
| 1995 | Jallaad | Tara Devi | |
| 1996 | Muqaddar | | |
| 1998 | Kareeb | | |
| 1998 | Doli Saja Ke Rakhna | Chandrika Bansal | |
| 1998 | Keemat – They Are Back | Sulakshana | |
| 1999 | Aa Ab Laut Chalen | Rama Khanna | |
| 2002 | Na Tum Jaano Na Hum | Mrs. Malhotra | |
| 2002 | Bollywood/Hollywood | Mummyji | Canadian comedy |
| 2004 | Hum Kaun Hai? | Martha Pinto | |
| 2006 | Zindaggi Rocks | Indrani Sengupta | |
| 2006 | Bhalobasar Onek Naam | Bini | Bengali |
| 2010 | The Japanese Wife | Maashi | Bengali |
| 2013 | Goynar Baksho | Pishi | Bengali |
| 2015 | Piku | Chhobi Maashi |
| 2016 | Sesh Sangbad | Elina | Bengali |
also acted in the following additional films
1. The Cheat with Vinod Khanna 2. Ek Baap Chhe bete with Mehmood 3. Kahani ek chor ki - with Jeetendra and Vinod Mehra

## Television

| Year | Serial | Role | Notes |
| 1993 | Albeli | Albeli | Season 1 |
| 2021 | Super Dancer | Guest | Season 4 |
| 2023 | India's Best Dancer | Guest | Season 3 |