Chhabi Biswas

Chhabi Biswas was an Indian actor and director who was active in the Bengali film industry from the 1930s to the 1960s. He was born in Choto Jagulia, a village near Kolkata, on 12 July 1900. His father, Bhupendra Nath Biswas, was a zamindar and a philanthropist. His mother gave him the nickname Chhabi, meaning a beautiful picture, which became his stage name. He was initially named Sachindranath, but later changed it to Chhabi. He studied at the Hindu School and the Presidency College in Kolkata, where he developed an interest in theatre. He joined several amateur theatre groups and impressed the audiences with his performances. He made his professional debut in a play called Samaj in 1926. He continued to act in plays and jatras, such as Nader Nimai, Shoroshi, Sita, Kedar Roy, and Shahjehan. He also became a theatre director and producer. He made his film debut in 1936 in Annapurnar Mandir, directed by Tinkari Chakraborty. He played the role of Bishu, the husband of the heroine. He soon became a regular actor in films produced by the New Theatres, such as Chokher Bali, Nimai Sannyas, Pratisruti, and Nartaki. He was known for his naturalistic and versatile acting style, and his ability to portray a wide range of characters. He played both lead and supporting roles, and often portrayed the aristocratic patriarch or the feudal zamindar. He also directed two films, Pratikar and Jaar Jetha Ghar, which were based on stories by Premendra Mitra. He worked with some of the most prominent directors and actors of his time, such as Debaki Bose, Bimal Roy, Tapan Sinha, Satyajit Ray, Uttam Kumar, Suchitra Sen, and Kanan Devi. He acted in more than 250 films in his career, and some of his most memorable films are Kabuliwala, Jalsaghar, Devi, Kanchenjungha, Parash Pathar, and Saptapadi. He received national and international acclaim for his performances, especially in the films of Satyajit Ray. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1960 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1961 for his contribution to Indian cinema. He was also a philanthropist and a social worker, and served as the president of the Cine Artistes Association. He died in a car accident on 11 June 1962, at the age of 61. He was cremated at the Naktala crematorium in Kolkata. He is regarded as one of the finest actors ever to have graced the Bengali silver screen, and his legacy lives on in his films and his fans.