Maker Of Her Own Destiny

She doesn’t suffer fools, and believes in looking ahead than dwelling on the past. The fiercely independent and immensely graceful Tanuja gets candid with Hemchhaya De.

- Hemchhaya De

One look at the yesteryear Bollywood sweetheart, and the scorching heat and chaotic traffic of a Kolkata afternoon were forgotten. Sporting a vibrant green silk sari and her signature string of pearls, the ever-elegant Tanuja was at ease answering our questions, in fact teaching us a thing or two about life. She was in the city for the promotion of her new Bengali film, Sonar Pahar, directed by acclaimed actor Parambrata Chatterjee (of Kahaani fame), marking her comeback in Bengali cinema. The added charm is of being paired on screen with celebrated actor Soumitra Chatterjee once again. To both young and old cine-goers in Bengal, the pair of Soumitra-Tanuja remains an evergreen one, of unforgettable romantic hits such as Teen Bhubaner Pare (1969) and Pratham Kadam Phool (1970).

Star, kid

Born in Bombay on September 23, 1943, to actor Shobhana Samarth and director Kumarsen Samarth, Tanuja became a star at the age of five when she faced the camera for her parents’ home production, Hamari Beti, which also launched her elder sister, Nutan—a legendary actor in her own right. A few years ago in an interview with Filmfare, Tanuja shared, “Didi was an excellent actress. Whereas I had no concentration. I learnt by just watching her films. Her demeanour, the way she interpreted the character was impressive.”