Debashree Roy

Born	13 June 1961 (age 53) Kolkata, India
Occupation	Actress

Debashree Roy (Bengali: দেবশ্রী রায়; born 13 June 1961) is an Indian Bengali actress, politician and social activist. She acted in more than 100 films and has won 40 awards, including a National Film Award for Best Actress for the film Unishe April in 1995.In some of her films as a child actress she used the screen name Kumari Chumki. She acted with the screen-name Chintamani in Tamil film industry.^{[citation needed]}

Early life

Roy was born to Birendra Kishore Roy and Arati Roy of Kolkata, West Bengal and was brought up there. At the age of 5, she acted in the movie Pagol Thakur (1967), directed by Hirammoy Sen.^{[citation needed]} In 1969, she appeared as a child artist in the movie Balak Gadadhar. In these films, she was credited by the name Kumari Chumki.^{:Debashree_Roy} Then, at the age of 9, she appeared in the movie Kuheli (inspired by Rebecca) directed by Tarun Majumdar.

She was a student of Apeejay School, Park Street branch but did not continue with her studies for long, because of her knack for dancing and acting. She is a well-known Odissi dancer. She started her dancing career as a stage performer in her early years. She took her dancing lessons from her mother, her elder sister Purnima Roy, Bandana Sen and Kelucharan Mahapatra. She had her own dance group Nataraj.

Career

Roy was very successful in Bengali films landing important lead roles in commercial as well as parallel cinema. The high point of her career was her National Award winning role of a young doctor from a dysfunctional family in the Rituparno Ghosh film Unishe April. In the televised version of the Indian epic Mahabharata, directed by B.R.Chopra, she portrayed the role of Satyavati, second wife of the king Shantanu of Hastinapur, stepmother of Gangaputra Bheeshma, and mother of Chitrangada and Vichitravirya.

As a female lead she first appeared in the film Nadi Theke Sagare directed by Arabinda Mukhopdhay opposite Mithun Chakraborty.^{[citation needed]} She also acted as lead opposite to Prem Nazir in the Malayalam Movie "Ee Ganam Marakkumo" (1978). Her other major films were Dadar Kirti by Tarun Majumdar, 36 Chowringhee Lane by Aparna Sen, Unishe April by Rituporno Ghosh, Kabhi Ajnabi The, Poolwari, Jiyo to Ayese Jio, Mamta Ki Chhao Mein, Justice Choudury etc. She won the National Award for the Best Actress in the year 1996 for Unishe April.

Politics

Debashree, currently a Member of the Legislative Assembly from All India Trinamool Congress, successfully contested the West Bengal assembly elections 2011 against CPI(M) candidate and former minister Kanti Ganguly, from the Raidighi.

Personal life

She was married to Bengali actor Prasenjit Chatterjee for a brief period. She is the maternal aunt of Bollywood actress Rani Mukherjee.

Filmography

• Antore Bahire (2012)
• Life in Park Street (2012)
• Jibon Rang Berang (2011)
• Sukhno Lonka (2010)
• Abaidha (2002) (The Demolition Man)
• Antarghaat (2002)
• Dekha (2001)
• Ek Je Aachhe Kanya (2000) (Rupa The Girl)
• Swami Vivekananda(1898 film) as Sarada Devi
• Asukh (1999) (Malaise)
• Unishe April (1994) (19 April)
• Aparanher Alo (1989) (Twilight)
• Mahabharat TV Series as Satyavati
• Manaivi Ready (1986)
• Kabhi Ajnabi The (1985)
• Bhalobasa Bhalobasa (1985)
• Phulwari (1984)
• Bishabriksha (1983)
• 36 Chowringhee Lane (1981)
• Jiyo To Aise Jiyo (1981)
• Dadar Kirti (1980)
• Ee Ganam Marakkumo (Malayalam) (1978)

Awards

• Kalakar Awards
• National Award-1994