Rani Bala

A major stage and film actress of Bengal, Ranibala's origin, like that of most of her contemporaries was in the red light areas of Calcutta. She entered films with Bilwamangal in 1933 and played heroine (Chintamani) in her very first appearance. Her sweet voice made her an automatic choice for singing roles in films as well as the stage. Her films included Bekar Nashan, Gora (1938), Sarbajanin Bibahotsab (1938), Haranidhi, Taruni (1934), Prafulla, Talkie of Talkies (1937) to name a few. Towards the end of her career, Satyajit Ray took her services for _Aparajito (1957)_ and The Philosopher's Stone (1958), the latter being her last major work where she also sang for herself. Ranibala has a good number of gramophone records to her credit. She died young in 1956 when she was only 42. Apart from being a remarkable actress and singer, she is remembered for her warm and friendly nature.