Chaya Devi

Chhaya Devi (; 3 June 1914 – 25 April 2001) was an Indian actress known for her work in Bengali and Hindi cinema. She appeared in over two hundred films for over five decades. Some of her notable films are such as Nirjan Saikate, Hatey Bazarey (1967) and Apanjan (1968) by Tapan Sinha, 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. 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. She was first cousin of actor Ashok Kumar's wife Shobha Ganguly, thus was related to the Ganguly family as well. 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.

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. as well as several BFJA Awards, was considered having one of the best of the performances of Chhaya Devi. 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.