10 best roles of Bollywood's fashion diva of the 90's, Sharmila Tagore
Last updated on - Dec 8, 2017, 15:19 ISTShare fbsharetwsharepinshare
01/1110 best roles of Bollywood's fashion diva of the 90's, Sharmila Tagore
Yesteryear Bollywood actress Sharmila Tagore's beauty is beyond compare. From doe-eyed ingenue to bikini-clad stunner, from commercial superstar to censor board chief, Sharmila Tagore has worn many hats and very memorably indeed. Not only was she a famous icon in the Bollywood industry, but was also known for her stellar performances in Bengali films. As the gorgeous beauty turns a year older today, we give you a look at her 10 best performances.
02/11Aparna in 'Apur Sansar' (1959)
Sharmila Tagore's debut film happened to be a cinematic landmark, the actress making her bow during the final act of Satyajit Ray’s iconic 'Apu' Trilogy. Translated as 'The World Of Apu', ‘Apur Sansar’ is heartbreaking and eventually bleak, with Soumitra Chatterjee’s Apu forced to marry Tagore’s Aparna. Between all the sadness, Sharmila incandescently lights up the screen, and their tender romance remains a part of movie lore.
03/11Dayamoyee in 'Devi' (1960)
'Devi' is a 1960 Bengali drama film by director Satyajit Ray, starring Soumitra Chatterjee and Sharmila Tagore. A satire on societal conventions and religious dogma, 'Devi' sees Sharmila hoisted onto a pedestal one day because her father-in-law dreams she is an avatar of the goddess Kali. Supplicants begin to build, and Sharmila is phenomenal in the part as she too begins to believe in her own divinity.
04/11Champa Chameli in 'Kashmir Ki Kali' (1964)
'Kashmir Ki Kali' is a 1964 Indian romance film directed by Shakti Samanta. It stars Shammi Kapoor and Sharmila Tagore. Sharmila's popularity spiked in the Bollywood film industry after she worked in this film. Sharmila was rather atypical to the Hindi screen considering then-heroines like Sadhana, Saira Banu and Vyajantimala, but she forged an immediate and delightful chemistry with her irrepressible leading man, Shammi Kapoor.
05/11Uma Sharma in 'Anupama' (1966)
No other Hindi filmmaker quite tapped into Sharmila’s talent like Hrishikesh Mukherjee. The master director first cast her in this unconventional drama about a deeply introverted girl. Sharmila, as the reticent Uma, delivers an evocative performance alongside leading man Dharmendra, who plays a writer and teacher, and Deven Varma. The film was critically acclaimed and was nominated for several Filmfare Awards.
06/11Aditi Sengupta in 'Nayak' (1966)
Satyajit Ray’s fantastically introspective look at the life of an actor and the very nature of a celebrity was grounded and held in place by Sharmila Tagore playing a young journalist, determinedly hacking away at a superstar actor, who happens to be on the train with her. Uttam Kumar, as the star, is splendid but it is Sharmila’s performance that gives the film its narrative heft and holds it together.
07/11Deepa/Roopa/Suzy in 'An Evening In Paris' (1967)
Yet another Shakti Samanta film, 'An Evening In Paris' saw Sharmila in a double role as an heiress and a cabaret dancer. The film also saw Sharmila at her absolute sexiest, as she became the first mainstream Hindi film heroine to wear a bikini on screen. She did so with marvellous nonchalance, and embraced the film’s commercial aspects very gamely indeed, making for a stellar performance alongside longtime screen companion Shammi Kapoor.
08/11Ranjana in 'Satyakam' (1969)
A profound moral and philosophical tale dealing with rationalism and, eventually, absolutism, this Hrishikesh Mukherjee drama saw the director and leading man Dharmendra arguably at their very peak. Sharmila herself has a conflicted, morally grey role, a demanding one that the actress handles beautifully. It is a thoughtful performance in a thought-provoking film.
09/11Vandana Tripathi in 'Aradhana' (1969)
'Aradhana' is a 1969 Indian romantic drama film directed by Shakti Samanta, starring Sharmila Tagore and Rajesh Khanna. Melodramas are rarely as unforgettable as this film featuring Rajesh Khanna in a double role. Sharmila’s is the miserable role, that of a briefly wooed, secretly-married wife who is widowed quickly and has to pretend to be her son’s nurse. It is a painful part, and Sharmila is masterful on a near-operatic level as she nobly takes all the hurt in her stride.
10/11Aparna in 'Aranyer Din Ratri' (1970)
'Aranyer Din Ratri' is an Indian Bengali adventure drama film released in 1970, written and directed by Satyajit Ray. Sharmila plays Aparna, a progressive and elegant woman out for a getaway in the forest. She’s sophisticated, sharp and clever enough to not be taken in by casually charming men, who might not know what they want just yet. It’s a perfectly well-balanced character, and nobody but Sharmila could have played it as gracefully.
