Ruma Guha Thakurta

Ruma Guha Thakurta (born 3 November 1934 – 3 June 2019) was an Indian actress and singer primarily associated with Bengali language films.[1][2] She founded Calcutta Youth Choir in 1958.

Ruma Guha Thakurta
Born
Ruma Ghosh

(1934-11-03)3 November 1934
Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India
Died3 June 2019(2019-06-03) (aged 84)
Kolkata, West Bengal, India
Occupation
  • Actress
  • singer
Relatives
Kishore Kumar
(m. 1951; div. 1958)

Arup Guha Thakurta
(m. 1960, his death)
Musical career
GenresFilm music
InstrumentsVocalist
Years active1944–2019

Early life

Thakurta was born on 3 November 1934[3] to Satyen Ghosh (Monty Ghosh) and singer Sati Devi. Thakurta's family was culturally inclined to Brahmo Samaj, a societal component of Brahmoism. Sati was a trained vocalist and elder sister to Bijoya Ray, wife of Satyajit Ray. Thakurta began as a dancer. Later, she went to Almora Academy of Uday Shankar at Lahore to study dance. She started training in music at Swarabitan in Kolkata, which had been established by her parents. In later years, she studied under Abdul Rehman Khan of Patiala gharana, the Ustad of Nirmla Devi and Lakshmi Shankar in Bombay.

She married Kishore Kumar in 1951 and had a son Amit Kumar by this marriage. The couple divorced in 1958 and she married Arup Guha Thakurta in 1960.[4] The couple had two children, Ayan and Sramana. Sramana is also a singer.

Career

Thakurta made her acting debut in Amiya Chakravarty's Jwar Bhata (1944)[5] at age ten. This was the debut film of Dilip Kumar. Her next film as Ruma Ghosh was Nitin Bose's Mashaal (1950) in Hindi, which had a Bengali version called Samar, adapted from Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay's novel Rajani.[6] She portrayed a blind girl, Sarla.

After her divorce, Ruma moved to Calcutta to act in Rajen Tarafdar’s Ganga based on Samaresh Bose’s eponymous cult novel. She acted as one of two leading ladies, with Sandhya Roy.[7] Ganga won the National award for Best Feature Film that year and Ruma's portrayal of Himi received critical acclamation. In the same year, she acted in Personal Assistant opposite to Bhanu Bandopadhayay and in Khaniker Atithi by Tapan Sinha.

Her film career revived in 1962 with Benarasi, produced by her and directed by her husband. It was the tale of a courtesan who tries to lead a life of dignity and respect, when her childhood sweetheart, Ratan, takes her away from her terrible environment. It flopped, but won the BFJA Award for Best Feature Film the following year.

Filmography

As an actress
YearTitleRoleDirectorLanguageNotes
1944Jwar BhataAmiya ChakrvartyHindi
1950MashaalSarala DasNitin BoseHindi[8][9]
AfsarChetan AnandHindi
1952Rag RangDigvijayRuma DeviHindi
1959Personal AssistantRumali SenChitrakar Bengali(as Ruma Devi)
Khaniker AtithiMitaTapan SinhaBengali(as Ruma Ganguly)
GangaRajen TarafdarHimiBengali
1960BenarasiSonaArup GuhathakurtaBengali
1962Banarasi
AbhijanNeeliSatyajit RayBengali
Benarasi
1963PolatakMoynaTarun MajumderBengali
Nirjan SaikateChhoto BouTapan SinhaBengali
1964Kinu Gowalar GaliTheater ActressO. C GangulyBengali
Subha O Debatar Gras
Sindoore Megh
Prabhater RangAjoy KarBengali
1966Joradighir Chowdhury ParibarAjit LahiriBengali
1967Antony FiringeeJogweshwariSunil BannerjeeBengali
Balika BadhuTarun MajumdarBengali
Ashite AshionaBengali
1968Hangsa MithunBengali
Garh NasimpurBengali
PanchasharArup GuhathakurtaBengali
BaghiniBijoy BoseBengali
1969Arogya NiketanPradyot's motherBijoy BoseBengali
1973Nishi Kanya
1974Jadi JantemRanu BasuYatrikBengali
1976BairaagPushpaAsit SenHindi
1979Dour
1980Dadar KirtiSaraswati, Beena's MotherTarun MajumdarBengali
Bandhan
198136 Chowringhee LaneNandita's MotherEnglish
Swami StreeBengali
Maa Bipat Tarini Chandi
1982TroyeeBengali
Amrita Kumbher SandhaneBengali
1983SamarpitaBengali
1984Paar
Didi
1985Bhalobasa BhalobasaKeya's MotherBengali
1986Anurager ChhonyaBengali
Amar SangiJhilik's MotherSujit GuhaBengali
1987GayokShantanu Bhowmick
Ekanto Apon
1988Agun
Tumi Koto Sundar
AagoonVictor BanerjeeBengali
1989GanashatruMaya GuptaSatyajit RayBengali
Asha O BhalobashaRoopa's MotherSujit GuhaBengali
AakroshSamrat's Foster MotherSujit GuhaBengali
1990Anuraag
Garmil
Papi
Abhishkar
1991Path O PrasadBengali
Bidhilipi
1992IndrajitAnjan ChoudhuryBengali
1994Wheel ChairSushmita's MotherTapan Sinha
1995SangharshaHaranath ChakrabortyBengali
1996HimgharBengali
1998Choudhury Paribar
2000MalabadalRaj MukherjeeBengali
2006The NamesakeAshoke's MotherEnglish(final film role)

As a playback singer
YearTitle
1958Lukochuri
1963Barnali
Polatak
1961Tin Konya
1966Joradighir Chowdhury Paribar
1967Antony Firingee
1968Baghini
1970Bakso Badal
1974Jodi Jantem
1976Mera Dharam Meri Maa
1982Amrita Kumbher Sandhane

Awards
  • BFJA Awards (1964) for Best Actress in supporting role – Palatak

See also
  • List of notable Calcuttans

References
  1. "Read about 4 wives of Kishore Kumar". indiatvnews.com. March 2016. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  2. "4 Weddings And More: The Women In Kishore Kumar's Life". mansworldindia.com. 3 August 2017. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  3. "Actress Ruma Guha Thakurta, Kishore Kumar's first wife, dies at 84 in Kolkata". India Today. 3 June 2019. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  4. "Bappi Lahiri catches up with Kishore Kumar s wives Ruma Guha Thakurta and Leena Chandavarkar". mid-day. 25 February 2018. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  5. "Jwar Bhata (1944) – Review, Star Cast, News, Photos". Cinestaan. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  6. "Manaivi Ready (1987) – Review, Star Cast, News, Photos". Cinestaan. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
  7. Sarkar, Roushni. "Sandhya Roy, Debashree Roy grateful for their mentoring by co-artiste Ruma Guha Thakurta". cinestaan.com. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
  8. "Mashal (1950) – Review, Star Cast, News, Photos | Cinestaan". Cinestaan. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  9. "Mashal". osianama.com. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
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