Biography
Who is Aparna Sen?
Early life and background
Aparna Sen was born in Kolkata, India. Her family originally came from Cox's Bazar in the Chittagong District, which is now located in Bangladesh. Her father, Chidananda Dasgupta, was a veteran film critic and director. Her mother, Supriya Dasgupta, worked as a costume designer and received a National Film Award for her work on the film Amodini. She is the niece of the Bengali poet Jibanananda Das.
She spent her childhood living in Hazaribagh and Kolkata. For her schooling, she attended the Modern High School for Girls in Ballygunge, Kolkata. She later enrolled at Presidency College to pursue a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. However, she did not complete this course of study.
Acting career
She began her entertainment career at the age of fifteen after being photographed for a 1960 series by Brian Brake. These images appeared on the cover of Life magazine. Her debut in motion pictures occurred at age sixteen when she played the role of Mrinmoyee in the Samapti segment of the 1961 film Teen Kanya, directed by her father's longtime friend Satyajit Ray. She later appeared in other films by Ray, including Jana Aranya and Pikoo.
In 1965, she acted in the Mrinal Sen movie Akash Kusum. Throughout the 1970s, Aparna Sen became an essential part of the Bengali film industry, starring in popular features such as Memsaheb and Basanta Bilap. Her work also extended into Hindi cinema, where she appeared in projects like Imaan Dharam, Ek Din Achanak, and Ghaath. In 2009, she acted in the film Antaheen alongside Sharmila Tagore and Rahul Bose. She also appeared in the 2019 films Bohomaan and Basu Poribar.
Directing and writing
She made her debut as a writer and director with the 1981 film 36 Chowringhee Lane. Produced by Shashi Kapoor, the movie received critical acclaim and earned her a National Film Award for Best Direction. In 2011, she released the film Iti Mrinalini, which was well-known for incorporating a screenplay that was an assignment in a film school curriculum.
Her filmography includes the 2013 movie Goynar Baksho, which depicted three generations of women. She also directed the 2015 film Arshinagar, which adapted the story of Romeo and Juliet. In 2017, she wrote and directed the English film Sonata, centered on three middle-aged unmarried friends. Her 2021 Hindi film titled The Rapist starred her daughter Konkona Sen Sharma and actor Arjun Rampal. This project was nominated for the Kim Jiseok award at the Busan International Film Festival.
Editorial work and awards
Beyond filmmaking, she served as the editor of the Bengali women's magazine Sananda from 1986 until 2005. She was also the Creative Director for the Kolkata TV channel between 2005 and 2006. Later, she edited the magazine Paroma until it closed in 2013. She also launched a short-lived magazine called Prathama Ekhon.
The Government of India honored her with the Padma Shri in 1987 for her contributions to the arts. She has received many other accolades, including various National Film Awards and Filmfare Awards East. She has also served on juries for several international film festivals, including events in Moscow, Ladakh, and the Asia Pacific Screen Awards.
Birthday and age
Aparna Sen was born on October 25, 1945, which makes Aparna 81 years old today. That birthday falls under the Scorpio sign. Aparna shares the date with 35 other famous people.
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