Biography.guide
Home › People › Actor › Chunibala Devi
Portrait of Chunibala Devi

Chunibala Devi

1875 – 1955

Indian actress

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Chunibala Devi

Lived 1875 – 1955 (aged 79–80). Chunibala Devi was an Indian actor and film actor.

Chunibala Devi (c. 1872–1955) was an Indian character actress best known for her performance in Satyajit Ray's Pather Panchali, where she played the old aunt, Indir Thakrun, to Apu and Durga. She was awarded Best Actress for the role in the 1st Manila Film Festival in 1966, almost 11 years after her death. Life and Career Formerly a theatre actress, Chunibala Devi made her film debut with Bigraha in 1930, though after her second film, Rikta in 1939 she retired. She was brought out of her retirement at the age of 80 by Satyajit Ray to act in the pivotal role of her career. Awards She was awarded posthumously the best actress at 1st Manila Film Festival for her role of Indir Thakrun in Pather Panchali in 1966, after almost 11 years of the film's release.

Death She died in Kolkata, of influenza, in 1955, before the release of Pather Panchali, although Ray had been to her house to show her a projection.

Filmography Bigraha – The God and the Image (1930) Rikta (1939) Pather Panchali – Song of the Road (1955)

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Born
1875
Birth century
Died
1955
Occupation

People in Chunibala Devi's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Chunibala Devi's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Chunibala Devi?

Indian actress

When was Chunibala Devi born?

Chunibala Devi was born in 1875.

When did Chunibala Devi die?

Chunibala Devi died in 1955.

What was Chunibala Devi's occupation?

Chunibala Devi was an actor and film actor.

What nationality was Chunibala Devi?

Chunibala Devi was Indian.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Chunibala Devi

· Wikidata: Q5116419

· DBpedia: Chunibala Devi

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Chunibala Devi. https://biography.guide/chunibala-devi/

MLA: "Chunibala Devi." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/chunibala-devi/.

Chicago: "Chunibala Devi." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/chunibala-devi/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 04:58 UTC