Keya Chakraborty

Keya Chakraborty (1942-1977) was a legendary Bengali actress who performed in various shows and dramas. Keya worked in Bengali movies such as Pranoypasha (1978), Jiban je rakam (1979), and Je jekhane danriye (1974). Apart from being a great actor, Keya was a very kind and generous being. Her acts were praised by many people, mentioning that Keya was such a beautiful soul that she never hesitated to help those in need. When she got to know an innocent young man was injured, she immediately alone rushed at midnight to provide care to the man. Once she gave her woollen wrapper to an old man who was shivering in the cold while returning from the shoot on a rainy day. These are only a few of the many reasons why she was praised and loved by everyone.

Keya emerged as a brilliant actress by acting in the plays produced by the Nandikar group on the Bengali stage, including Tin Poisar Pala, Bhalomanush (Bengali version of Brecht’s Threepenny Opera), and Good Person of Szechwan, and the Bengali rendition of Antigone. Once again, her selflessness showed when Keya mortgaged her jewellery and sought loans in the time of crisis for the Nandikar group. Keya was so ethical that she resigned from her teaching job at the Scottish Church College when she realized she couldn’t devote enough time to teaching because of acting. After resigning, she was in charge of publicity for her drama group.

Unfortunately, Keya died mysteriously while shooting for a Bengali film Jeevan Jey Rakam (Life as it is) when she jumped into the river Ganges for a particular scene where she was playing the role of a blind mother. The current washed her away and later she was found with multiple injuries. The great Indian playwright, Badal Sarkar, portrayed Keya’s personality after her death. He showed her character as she was free, energetic, bold, and expressed herself not caring about the displeasure it invited from the people. Sarkar mentioned how meticulously Keya prepared for the Bengali play, Micchil (Procession), a famous Bengali play written by Sarkar. This play was collectively performed in small groups in the Curzon Park of central Calcutta to protest against the killing of Prabir Dutta, a young man. An edited book by Debesh Chattopadhyay Debesh Chattopadhyay is a renowned Indian personal >> Read More... bearing the title Keya has been published, a reprint of the special issue of a little magazine dedicated to Keya, published in 1995, 18 years after her death. The book makes one conscious of the lost world.