Background and career
Suchitra Sen (Bengali: [ˈʃut͡ʃit̪ɾa ˈʃen] ; born Roma Dasgupta; April 6, 1931 – January 17, 2014), widely known as the Mahanayika, was an Indian actress who worked in Bengali and Hindi cinema. The movies in which she was paired opposite actor Uttam Kumar became classics in the history of Bengali cinema. Sen won the Silver Prize for Best Actress for Saat Pake Bandha at the 3rd Moscow International Film Festival in 1963, thus became the first Indian actress to receive an award at an international film festival.
In 1972, she was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award in India. From 1979 on, she retreated from public life and shunned all forms of public contact; for this she is often compared to Greta Garbo. In 2005, she refused the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the highest cinematic award in India, to stay out of the public eye. In 2012, she was conferred the West Bengal Government's highest honour: Banga Bibhushan.
