One of Indian cinema's greatest actresses, Sharmila Tagore was more into dancing while growing up than acting. However, destiny had some other plans for her!
What I admire most about Sharmila Tagore is that she has never followed conventions - whether those of the Hindi film industry or society in general. Throughout her career, she has excelled in every kind of cinema, from arthouse masterpieces (especially those directed by Satyajit Ray) where she showcased her versatility to mainstream Bollywood films (particularly from the 60s and 70s) where it was all about her glamour. While reigning supreme as a leading lady in Hindi cinema, she often made bold choices, breaking free from stereotypes. And even today, at the age of 80, she is equally passionate about cinema and is taking on one interesting project after another. Last year, she left us in awe with her performance in 'Gulmohar', while recently, she made heads turn with her presence at the prestigious 55th International Film Festival of India (IFFI).
Born on December 8, 1944, Sharmila Tagore made her debut with Satyajit Ray's 'Apur Sansar', at the age of 14. Just see her effortless performance in the acclaimed Bengali epic drama, and you'll feel that she had been preparing for screen acting for a long before. However, quite surprisingly, she never actually aspired to become an actress. It just happened accidentally - and that's why the veteran often calls herself an "accidental actress".
Satyajit Ray’s 'The Apu Trilogy'
— Film History Pics (@FilmHistoryPic) December 7, 2017
(1959) Sharmila Tagore in 'Apur Sansar' pic.twitter.com/HmPOTUfIah
(Credit: Film History Pics)
Today, on her 80th birthday, let's learn the story behind that.
Sharmila Tagore grew up in a culturally rich environment (as you may already know, she comes from the prestigious 'Tagore family' of Kolkata). She was inclined towards performing arts in her childhood and wanted to become a professional dancer. In her words, "I had no such aspirations of becoming an actress. I actually wanted to go to Shanti Niketan. I wanted to be a dancer."
However, as already mentioned, destiny had better plans for her. Through circumstances, she was introduced to the maestro filmmaker, Satyajit Ray, who later cast her in his 1959 film, 'Apur Sansar'. As the actress shared in an interview with critic Subhash K Jha, "My life changed when I was introduced to Satyajit Ray. It was acting for me thereafter. But I kept telling myself I’d quit after every film. I saw myself in my first Hindi film Kashmir Ki Kali and I didn’t like myself. I said, one more film and I’m done. But it continued."
A still from Satyajit Ray’s ‘Apur Sansar’ featuring Soumitra Chatterjee and Sharmila Tagore
In that same interview, she also said, "You have to appreciate the fact that acting is not the be-all-end-all of my life. There is so much more to life. In any case, unlike Jaya (Bachchan) or Shabana (Azmi), who went to acting school, I was an accidental actress. I remember seeing Jaya at age 13 with her father, the distinguished journalist Tarun Kumar Bhaduri. Even at that age, she was decked up, a rose in her hair, and so on. She was very enamored of the camera. She was destined to be an actress."
Before 'Apur Sansar', Satyajit Ray had already become a world-renowned filmmaker, thanks to his previous films like 'Pather Panchali' and 'Aparajito'. For this film, the third installment in his 'Apu Trilogy', he cast a new actor named Soumitra Chatterjee and was looking for a fresh face for the leading lady. And thanks to circumstances, he happened to notice a teenager Sharmila Tagore.
Satyajit Ray - The Maestro
As the actress later shared in an interview, "I was a schoolgirl then. Manik da (Ray) got in touch with my father and asked him if I would be interested in working on his forthcoming film, Apur Sansar. My father readily agreed because Satyajit Ray was already a world-renowned filmmaker. Middle-class Bengalis loved his films."
Satyajit Ray directing Sharmila Tagore and Soumitra Chatterjee in Days and Nights in the Forest, 1969. pic.twitter.com/pp7WOVgpVX
— High On Films (@highonfilms__) July 15, 2018
(Credit: High On Films)
The actress's father was initially apprehensive about her working in cinema, as he thought it would hamper her studies. And she did have to leave school at that time as the principal disapproved of her choice. However, upon the film's theatrical release in 1959, she emerged as an overnight sensation like no other.
After 'Apur Sansar', there was simply no looking back for her. In 1960, she reunited with Ray for the lead role in 'Devi', where her portrayal of Doyamoyee earned enormous acclaim from all across the world. Then she went on to appear in Bengali films like 'Shes Anko', 'Nirjan Saikate', 'Barnali', 'Chhaya Shurjo', 'Subha O Debatar Gras', and 'Kinu Gowalar Gali'.
“मुझे देवता बनाकर तेरी चाहतों ने पूजा
— Film History Pics (@FilmHistoryPic) May 22, 2018
मेरा प्यार कह रहा है, मैं तुझे ख़ुदा बना दूँ
(1973) Rajesh Khanna and Sharmila Tagore in ‘Daag’. pic.twitter.com/oxnHRhjvtu
(Credit: Film History Pics)
In 1964, she made her Bollywood debut with Shakti Samanta's romance drama, 'Kashmir Ki Kali', starring opposite Shammi Kapoor. It was a massive success, establishing her as a star of Hindi cinema. And she only grew stronger with her subsequent releases, such as 'Waqt', 'Anupama', 'Aradhana', 'Daag', 'Chupke Chupke', 'Amar Prem', and 'Mausam' among others.
Happy Birthday, Sharmila Ji. You Are An Inspiration For Us!
