Top 10 Bengali Theatre Actors Who Made It Big In Movies: From Stage To Screen

Bengal has never failed to impress India with its immense contribution to tradition and culture. Not only the country, but it has also made the world fall in awe of its cultural authenticity. Bengali theatre is one of the art forms that continue to uphold the intellectual essence of the state. They say that the theatre culture is dying due to the introduction of other faster communication mediums. But this oldest form of expressing emotions could not be suppressed by the film industry in Bengal because the screen owes it to the stage for gifting it with masterpieces. Scroll down to read about some of the best theatre actors without whom the film industry would have failed to flourish!

1. Soumitra Chatterjee Soumitra Chatterjee was born on January 19, 1935, >> Read More...

Usually known as the favorite cast of the Oscar accolated film director Satyajit Ray Biographies reveal bare details about the maverick >> Read More... , Chatterjee marked India on the global cinema map. He was a thespian of rare artistic integrity. He was doing theatre even at the height of his stardom. His acting in the rendition of King Lear, a Shakespeare tragedy by Suman Mukherjee, brought him recognition as a veteran theatre artist. Chatterjee brought a modern style of acting inspired by the different theatre movements across the world and foreign plays. He had an excellent caliber of adapting plays and Indianizing the text. His other successful works on stage include Tiktiki (Bengali adaptation of Sleuth by Anthony Shaffer), Raajkumar (Bengali adaptation of The Big Knife by Clifford Odets), and many more!

2. Swatilekha Sengupta Swatilekha Sengupta is an actress. She was born on >> Read More...

A well-known theatre personality, Swatilekha Sengupta is also remembered as the lead female protagonist in Ghare Baire, a masterpiece film by Satyajit Ray. The veteran actress was known more for her plays than for her films. In 2011, she received the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and Paschim Banga Natya Akademi Award for her contributions to Indian theatre as an actor. When she moved to Kolkata in 1978, Sengupta joined a theatre group called Nandikar that has been a forerunner in regional and national theatre. Some of her notable performances include Kanyadan, Gotroheen, and Pheriwalar Mrityu.

3. Sabitri Chatterjee Sabitri Chatterjee is an Indian actress. She has m >> Read More...

A living legend from the Golden Age of Bengali cinema, Chatterjee was honored with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, Banga Bibhushan Award, and Padma Shri Award for her enormous contributions to Indian theatre and Cinema. Sabitri is usually known for her screen partnerships with the legendary Bengali actor Uttam Kumar Uttam Kumar was matinee idol of Bengali cinema. He >> Read More... . Along with the actor, she gave many box office hits with movies like Nishipadmo, Bhranti Bilash, Dhonyi Meye, and many more. Starting her acting career only to support her family financially, Sabitri joined a theatre group called Uttar Sarathi. There she performed in the play, Natun Yehudi. While acting in the comedy film Pasher Bari, her delicately charming acting skills caught the attention of Uttam Kumar.

4. Utpal Dutta

A pioneering figure in Modern Indian theatre, Utpal Dutta founded the Little Theatre Group in 1949, which enacted many English plays by Shakespeare and Brecht. Mostly his plays expressed Marxist ideologies such as Kallol, Manusher Adhikar, Tiner Toloar, and Maha-Bidroha. He is usually known for his roles in films such as Bhuvan Shome, Agantuk, and Gol Maal (Hindi comedy by Hrishikesh Mukherjee Hrishikesh Mukherjee is a film director, writer an >> Read More... ). Dutta owns a career span of 40 years as he enacted in over 100 Bengali and Hindi films. He received the National Film Award for Best Actor in 1970 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship by the Sangeet Natak Akademi for his lifetime contribution to theatre.

5. Rabi Ghosh Rabi Ghosh, conceived on 24 November 1931, was an >> Read More...

Founder of the theatre group Chalachal, Ghosh was awarded the Ultorath Award for his outstanding performance in the play Angar. This veteran Bengali actor was well-versed in slapstick comedy. Satyajit Ray cast him as Bagha in Goopy Gayen Bagha Bayen because of his perfect comic timings. Eventually, Ghosh became a regular member of Satyajit Ray films over the years. But apart from being a comedian, he was also a committed student of the craft of acting, a seasoned thespian, and a master improviser. Some of his notable plays also include Chhayanat.

6. Ritwick Chakraborty Ritwick Chakraborty is an Indian actor. He works i >> Read More...

Chakraborty, who has never failed to impress his audiences with his acting brilliance onscreen, owes his roots to the stage. Debuted in the film Pagol Premi, he was long associated with Bengali theatre. Chakraborty later delivered charismatic performances in films like Chalo Let’s Go by Anjan Dutt Anjan Dutt is an Indian film director, actor, sing >> Read More... , Baakita Byaktigato, and Shabdo. His main breakthrough came after three of his movies won National Film Awards The National Film Awards gets presented every year >> Read More... in consecutive years from 2013-2015. Chakraborty continued working for many content-driven films like The Violin Player, Vinci Da, Nagarkirtan, and many more. These movies became box-office hits just by his presence in the cast.

7. Anirban Bhattacharya Anirban Bhattacharya is an Indian-actor. He is a s >> Read More...

Anirban Bhattacharya is known as the most versatile actor of the present times. He has comfortably made his place in Bengali cinema with movies like Eagoler Chokh, Shahjahan Regency, and Dwitiyo Purush. In 2010, some eminent theatre personalities selected Bhattacharya to work at MINERVA, the first State Repertoire in West Bengal. Even after he resigned from MINERVA in 2013, he started his career as a professional freelance theater actor. His notable works include Debi Sarpamasta, Anthony Soudamini, and Jara Agun Lagay. He won the Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META) as Best Actor in a Leading Role for Awdyo Shash Rajani, directed by Bratya Basu BratyaBasu was born on November 25, 1969, in Kolka >> Read More... .

8. Riddhi Sen Riddhi is an Indian Bengali actor. He masters in t >> Read More...

A regular performer of the Bengali theatre group Swapnasandhani, Sen is the youngest Indian actor to receive the National Film Award for Best Actor for the film Nagarkirtan. He is the son of Koushik Sen, a well-known actor in Bangla cinema who worked for more than 25 years in the stage theatre arena. Coming from a family of theatre actors, Riddhi credits his achievements to his regular association with the theatre. His works include plays like Taraye Taraye, Ashwathama, and Hamlet (a rendition of Shakespeare tragedy drama by Koushik Sen).

9. Rwitobroto Mukherjee Rwitiborto Mukherjee is a Bengali film and theatre >> Read More...

Rwitobroto became a well-known icon of Bengali cinema and theatre, especially among the young generations. His performances in movies like Generation Ami, Pornomochi, and Dwitiyo Purush were outstanding. He began his acting journey at a very tender age with Ashokenagar Natyanan, a well-known Bengali theatre group, following the legacy of his father, Shantilal Mukherjee Shantilal Mukherjee was born in Sarsuna, Kolkata. >> Read More... . According to him, a theatre is a powerful form of art. He gained an appreciation for his roles in plays like Archimedes er Mrityu, Opobitro, and Jugnayak. Moreover, he has also written and directed the play Desher Namey which was well-appreciated by the audiences.

10. Sohini Sengupta

Known for her power-packed performances, Sohini is one of the leading actresses of one of the most popular Bengali theatre groups Nandikar. Born to the noted thespian talents Rudraprasad Sengupta Rudraprasad Sengupta is a director, actor, and cul >> Read More... and Swatilekha Sengupta, Sohini is rooted in traditional theatrics. She has worked with prominent theatre personalities like Debshankar Halder, Sumanto Gangopadhyay, and Parthapratim Deb. Later, she was cast in the national award-winning Bengali movie Ichhe by the directorial duo Shiboprasad-Nandita. She also acted in Paromitaar Ek din by Aparna Sen A vetern filmmaker and actress, Aparna Sen has bee >> Read More... , which made her win the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress.