Shakuntala Barua

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Shakuntala Barua
শকুন্তলা বড়ুয়া
Born (1947-04-22) April 22, 1947 (age 78)
Calcutta, West Bengal, India
Occupation(s)Actress, singer
Years active1973–present

Shakuntala Barua (born 22 April 1947) is an Indian actress and singer who has worked predominantly in Bengali cinema, along with occasional roles in Assamese and Hindi films. In a career spanning more than five decades, she has appeared in a wide range of films, from family melodramas and social dramas to parallel cinema and recent commercial successes. Known for her portrayals of strong matriarchs and emotionally intense characters, she is regarded as one of the senior-most character actresses of modern Bengali cinema. [1]

Contents

Early life

Barua was born in Calcutta (now Kolkata), West Bengal, on 22 April 1947. [2] She was drawn to music and theatre from an early age. She trained in Rabindra Sangeet and classical music under renowned exponents Suchitra Mitra, Dilip Kumar Roy, and Krishna Chattopadhyay. [3]

Career

Early years

Her first screen appearance is variously reported. Some sources credit her with a lead role in the Assamese feature film Anutaap (1973), [4] while others identify her Bengali breakthrough opposite Uttam Kumar in Sunayani (1979). [5] [6]

Prominence (1980s–1990s)

During the 1980s and 1990s, Barua became a familiar screen presence. She acted in the action drama Shatru (1984), [7] Aparna Sen’s acclaimed Paroma (1985), [8] and Rituparno Ghosh’s Dahan (1997), which won the National Film Award for Best Screenplay. [9]

She appeared in both commercial hits and artistic ventures, balancing roles as affectionate mothers, stern guardians, and supportive figures in family-centric narratives.

Later and recent work

In the 2000s and 2010s, Barua continued working in notable projects. Her credits include Pitribhumi (2007), Sedin Dekha Hoyechilo (2010), Alik Sukh (2013), Gogoler Kirti (2014), Sahaj Paather Gappo / Colours of Innocence (2016), Ahaa Re (2019), and the popular Tonic (2021). [10] [11]

In a 2021 interview, she reflected on the challenges of aging as an actress but emphasized her gratitude for opportunities to work in meaningful projects. [12]

Singing career

Alongside acting, Barua recorded several music albums. Her Rabindra Sangeet album Puja Amar Sango Holo (1994) remains available on Apple Music and Spotify. [13] [14]

Personal life

Barua’s daughter, Rajoshi (Piloo) Vidyarthi, is also active in the arts as an actor and singer. [15]

Awards and honours

Filmography

Films

YearTitleRoleLanguageNotesRef(s)
1973AnutaapAssameseEarly appearance [18]
1977Sandhya RaagBengali [19]
1979SunayaniBengaliOpposite Uttam Kumar [20] [21]
1981SahebBengali
1984ShatruBengali [22]
1985Paroma (Parama)BengaliAparna Sen film [23]
1987Guru DakshinaBengali
1989Aamar TumiBengali
1989SatiBengali
1989Asha O BhalobashaBengali
1989Chokher AloyBengali
1989Tufan (Toofan)Bengali
1990BadnamBengali
1990DebataBengali
1990Ekhane Aamar SwargaBengali
1992Hirer AngtiBengali
1992GunjanBengali
1992MonikanchanBengali
1992Pratham DekhaBengali
1992Bedenir PremBengali
1994Tumi Je AmarJoyeeta HaldarBengali
1994SarbojayaBengali
1994Dhusar GodhuliBengali
1997Manasha KanyaBengali
1997DabidarBengali
1997DahanJhinuk’s motherBengaliNational Award-winning film
1998Sagar BanyaBengali
1998Atmiyo SwajanBengali
1999Yugavatar LokenathBengali
2001ParinatiBengali
2001Shesh AshrayBengali
2001Srimoti BhayonkoriBengali
2003BiswasghatakBengali
2006NayakBengali
2007PitribhumiBengali
2009Moner AjanteBengali
2010Sedin Dekha HoyechiloBengali
2010BejanmaBengali
2011Ami Montri HoboBengali
2012Aaro Kachha KachhiBengali
2012AmritaBengali
2012Phire Eso TumiBengali
2013Chaap – The PressureBengali
2013Alik Sukh – A Tale of Fleeting HappinessBengali
2014Gogoler KirtiBengali
2016Sahaj Paather Gappo / Colours of InnocenceLakshmi GrannyBengaliCritically acclaimed
2019Ahaa ReDebiBengali
2021TonicUma SenBengaliPopular commercial hit

Television

YearsTitleRoleNetworkRef(s)
2012–2014Bodhu Kon Alo Laaglo ChokheNonibalaStar Jalsha [24]
2016–2017RaadhaGrandmotherZee Bangla [25]
2018–2019BhoomikanyaStar Jalsha [26]
2019Eka Noi EkannobortiAakash Aath [27]
n/aKurukshetraAakash Aath [28]

Discography

References

  1. "Shakuntala Barua – filmography". BookMyShow. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  2. "Bulbul Mukherjee Smriti Puraskar – Citation note on Shakuntala Barua". Overman Foundation. 7 May 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  3. "Bulbul Mukherjee Smriti Puraskar – Citation note on Shakuntala Barua". Overman Foundation (WordPress). 7 May 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  4. "Anutaap (1973)". Moviebuff. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  5. "Sunayani (1979)". MUBI. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  6. "Sunayani – release and cast". Bengal Film Archive. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  7. "Shatru (1984)". Letterboxd. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  8. "Paroma (1985) – cast list". The Hindu. 26 June 2015. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  9. "Dahan (1997) – cast". TV Guide. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  10. "Shakuntala Barua – credits overview". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  11. "Shakuntala Barua – filmography". Plex. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  12. দত্ত, নবনীতা (15 December 2021). কাজ নেই, বসে আছি, এটা যন্ত্রণাদায়ক [“No work and sitting idle is painful”]. Anandabazar Patrika. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  13. "Puja Amar Sango Holo – Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  14. "Puja Amar Sango Holo (1994)". Spotify. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  15. "Veteran actress Shakuntala Barua's daughter Rajoshi is also an actor and singer". The Times of India. 26 May 2023. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  16. "Veteran actress Shakuntala Barua gets 'Mahanayak Samman 2017'". Business Standard (PTI). 24 July 2017. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  17. "Events – Bulbul Mukherjee Smriti Puraskar 2016". Overman Foundation. 7 May 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  18. "Anutaap (1973)". Moviebuff. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  19. "Shakuntala Barua – filmography". BookMyShow. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  20. "Sunayani – release, cast". Bengal Film Archive. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  21. "Sunayani (1979) cast". MUBI. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  22. "Shatru (1984)". Letterboxd. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  23. "Paroma (1985) – cast list". The Hindu. 26 June 2015. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  24. "Bodhu Kon Alo Laaglo Chokhe". Wikipedia. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  25. "Raadha (TV series) – cast". Wikipedia. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  26. "Star Jalsha – former broadcast (Bhoomikanya)". Wikipedia. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  27. "New TV serial 'Eka Noi Ekanyaborti' to start soon". The Times of India. 29 December 2018. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  28. "Kurukshetra – synopsis & cast". Nettv4u. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  29. "Puja Amar Sango Holo – Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  1. দত্ত, নবনীতা (15 December 2021). কাজ নেই, বসে আছি, এটা যন্ত্রণাদায়ক. Anandabazar Patrika (in Bengali).