Sumita Devi

Sumita Devi (1936 - 2004) is a Bengali film and TV actress. She was born Hena Bhattacharya in Manikganj District, East Bengal (now in Bangladesh). Sumita gained fame as a film actress in the late 1950s and early 1960s. She debuted in Bangla films in the 1957 movie, Aasia. Her next film was Akash Ar Mati (1960). Both were directed by fateh lohani. Aasia got the President's Award as the best Bengali film and Sumita's acting as the name-role of Aasia became so remarkable and memorable in Bangladeshi film history. Sumita's career in acting spanned for nearly four decades. She acted in the main role in more than fifty feature films and in side roles in more than a hundred. Noted among the films Sumita acted in are Kakhono Aaseni (1961), Kancher Deyal (1963), Edesh Tomar Amar, Sonar Kajal (1962), Ei To Jiban (1964), Dui Diganta (1964), Agun Niye Khela (1967), Abhishap (1967), Behula, Ora Egaro Jan and Amar Janmabhumi. She also acted in Dhupchaya, a film produced in West Pakistan and in a number of Urdu films made in the then East Pakistan. During her long career in acting she performed roles in radio, television and theatre as well. As a film producer Sumita produced five films. These were Agum Niye Khela, Momer Alo, Mayar Sangsar, Adarsha Chapakhana and Notun Probhat Sumita Devi was born to a Hindu Brahmin family. She was briefly married to Amulya Lahiri, but the marriage ended in divorce. Following her entry into movies, she married the eminent film director and writer Zahir Raihan in 1962, and had two sons. During this time, she also converted to Islam, and changed her name to Nilufar Begum, even though she continued to be known by her stage name. The marriage ended in tragedy as Raihan disappeared in January 1972 at the end of Bangladesh Liberation War and assumed to be killed. Sumita Devi became an active artist for the Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendro (Independent Bengal Radio Station) during the Bangladesh Liberation War. She also acted in many television dramas. Her last appearance in film before death was in Phulkumar (2001). Sumita Devi died on 6 January 2004 and was buried at the Mirpur Martyred Intellectual Graveyard in state honor. She was awarded the All Pakistan Critic Award in 1962, Nigar Prize in 1963. After the independence, she received the Bangladesh Film Journalist Association Award and the Television Reporters Association of Bangladesh Award, the Agartala Muktijoddha Award (2002), 'Janakantha Gunijan and Prativa Sammanona' (2002) and also awarded by Chalachitram Film Society in 2002.