Moushumi Chatterjee tied the knot with Jayant Mukherjee at 15, became a mother at 17, and went on to become one of the highest-paid actresses in Hindi and Bengali cinema.
From Kareena Kapoor Khan to Alia Bhatt, many actresses are starring in box office hits even after becoming mothers. However, one such actress did it in the 1960s. She made her successful debut at 15, got married shortly after, became a mother at 17, and then went on to become one of the most successful stars in Hindi and Bengali cinema. She is none other than Moushumi Chatterjee.
Born in 1952 as Indira Chatterjee, Moushumi made her debut as the child actress in the 1967 Bengali film Balika Badhu and became an overnight star. Despite her first film becoming a blockbuster, she wanted to continue her studies but she married Jayanta Mukherjee, the son of the legendary Indian music director and singer Hemant Kumar, at her family’s request.
Talking about the same in an interview with Lehren Retro, the actress said, “My father was very close to his elder sister and she was in the last stage of cancer. Her last wish was to see me getting married. So, my father-in-law suggested that the wedding should happen. I even skipped my exams. I also got a film around the same time. Everything was just falling into place.”
Her second Bengali film Parineeta hit theatres in 1969 and became even bigger hit, which led to her making her Bollywood debut with the 1972 film Anuraag. Moushumi didn’t realise how successful she had became as she further said, “At the age of 17, I became a mother. I got my own Mercedes. I didn’t even understand the meaning of success at that time. I just used to get happy seeing my face on the big screen.”
In the 70s, she rose to become one of the highest-paid actresses in Bollywood, delivering hit after hit. By the 80s, she began taking on supporting roles in both Hindi and Bengali cinema. One of her most iconic performances came in 1991 with Rajkumar Santoshi’s Ghayal, where she portrayed Sunny Deol’s sister-in-law. According to reports, one day Sunny arrived late on set and spent time talking on the phone, which greatly annoyed Moushumi. She reportedly scolded him, even advising him not to tarnish his father Dharmendra’s reputation. It’s said that Sunny apologised to her and became more disciplined on sets after this incident.
Her blunt and outspoken nature led to the actress being replaced in several films. In an interview with the same portal, Moushumi shared how she was replaced in Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Desh Premee and Barsaat Ki Ek Raat despite having already signed on for both. “I signed them, but then I was out of the picture. I never compromise. I was expected to be a ‘yes woman’ to everything, and I can’t do that,” she explained.
Chatterjee’s last Bollywood film was Shoojit Sircar’s 2015 drama Piku, where she appeared alongside Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, and the late Irrfan Khan. She continues to act in Bengali cinema.
