Sabitri Chatterjee was born on 22 February 1937. She is an Indian Bengali female actor who has spent in the film industry as an actor for more than 50 years. Born in Comilla, in British India (now in Bangladesh), Sabitri Chatterjee grew up to be one of the undisputable versatile actresses of Bengali film industry. She is thought to be one of the most gifted actors in the Bengali cinema. Even without the classical beauty of Suchitra Sen or the screen presence like Supriya Devi, Sabitri Chatterjee received immense adulation and praise for her versatility. She was an actor who acted equally at ease in romantic, dramatic and comic roles as well.

Sabitri Chatterjee was the youngest in the family of ten daughters and her father, Sashadhar Chatterjee was a stationmaster in the Indian Railways. When the riots broke out after the Partition of India, the young Sabitri was sent to a safe abode to his married sister`s house in Kolkata located at Tollygunje. This place is the hub of filmmaking in Kolkata. Here, she saw the movie stars of the day shooting at the famed New Theatres Studios. From there the immense interest of acting in films grew. Sabitri Chatterjee and her family had to fight against extreme poverty during her childhood days. Eventually, she started to work as a junior artiste and when she was in class ten, she caught the eye of the great comic actor Bhanu Bannerjee and joined the theatre group Uttar Sarathi to learn the nits and grits of acting. Here she played some significant plays received critical praise for its resolute realism and fantastic performances.

Sabitri`s histrionic talents portrayed during the rehearsals of Natun Yahudi caught the eye of Binu Bardhan, a member of Uttar Sarathi who also was the assistant to the film-director Sudhir Mukherjee. Bardhan and Bhanu Bannerjee recommended Sabitri Chatterjee to appear for the screen test for the film Pasher Bari (1952). Sabitri Chatterjee got the role of the female lead in this comedy film, which turned out to be a huge hit with her unrestrained style and her comic timing.

Sabitri Chatterjee`s next film was Subhada (1952) by Niren Lahiri, here she was featured along with the stalwarts like Chhabi Biswas and Pahadi Sanyal. In the same year, she appeared in her first film opposite the legendary actor Uttam Kumar in the family drama Basu Parivar (1952) directed by Nirmal Dey. Sabitri Chatterjee and Uttam Kumar had been close friends since 1951. He was highly impressed by her acting abilities offered her to act in a theatrical production of his group Krishti O Srishti.

The Uttam-Sabitri duo very soon became a favorite of the Bengali cine-goers. They did a series of memorable films including Sharey Chuattar (1953), Lakh Taka (1953), Anupama (1954), Kalyani (1954), Raikamal (1955), Nabojanma (1956), Punar Milan (1957), Marutirtha Hinglaj (1959), Raja-Saja (1960), Dui Bhai (1961), Bhranti Bilas (1963), Momer Alo (1964) and Nishipadma (1970).

Uttam Kumar`s association with Sabitri encompassed both romantic and the comic genres. Sharey Chuattar, Bhranti Bilas and Dhanyi Meye are some of the best Bengali comedy cinema. The film Marutirtha Hinglaj saw Sabitri Chatterjee`s spellbinding performances. Sabitri Chatterjee continued with her glittering career during the 1970`s, doing several films like Shanti (1970), Putuler Ma (1973), Shila (1970), Pratinidhi (1964, Mantramugdha (1970), Malyadaan (1971), Sesh Parba (1972), Seyi Chokh (1976), Brajabuli (1979) and so on.

In the early 1980s, Sabitri Chatterjee did not appear on screen as before. However, in the late 1980s, she came back with films like Mamoni (1986), Anandalok (1988) and Haar-Jeet (2000). Sabitri Chatterjee continues to act in characteristic mother and older women roles in commercial Bengali films till date. The Bengal Film Journalists` Association (BFJA) conferred her with a Life Time Achievement Award in 2004. Podokkhep (2006) has been one of her last screen appearances and she is often seen in numerous television serials and tele-films. Sabitri Chatterjee was one of the stars of the mega soap opera Sonar Harin that has had a run of more than 1000 episodes.

Other than the cinematic world, Sabitri Chatterjee is also associated with many welfare organizations. Her long innings in the silver screen and commercial stage has offered her viewers with wide variety of roles unparalleled by her contemporaries. The Bengali film industry still cherishes this living legend.

Filmography of Sabitri Chatterjee

Film	Year	Film	Year
Podokkhep	2006	Gali Theke Rajpath	1959
Tapasya	2006	Marutirtha Hinglaj	1959
Heerey Manik	1979	Daak Harkara	1958
Seyi Chokh	1976	Daktar Babu	1958
Sesh Parba	1972	Punar Milan	1957
Dhanyee Meye	1971	Daner Maryada	1956
Malyadaan	1971	Nabajanma	1956
Pratham Pratissuti	1971	Paradhin	1956
Nishipadma	1970	Raat Bhore	1956
Kalankita Nayak	1970	Raikamal	1955
Manjari Opera	1970	Godhuli	1955
Pathey Holo Dekha	1968	Paresh	1955
Grihadaha	1967	Upahar	1955
Kal Tumi Aleya	1966	Annapurnar Mandir	1954
Antaral	1965	Anupama	1954
Jaya	1965	Bidhilipi	1954
Momer Alo	1964	Bratacharini	1954
Shesh Anka	1963	Champadangar Bou	1954
Uttarayan	1963	Kalyani	1954
Nav Diganta	1962	Kajari	1953
Dui Bhai	1961	Lakh Taka	1953
Haat Baraley Bandhu	1960	Natun Yahudi	1953
Kuhak	1960	Subhadra	1952
Raja-Saja	1960	Basu Paribar	1952