17 minute read
Moushumi Chatterjee
Though MOUSHUMI CHATTERJEE also loves to blame the press for whatever went wrong in her life, in our COURT MARTIAL, she grudgingly concedes that the buck ends (starts?) with her!
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Yours is the one failure that cannot be blamed on the industry, which has given you the best of breaks. Why do you always chicken out of the race just when the top is within reach? Aren’t you confident enough that the ultimate winner could be you? After all, it is less humiliating to say you never tried than to try and flop!
It’s only those who fail who make excuses that they never tried! Since I genuinely have never tried to be No.1, I haven’t bothered to analyze why I didn’t make it. I have never wanted that kind of success. I didn’t want my mind to become corrupt! I didn’t want to get involved in all those calculations and strategies that come with the position. I must please this hero, attend the party, meet that important producer, invite that important director for dinner, etc, etc. I never took my career so seriously. Everything – marriage, baby, success – happened to me very fast, so right from the beginning. I had too many other responsibilities to devote myself 100 per cent to films. There was my home, husband, children, servants, relatives, shopping for groceries and vegetables – I had no one to share the load and had to divide and give only 25 percent of myself to each. My career was never the main priority in my life. I have never signed more than four or five films at a time, never worked on Sundays, had at least ten days free every month, and took two months holiday every year. Other heroines grumble that they can’t manage any time off because they have too many commitments and have to match their dates with their co-stars. But I have so many free dates that I can adjust with anyone! I want to enjoy my life. I am not one of those greedy people who want more and more. I am a very contented person. If something extra comes my way, I give it away! I didn’t withdraw from the competition because of a lack of confidence. I was always sure that if not as a star, I would definitely reach the top as an artiste. But I don’t want to grow only as an actress, I want to grow as a human being.
When did you stop wanting to be Meena Kumari and decide to be Rekha? Critics decry the ridiculous spectacle you make when you try to be glamorous and ornamental (‘Jyoti Bane Jwaala’, ‘Swayamvar’). Can’t you see that you are at your best in subdued make-up, simple clothes and emotional roles (‘Daasi’, ‘Pyaasa Sawan’)?
I also agree that I look better when I am simple. But some filmmakers want me to be glamorous and they have the confidence that I can carry it off. I can’t argue with them. At times I have deliberately applied little makeup to show them how it looks. They invariable say, ‘It looks nice but…’ So I give in. I don’t want anyone to feel that I am throwing my weight around just because I have a certain position. But I am not trying to be another Rekha. I have never compared myself with any other actress. I have never aspired to be another Meena Kumari either. In fact, I don’t really like to do tragic roles. I prefer light-hearted comedies like ‘Angoor’.
Do you fancy yourself as a sex symbol? An industrywalli insists that you once stripped before her when she refused to believe your vital statistics!
What a ridiculous story! I am one actress who has never revealed or exposed on screen. So is it likely that I will do it off screen? How can I say whether I am a sex symbol or not? But I firmly believe that you don’t have to use your body to project sex appeal. It can show on your face, eyes, your expression. Madhubala never exposed her figure at all, yet she looked so sexy on screen.
Do you think a confession (“I am a flirt”) gives you license to behave outrageously with men? Spectators were aghast when they saw you freaking out with Suresh Oberoi and Mithun Chakraborty at the ‘Ghar Ek Mandir’ party, in front of your husband? How can you humiliate poor Babu in public?
I am a flirt, but a harmless one. I don’t let my flirting develop into anything further – it ends there and then. Besides, I flirt with words, I am not demonstrative in behavior. For instance, all Babu’s friends greet each other with a kiss on the cheek. But somehow, I have never been able to adopt the habit. My flirting is different. Like, once when a friend was cribbing that I hadn’t kissed him hello, I promptly retorted, ‘I don’t waste my kisses on cheeks!’ Now, to a listener who has heard and read about my wild reputation, this remark will sound like a pass and he will see a lot more into it. But it doesn’t mean anything. It’s all done in fun. But to how many people can I explain that? So I don’t let what anyone says upset me. Why should I make myself unhappy when I know it’s not true and my conscience is clear? I am not the kind who can go around telling people what I am. I let them understand me according to their own experiences. But sometimes, in spite of their preconceived notions, people have changed their minds after getting to know me. One producer’s wife openly told me. ‘I have seen how other heroines throw themselves at my husband. You don’t even do that – then how come you have this reputation?’
Considering that you’d spread the wildest gossip about her affairs, how could you be so holier-than-thou when Rekha broke the bhanda about you and Vinod Mehra? Once and for all, will you please clarify what that triangle was all about?
I have never had any fight or quarrels with Rekha. I am still very fond of her, because she is the one actress I have known since years. Do you think I would’ve been able to do four films with her, if there was some problem between us? I still don’t believe that she is the one who spread the rumours about me and Vinod. That whole triangle was blown up by the press. They put two and two and two and made five! Frankly, I admit that I may have given them reason to draw such conclusions. Like, there were times when Vinod and I were invited to the same function. Those days, there was much talk about Baby living off me, so my husband didn’t like to accompany me on such occasions. He would suggest that Vinod and I attend it together and then join him for dinner at Oberoi. But outsiders only saw Vinod and Moushumi arriving together, sitting together and driving off together – not in the direction of our respective homes, but towards town! Then at times, his mother would call up and say that Vinod hadn’t eaten because he’d had a fight with Rekha, and ask me to take his lunch to his shooting. People naturally presumed the worst when they saw Moushumi turning up at the studio with the dabba! However, when the stories became too much, friends advised me that the only way to put an end to them was to stop signing films with Vinod. I don’t deny that we were good friends. I used to admire Vinod and was quite influenced by him because I was very young and immature then. But when I started thinking for myself, I stopped being so dependent upon him.
Was Bindiya responsible for your final split with Vinod Mehra? It is said that you openly pushed Vinod to drop her and patch up with Meena Brocha.
I did disapprove of the way Vinod had behaved in that situation, and stopped seeing him for some time. I didn’t like the way he treated his women. It wasn’t that I sided with Meena against Bindiya and I never got the chance to even get to know each other. I wasn’t very friendly with Meena either. I was aware that she must’ve also heard of my reputation and of the rumours linking Vinod and me, so I didn’t want to take chances. Who knows, she may have thought that I was deliberately trying to be friendly to cover up something… However, it was only after Vinod and Bindiya broke up that he called up one day and invited himself over. Everything was fine again, I even removed the bones before serving him fish, like I used to before the rift. But after a few days I came to know that at a colleague’s party Vinod had told everyone that I had done it for old time’s sake! It was a disgraceful thing to say, and though I have run into Vinod after that, I have looked through him. I don’t doubt that he made that remark, because if he wasn’t guilty, he would’ve come and asked me what was wrong. It’s things like this that start gossip… I’ve always partly blamed Vinod for the earlier rumours too. I used to fight with him when he refused to comment on them, because I felt silence meant yes…
What’s the truth behind the marriage-rumours about you and Farouque Shaikh? Isn’t it true that you recently accepted a secondary role to Surinder Kaur (‘Yahan Wahan’) in Rajat Rakshit’s next film, just for Farouque’s sake?
Are you trying to say that Rajat Rakshit is mad to waste Moushumi in a secondary role? I have known him much longer than I know Farouque, and we had discussed his new project nearly two years ago when we were making ‘Rusvai’ together. He is one 73 maker who is repeating me in his films, so when he asked me to help him out, I readily agreed. I haven’t accepted the film for Farouque’s sake – though I would have if he’d needed my help too! Farouque is a very nice person. I like him, his wife and Baby knew each other in college. As regards the marriage-rumours, well, the answer is in the question itself – rumours! They start whenever an actor is seen visiting my home, and me his. It happened before with Jeetendra, Sanjeev Kumar…
Insiders insist that you were/are in love with Sanjeev Kumar, and are constantly inviting him for dinner, dates, drives, etc. Is it because of the pampering that Sanjeev continues to accept you as heroine without a fuss, whereas all the other actors are opting for the younger girls?
There are no man-woman vibes between Sanjeev and me. I love him as a human being. He is so mature, intelligent, humorous – I can spend hours talking and listening to him. I’ve been out with him once. I had to go to a party and I didn’t have a driver, so I asked Sanjeev if he would be my chauffeur that night. But once again, it’s the press making two and two into five. In fact, one reporter even told me that she had photographic proof of Sanjeev and me together in a hotel room! I told her I would give her a lakh of rupees if she printed the picture!
Instead of lambasting the press for gossiping, why don’t you be more discreet in your affairs? Did you really expect the scribes to ignore the scandal when you and Ramesh Sippy (Jeetendra’s brotherin-law) were caught in the act, by his wife?
But that wasn’t the first time I was caught! Previous to it, I’d been caught with Jeetu in Hyderabad, when his wife Shobha rang up and I answered the phone in his room! You know, that magazine had linked me with Ramesh, Jeetu and Sanjeev in the same issue. They had so much gossip, you see, that they were confused and didn’t realise that they were tripping up, Ramesh and his wife Raksha are wonderful people, and both are my friends. In fact, whenever I am hesitant about attending any of Jeetu’s parties, Shobha always says, ‘But your people are coming too’ – meaning her brother and his wife. But of course, nobody writes about Raksha, only about Ramesh who is such a happy-go-lucky, funtime guy. However, I don’t get upset with these kind of write-ups any more. I only get worried because it’ll hurt my parents, my children, my servants may hear of it, and how will I face the other party and his people… At one time, I didn’t bother about such things. In fact, it gave me a kick to behave the way journalists and gossip-writers expected. I guess I am paying for it now.
Where did your tuning with Rajesh Khanna go wrong? Tanuja is still smarting at the way the two of you ganged up against her during ‘Humshakal’, and now ‘Gurkha Jung Bahadur’ is stuck because the superstar wants you replaced?
On the contrary, Rajesh Khanna and I never hit it off all that well. I was too conscious of the fact that he was the superstar. Not that he did anything to make me nervous or uneasy, but I always ended to keep myself at a distance. And since there always was another heroine in our co-starrers (‘Humshakal’, ‘Prem Bandhan’), that was no problem. Perhaps Rajesh minded this because he was so used to heroine pampering him and falling all over him – which I never did. With me, it was never a case of if I didn’t get another film, I wouldn’t be able to buy rice for the family! ‘Gurkha Jung Bahadur’ is stuck, but I don’t think it’s because Rajesh wants me replaced. We had no problems acting together. Anyway, as regards Tanuja. I got along very well with her. She was a great help to me. She is the one who first told me that I must have my priorities right. If I wanted to make it at any cost, I should leave my self-respect at home and be ready to play the game. But when respect was the priority, if a man asked for my finger, I could give him my hand with no harm done!
Why did Manoj Kumar throw you out of his camp after ‘Roti Kapda Aur Makaan’? Wasn’t humiliating to be the only one who wasn’t considered worth repeating in ‘Kranti’?
Manoj Kumar did approach me for ‘Kranti’ but I didn’t show interest in the way he wanted it! We never had any fights or misunderstanding. In fact, I’ve never had any jhagdas with anyone – heroine, heroes, producers, directors – throughout my career, not even a quarrel with anyone. Gulzar is the only one with whom there was a ‘slight misunderstanding over ‘Koshish’. That’s why I was all, the more eager when he approached me for ‘Angoor’ and immediately accepted the film even though he told me it was small role.
Industrywallas declare that you use the bahana of frankness to pass the most hurtful remarks. Wasn’t it needlessly vicious to call Deepak Parasher ‘a block of wood’?
I never said that. In fact, when I was quoted on it, so many industry people who know me, said that it doesn’t sound like Moushumi! I never comment on people – not even to my closest friends – and I don’t like people to comment on me. How does one know what he/she will become in future? What was the No. hero when he was working with me? Recently, a similar thing happened with Moon Moon Sen. A magazine carried some comment she’d made about me. The girl frantically called me up and told me that she’d been misquoted. I told her, it didn’t matter and she was quite taken-aback. She said, ‘You are so nice, you are just like…’ Moon Moon is a sweet person. Incidentally, I really mean it when I say it doesn’t matter what anybody says about me. That’s his opinion, and he’s entitled to it. It doesn’t matter what Babu thinks of me either!
Yours is said to be the shortest friends’ list in the industry. Isn’t it true that you’d desperately tried to join the Shobha-Pinky-Neetu-Uma Chopra clique, but the star-wives rejected you, insisting that having you in a group is as good as breaking it up? How deserved is your mischief-maker reputation?
I am mischievous, but I am not a mischief-maker. I never tried to join any clique. It was just that when I was working with Jeetu, I used to be invited to all his parties and I attended them. It was professional socialising. But Jeetu and Shobha have come to my place only once. I am not great friends with them. You can’t strike up a friendship overnight, it grows… My two closest friends are the ones I have known for nearly nineteen years! I am not desperate to have star-friends. My friend may be a small carpenter, but he’ll be a genuine person – that’s more important to me. However, it’s a wrong impression that I don’t get along with the industry people. I am friendly with every heroine I worked with – Shabana is such a warm person, Vidya, Tanu, Rekha, Hema, Parveen, even Zeenat about whom people talk so much, has always gone out of her way to say hello and chat with me. I am a great fan of Aruna Irani and I still have Farida Jalal’s autograph. I like them all. In fact, I really miss them when I’m not working with them!
Whatever is happening to your home-production and banner? Has Babu had to close shop because you refuse to waste any more of your money after the last flop (‘Do Ladke, Dono Kadke’)?
Babu is building a theatre and is very busy with it at the moment. So, perhaps he won’t be able to produce another film for some time. But he is too interested in films, so I don’t think he’ll ever close down his production. Incidentally, that business is totally Babu’s. I am not involved with it in any way.
FAST FORWARD
Moushumi Chatterjee’s screen presence has always been effervescent and easy. She didn’t try too hard to impress and was satisfied with whatever accolades she got. Perhaps that’s why this natural performer never got her due though of course, she was one of the highest paid heroines in the film industry during her time.
But it was after 1985 that she moved to doing meaningful roles. Her last Hindi film Zindagi Rocks for Tanuja Chandra was in 2006 but Moushumi Chatterjee did a lot of Bengali cinema. In fact, she even won many awards for her last film Goynar Baksho in 2014.
In 2019, Moushumi Chatterjee joined BJP and forayed into politics.
Her personal life despite her bindaas interviews did not have too many upheavals. Married to producer Jayanta Mukherjee, son of illustrious singer Hemanta Mukherjee, she had one daughter Payal. Unfortunately, Payal was in coma for some time and Moushumi Chatterjee and her husband had moved the court against Payal’s husband for them to see Payal. It was an acrimonious time for them. Unfortunately, Payal died in 2019.
-Sumita Chakraborty
