And the other half passes away. It was 2009, College Street in Kolkata. I was searching for old Bengali magazines from the 60s and the 70s, while researching for my book, 'Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen - Bengali Cinema's First Couple'. I asked a magazine vendor, "Dada Suchitra Sen er opore kono lekha thaka magazine din na" (give me some magazines with write ups on Suchitra Sen) The man smirks, "Madame er opor lekha, she toh durlobh jinish, khunjlei ki aar pawa jai?" (Write up on Suchitra Sen, that's rare, you can't get it so easily)
There were many occasions after that when I had stood in front of her home in Ballygunge Circular Road trying to understand the enigma that was Suchitra Sen. Reading up on Suchitra Sen would often give one the impression that she was an extremely haughty woman who not only didn't like any invasion on her privacy but also didn't care much about who thought what. But there was a different side to this lady, a surprisingly childlike side that she reserved only for those who were extremely close to her.
Gopal Krishna Roy, her friend and guide had during one of our many conversations told me about an anecdote where she had suddenly this urge to visit Dakshineshwar temple. In spite of his repeatedly warning her that she might be mobbed, childlike she insisted. As foreseen by Mr Roy, her admirers recognized her in spite of the large sunglasses and saree covered head and she was mobbed. Though she had to be hurriedly taken back to her car, she insisted on munching on Samosas even while sitting inside the car and only after her wish had been granted did they leave.
To many she was the diva, to me she was a woman who while relishing her stardom also loved living, tremendously. She could be flirtatious, glamorous, spiritual, all in one go. Difficult as it might seem, Suchitra Sen was actually all of these and perhaps more. As a diva, she did the unimaginable by prancing around in a towel for photographer Dhiren Deb. A photograph that drove her fans crazy and yet such was her star power that none of this ever made her look cheap.
Unlike many of her contemporaries, who often worked because of financial constraints, Suchitra came from a wealthy home. Perhaps this gave her the luxury of being able to choose whom to work with and which film she would work in. Reportedly, she also spurned the great Satyajit Ray because he had asked for exclusive dates; Suchitra Sen lived and worked on her own terms, something that most actresses in her times couldn't even dream of.
Her chemistry, with Uttam Kumar both personal and professional has been often talked about and speculated upon and yet not once could anyone get a decent quote from her on what her actual relationship with Uttam was. In that she managed the impossible in keeping her private life extremely private, a mission she accomplished till her last breath, even as she has been taken out of the hospital in a closed coffin. Throughout her life, Suchitra Sen the actor and Roma the woman remained separate from each other. If Roma was kind, gentle and caring about her friends and family, Suchitra the star was the distant diva, often unapproachable for most.
With stupendous hits like Uttar Flaguni, Sat Pake Badha, Agni Parikha, Suchitra Sen commanded the highest ever price unlike any other female lead during her times, earning her the title of Mahanayika, the only one to be crowned with such a title incidentally in Bengali cinema. She was market savvy, intelligent and knew what looked good on her. Photographers were asked by her to shoot her at a particular angle, she would improvise on her lines or her character in a film till she was completely satisfied with it. Never one to play second fiddle she was fast to realize that she would be only another heroine in Hindi films and hence soon opted out of Hindi films. And even though Aaandhi with Sanjeev Kumar brought her tremendous success she refrained from dabbling in Hindi films and chose to remain the queen been in Bengali films, till she retired with Pronoy Pasha in 1978.
Suchitra Sen visited Uttam Kumar for the last time on his last journey at 2.30 at night. When the garland that she had brought was placed on the body of Uttam Kumar, she whispered, 'Gently, lest he be hurt'. One can only wish her the same gentleness as she rests in peace today, may you be 'forever young'.
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