Overview
Sumitra Devi (22 July 1923 – 28 August 1990) was an Indian actress known for her work in Bengali and Hindi cinema during the 1940s and 1950s. She was a recipient of the BFJA Award for Best Actress on three occasions and was regarded as one of the leading actresses of her era.
In 1943, she was called for an interview and look test at the office of New Theatres, which led to her being cast opposite K. L. Saigal in Hemchander Chander's Meri Bahen (1944). During the making of this film, she was offered the lead in Apurba Mitra's bilingual film Sandhi (1944), which became her debut film and a major commercial success, earning her the BFJA Award for Best Actress in 1945.
She rose to become a top-billed actress in Bengali cinema with the commercial success of films such as Abhijog (1947), Pather Dabi (1947), Pratibad (1948), Jayjatra (1948), Swami (1949) and Devi Chowdhurani (1949). In Hindi cinema, she appeared in films including Mashal (1950), Mamta (1952), Deewana (1952), Ghungroo (1952), Mayurpankh (1954), Chor Bazaar (1954), Raj Yogi Bharthari (1954) and Jagte Raho (1956). She is best remembered for her role in the 1952 Hindi film Mamta, directed by Dada Gunjal.
Sumitra Devi played the wife of a landlord in Kartik Chattopadhyay's Saheb Bibi Golam (1956), based on Bimal Mitra's novel of the same name. Her role as Bijali in Haridas Bhattacharya's National Award winning Bengali film Aandhare Alo (1957) drew critical appreciation. She was also noted for her work in