Personal details
- Birth Date: 1945-10-25
- Birth Location: Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India [now India]
- Children: (divorced, 2 children) Konkona Sen Sharma
- Professions: Actress, Director, Writer
Aparna Sen? Total legend in Bengali and Indian cinema, honestly. The woman’s been everywhere—acting, directing, stage, screen, you name it. Born back in ’45 in Kolkata, she had creative blood running in the family (her dad, Chidananda Das Gupta, was a film critic and filmmaker himself). She did her schooling at Modern High, then went on to Presidency College for her BA. She literally jumped into the deep end of the pool at sixteen, landing her first film gig in Satyajit Ray’s Teen Kanya. And from there? She just kept showing up in lead roles, one after another. It’s wild how seamlessly she switched gears, too. By ’81, she was behind the camera, directing 36 Chowringhee Lane. That movie didn’t just scoot by—it scooped up national and international awards. And she didn’t stop. She’s directed a bunch of films, each exploring different themes, and critics pretty much always have something good to say. Aparna’s not just a film person, either. She got into little theatre groups, did commercial theatre, and even ran the show as editor at Sananda, a super popular Bengali mag, for ages. At some point, she shifted base to Mumbai, kept making movies in Hindi and English, and yeah, she’s still at it. Seriously, if you’re talking Indian cinema, skipping her name? Not possible.
Aparna Sen, yeah, that’s Konkona Sen Sharma’s mom. She’s kind of a big deal in Indian cinema—like, not just as an actress, but she’s also a director and screenwriter, which honestly makes her a bit of a legend. Aparna kicked off her career in Bengali films way back in the ’60s, and she’s been racking up awards ever since. She’s known for her nuanced roles, and her movies usually dig into social issues with this really sharp, sensitive touch. Some of her iconic works? Well, “36 Chowringhee Lane” is a classic, and then there’s “Mr. and Mrs. Iyer,” which, if you haven’t seen it, is basically a masterclass in storytelling. It’s wild how she’s managed to stay relevant for decades. Plus, the mother-daughter duo—Aparna and Konkona—actually worked together on a few projects, and those are always worth checking out.
October 25, 1945
Konidela Ram Charan
Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India [now India]
Yes, Konkona Sen Sharma
79 years old