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{{Short description|Indian actress (1914–2001)}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{More citations needed|date=March 2021}}
{{infobox person
| name = Chhaya Devi
| image = Actress Chhaya Devi.jpg
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1914|06|03|df=yes}}<ref name="TW">{{Cite web |title=বাংলা ছবির আইকনিক 'মা' ছায়াদেবী, বাস্তবে তাঁকে আগলে রেখেছিলেন মানসকন্যা তনুশ্রী-দেবশ্রী |url=https://www.thewall.in/special-feature-on-bengali-actress-chhaya-devi-on-her-birthday/ |access-date=11 August 2020 |website=TheWall |language=en-US}}</ref>
| birth_place = [[Bhagalpur]], [[Bihar and Orissa]], [[Bengal Presidency]], [[British Raj|British India]] (present-day [[Bihar]], India)
| death_date = {{death date and age|2001|4|25|1914|06|03|df=y}}<ref name="TW" />
| death_place = [[Kolkata, West Bengal]], India
| occupation = Actress
| years_active = 1936–1993<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=‘ছায়া’পথের নক্ষত্রলোকে |url=https://www.anandabazar.com/patrika/people-still-remembers-versatile-actress-chhaya-devi-1.712728 |access-date=21 May 2021 |website=www.anandabazar.com |language=bn}}</ref>
}}
'''Chhaya Devi''' ({{lang-bn|ছায়া দেবী}}; 3 June 1914 – 25 April 2001) was an Indian actress known for her work in [[Cinema of West Bengal|Bengali]] and [[Bollywood|Hindi]] cinema.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.cinestaan.com/people/chhaya-devi-92576 |title=Chhaya Devi movies, filmography, biography and songs - Cinestaan.com |website=Cinestaan |access-date=24 March 2019}}</ref> She appeared in hundreds of films for over five decades.<ref name=":0" />

Her first lead role was in [[Debaki Bose]]'s [[Cinema of West Bengal|Bengali]] film ''Sonar Sansar'' (1936). She rose to hall of fame for her role as Rani Lakshmi in [[Debaki Bose]]'s ''[[Vidyapati (film)|Vidyapati]]'' (1937).<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.cinestaan.com/movies/vidyapati-562 |title=Vidyapati (1937) - Review, Star Cast, News, Photos |website=Cinestaan |access-date=24 March 2019}}</ref> Some of her notable films are such as ''[[Nirjan Saikate]]'' (1963), ''[[Hatey Bazarey]]'' (1967) and ''[[Apanjan]]'' (1968) by [[Tapan Sinha]], ''[[Saptapadi (1961 film)|Saptapadi]]'' (1961), '' [[Uttar Falguni]]'' (1963), ''Antony Firingee'' (1967), in Bengali, ''[[Alaap]]'' (1977) in Hindi, which also starred [[Amitabh Bachchan]].

== Early life ==
Chhaya Devi was born in Bhagalpur.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.anandabazar.com/supplementary/patrika/অত-গ-ল-য-ম-র-ন-য়-ভ-বল-স-ব-ন-র-ব-জ-ঞ-পন-করত-ম-1.25095 |title=অত গ্ল্যামার নিয়ে ভাবলে সাবানের বিজ্ঞাপন করতাম - Anandabazar |website=anandabazar.com |language=bn |access-date=10 March 2019}}</ref> Her father was Haradhan Gangopadhyay. She started her education in the Mokshda Girls High School in Adampur, Bhagalpur. Later her father was transferred to Delhi and she continued her education in the Indraprastha Girls School. She was married to Buddhadeb Chattopadhyay, a teacher at Ranchi, at the age of eleven. Her marriage did not last long and she came to Kolkata with her father when she was a student of tenth standard only.<ref name="chandi">{{cite web |title=Biography of Chhaya Debi |url=http://www.gomolo.com/chhaya-debi-biography/298 |access-date=22 April 2018}}</ref> She was first cousin of actor [[Ashok Kumar]]'s wife Shobha Ganguly, thus having relations to the [[Ganguly family]] also.<ref>{{cite book |title=Film world, Volume 16 |publisher=T.M. Ramachandran |year=1979 |page=43 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o3lTAAAAYAAJ&q=%22Chhaya+Devi%22+-inpublisher:icon}}</ref> However, though very little is known about her early life, her life is believed to be full of struggle. After she reached Kolkata she chose her career as an actress in films and stage, which she pursued for the next five decades.<ref name="half">{{cite web |title=The lady who ruled the screen – Chhaya Devi and her seven unforgettable films |url=http://halfsamosa.in/lady-ruled-screen-chhaya-devi-seven-unforgettable-films/ |access-date=22 April 2018}}</ref>

== Career ==
Though Chhaya Devi debuted in Bengali movie ''Sonar Sansar'' in 1936, she acquired fame for the outstanding acting in the role of Queen Lakshmi in the movie ''Bidyapati'' in 1938.<ref name="half"/><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://upperstall.com/profile/chhaya-devi/ |title=Chhaya Devi |date=27 April 2015 |website=Upperstall.com |access-date=17 March 2019}}</ref> From lead female roles in her early days to character roles in her later years, Chhaya Devi had shown her creative ability in acting.
In ''Atal Jaler Ahwan'' (1962), she stole the heart of the viewers with her soft and loving acting as surrogate mother of Soumitra. In ''Deya Neya'' (1963) she acted as the helpless mother of the aspirant singer Prashanta (Uttam Kumar). In the movie ''Saat Pake Badha'' (1963) she was the heartless, rude and indifferent mother of Suchitra Sen opposing the affair of her daughter with Soumitra. Chhaya Devi played the role of the mother of Uttam Kumar in many films. In ''[[Antony Firingee (film)|Anthony Firingee]]'' (1967), Chhaya Devi was mother of Hensman Antony (Uttam Kumar). ''[[Apanjan]]'', an outstanding film directed by Tapan Sinha in 1967, which won the [[National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Bengali]],<ref name="16thawardPDF">{{cite web |url=http://dff.nic.in/2011/16th_nff_1970.pdf |title=16th National Film Awards |publisher=[[Directorate of Film Festivals]] |access-date=5 February 2013 |page=2}}</ref> as well as several BFJA Awards, was considered having one of the best of the performances of Chhaya Devi.<ref name=bfja1969>{{cite web |title=BFJA Awards (1969) |url=http://www.gomolo.com/7/bfja-awards-1969}}</ref> In ''Podi Pisir Bormi Bakso'' (1972), a children's movie made from a story written by Leela Majumdar and directed by Arundhati Devi, Chhaya Devi played an unforgettable lead comic role of ''Podi Pisi'', the widowed elderly aunt.<ref name="half"/> Her last acted film was ''Tomar Rakte Amar Sohag'', which was released in 1993, where she acted in a cameo role.

==Filmography==
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===1930s===

1936 ''Sonar Sansar'' - Roma

1936 ''Rajani'' - Maid Servant

1937 ''Bidyapati'' - Queen Laxmi

1937 ''Ranga Bou'' - Kalyani

1938 ''Bekar Nashan'' - Kamal

1938 ''Hal Bangla'' - Sefali

1939 ''Bamanabatar'' - Sachi

1939 ''[[Jakher Dhan]]''

1939 ''Debjani'' - Debjani

1939 ''Janak Nandini'' - Chandika

1939 ''Rikta'' - Karuna

===1940s===
1940 ''Abhinetri''

1940 ''Haar Jeet''

1941 ''Sree Radha''

1942 ''Jiban Sangini'' - Atar

1942 ''Avayer Biye''

1942 ''[[Chauranghee]]''

1942 ''Mera Gaon''

1945 ''Bondita''

1946 ''Uttara Abhimanyu''

1947 ''Burmar Pathey''

1947 ''Jharer Par''

1948 ''Dhatri Debata''

1948 ''Anirban''

1949 ''Abhijatya''

1949 [[Kuasha (1949)|''Kuasha'']]

===1950s===
1950 ''Sree Tulsidas''

1951 ''Ratnadeep''

1956 ''[[Raat Bhore]]''

1956 ''Shankar Narayan Bank''

1956 ''Daner Maryada'' - Malati

1956 [[Saheb Bibi Golam (film)|''Saheb Bibi Golam'']]- Bororani

1956 ''Subhalagna''

1956 ''[[Trijama]]''

1958 [[Bagha Jatin (film)|''Bagha Jatin'']]

1958 ''Marmabani''

1959 ''Gali Theke Rajpath''

{{col-3}}

===1960s===

1961 ''Pankatilak''

1961 [[Manik (1961)|''Manik'']]

1961 ''Agni Sanskar''

1962 ''Kancher Swarga''

1962 ''Abasheshe''

1962 ''[[Atal Jaler Ahwan]]'' - Anuradha Debi

1962 ''Rakta Palash''

1963 ''Kanchan Kanya''

1963 ''[[Deya Neya]]'' -the hero's mother

1961 [[Saptapadi (1961 film)|''Saptapadi'']] - Rina's Mother (Aayah)

1963 ''[[Nirjan Saikate]]''

1963 ''[[Saat Pake Bandha]]'' - Archana's Mother

1963 ''[[Uttar Falguni]]'' - Baijee

1965 ''[[Mukhujey Paribar]]''

1965 ''Antaral''

1965 ''Arohi''

1965 ''[[Kanch Kata Hirey]]''

1965 ''Surya Tapa''

1965 ''[[Thana Theke Aschi]]''

1965 ''Tu Hi Meri Zindagi''

1966 ''[[Galpo Holeo Satti]]'' - Bara Bou

1966 [[Mamta (1966 film)|''Mamta'']] - Minabai

1967 ''[[Mahashweta]]''

1967 ''[[Antony Firingee]]'' - Antony's Mother

1967 ''[[Hatey Bazarey]]'' - Nani

1968 ''Teen Adhaya''

1968 ''[[Apanjan]]''- Anandamoyee

1968 ''Baghini''

1969 [[Arogya Niketan (film)|''Arogya Niketan'']] - Atar Bou

1969 ''[[Kamallata]]''

1969 ''[[Pita Putra]]''

1969 ''The Fiancée'' - Bhubaneswari

1969 ''[[Protidan]]''

{{col-3}}

===1970s===
1970 ''Kalankita Nayak''

1970 [[Rajkumari (1970 film)|''Rajkumari'']]

1970 ''Muktisnan''

1970 ''Samantaral''

1971 ''[[Kuheli]]''- Manodadi

1972 ''[[Har Mana Har]]''

1972 ''[[Sesh Parba]]''

1972 ''[[Padi Pishir Barmi Baksha]]'' - Aunt Padipishi

1972 ''Zindagi Zindagi''

1974 ''[[Debi Chowdhurani]]'' - Brajeswar's mother

1974 ''Alor Thikana''

1975 ''[[Swayamsiddha]]''

1975 ''Harano Prapti Niruddesh''

1975 ''Phool Sajya''

1976 ''[[Harmonium]]''

1976 ''[[Sei Chokh]]''

1977 ''Kalpana''

1977 [[Proxy (1977 film)|''Proxy'']]

1977 [[Pratima (1977 film)|''Pratima'']]

1977 ''Ae Prithibi Pantha Niwas''

1977 ''[[Baba Taraknath]]''

1977 ''Ek Je Chhilo Desh''

1977 ''Babu Moshai''

1977 ''[[Alaap]]'' - Sarju Bai Banaraswali

1978 ''[[Dhanraj Tamang]]''

1978 ''Nadi Theke Sagare''

1979 ''[[Arun barun O Kironmala]]''- The Jogini Maa

===1980s===
1981 ''Kalankini''

1981 ''Subarnalata''

1981 ''Manikchand''

1981 ''[[Surya Sakhi]]''

1982 ''Rajbadhu''

1982 ''[[Pipasa]]''

1983 ''Shinkhal''

1983 ''[[Rang Birangi]]'' - Mrs. Bannerjee

1983 ''Prayashchitta''

1984 ''[[Rashifal]]''

1984 ''Lal Golap''

1984 ''Simantarag''

1987 ''Swarnamoir Thikana''

1987 ''Pratikar''

1988 ''Boba Sanai''

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== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb name|0222444}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Devi, Chhaya}}
[[Category:Indian film actresses]]
[[Category:1914 births]]
[[Category:2001 deaths]]
[[Category:Actresses in Bengali cinema]]
[[Category:Actresses in Hindi cinema]]
[[Category:Actresses from Kolkata]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian actresses]]

Chhaya Devi - Revision history

UpdateBot at 09:24, 21 June 2022