Veteran Bengali actor Anjana Bhowmick passed away on Saturday morning following a prolonged illness. The renowned thespian was admitted to a hospital in south Kolkata on Friday night due to respiratory problems, Hindustan Times reported, mentioning that she was 79 years old at the time of her passing.
Bhowmick, who was the mother of actors Nilanjana Sengupta and Chandana Sharma and the mother-in-law of legendary actor-producer Jisshu Sengupta who is married to Nilanjana, had been unwell for some time due to age-related reasons. She had been bedridden for the past five to six months, as reported by India Today. Her family was by her side when she passed away.
Born on December 30, 1944, as Arati Bhowmick in Cooch Behar, Bengal Presidency, she hailed from a family with a background in acting, as her father Bibhutibhushan Bhowmick was also a thespian. She reportedly completed her schooling in Kochbihar and later pursued her education at Sarojini Naidu College for Women in Dum Dum and graduated from the University of Calcutta after moving to Kolkata.
Bhowmick made her silver screen debut in 1964 through Pijush Bose’s Anustup Chanda. She adopted the name Anjana for her first film, which brought her significant recognition.
Anjana Bhowmick (second from right) with actors Mrinal Mukherjee, Mala Sinha and Pahari Sanyal. (Express archive photo)
Her second film, Hiren Nag’s Thana Theke Aschi, was with Bengali cinema heavyweight Uttam Kumar, and both performers earned immense praise for their work. Their on-screen chemistry was widely appreciated and they collaborated on several subsequent films such as Raj Drohi (1966), Nayika Sangbad (1967), Chowringhee (1968), Kokhono Megh (1968) and Roudra Chhaya (1973) too. Anjana’s performance with Soumitra Chatterjee in the film Maheshweta (1967) was also highly acclaimed.
Bhowmick married Navy officer Anil Sharma and settled in Mumbai. They welcomed their first child Nilanjana in 1975, followed by their second child Chandana in 1982.
Veteran Bengali actor Anjana Bhowmick with cinema heavyweight Uttam Kumar in Kokhono Megh. (Express archive photo)
Expressing his sadness over the demise of Bhowmick, Bengali writer-director Srijit Mukherji wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “Anjana Bhowmick was my favourite actress from the Golden Age. Her spontaneity and timing was exemplary and her chemistry with Uttam Kumar was the finest, and I say this keeping Suchitra Sen, Supriya Devi and Sabitri Chatterjee in mind. Rest in peace.”
Mourning the passing of Bhowmick, National Award-winning filmmaker and author Ram Kamal Mukherjee wrote on X, “My deepest condolences to @Ninichinismamma and @Jisshusengupta for their personal loss. Veteran actor Anjana Bhowmick will remain in the memories of Bengali audiences for her beautiful smile and stunning screen presence with stalwarts like Uttam Kumar in Nayika Sangbad, Chowringhee and Thana Theke Ashchi. May God rest her soul in peace.”
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