Raima Sen

Raima Sen (born Raima Dev Varma on 7 November 1979^[1]) is an Indian film actress who primarily appears in Bengali films. Her performances have been acclaimed critically on more than one occasion.

Early life

She is the daughter of Moon Moon Sen and Bharat Dev Varma and the granddaughter of actress Suchitra Sen.

Sen with her mother Moon Moon Sen

Her sister Riya Sen is also in the Bollywood industry. Their father Bharat Dev Varma is a member of the royal family of Tripura.^[2] Her paternal grandmother, Ila Devi, was the princess of Cooch Behar, whose younger sister Gayatri Devi was the Maharani of Jaipur.^[2] Her paternal great-grandmother Indira was the only daughter of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III of Baroda.^[3][4]

Raima's maternal great-grandfather Adinath Sen was a prominent Kolkata businessman, whose son Dinanath Sen - a relative of former Union Law Minister Ashoke Kumar Sen- was the Diwan or a Minister of the Maharaja of Tripura.^[5] The sisters are credited on-screen under their mother's maiden name, although their official papers carry the surname Dev Varma.^[6]

Career

Sen made her debut in the film Godmother, which was a critically acclaimed success, but her minor role may have been overlooked in favour of the protagonist, played by Shabana Azmi. She then starred in the film Daman playing Raveena Tandon's daughter, where her small performance was appreciated.

Her breakthrough role came when she starred in the Rituparno Ghosh's film Chokher Bali. After a few more average movies she had a critically acclaimed hit in 2005 with Parineeta, where she played the playmate of the film's heroine, played by the debutante Vidya Balan. Since then she has had two more hits with the action thriller Dus and the Bengali film Antar Mahal (where she had a very small role). In 2006, she appeared in the film The Bong Connection (co-starring Shayan Munshi). In 2007, she worked in the thriller Manorama Six Feet Under with Abhay Deol. In 2011, she starred in the hit Bengali film Baishe Srabon, opposite Parambrata Chatterjee.

2014 saw Sen as the leading lady in the critically acclaimed Hrid Majharey, the first Bengali movie based on the works of William Shakespeare, and presented as a tribute on the 450th year of birth of the Bard.^[7][8] She co-stars with Abir Chatterjee and Indrasish Roy in this dark love-story by debutant filmmaker Ranjan Ghosh.^[9] The film has earned a rare recommendation from the very prestigious Film London in its list of world cinema based on the plays of Shakespeare.^[10] The film and its screenplay have also been included in the prestigious UGC Literature Archive.^[11] It is also famous for being the only other Bengali film after Sabuj Dweeper Raja (1979) to be shot in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.^[12][13][14]

In 2016, she will be seen in Bollywood Diaries, a film written and directed by K.D. Satyam. The film also stars Ashish Vidyarthi and Salim Diwan.^[15]

Personal life

Sen's public profile and image is much lower-key and more demure than that of her sister Riya who has been compared more to their mother. Sen is also said to resemble her grandmother much more than either her mother or her sister.^[16] Journalists who meet her describe her as easy to talk to, and devoid of starry airs.

In an interview, she says while she enjoys Mumbai's faster pace of life, its gyms and its nightclubs, she misses her family in Kolkata, her dog cuddles, and Kolkata's street food, notably Jhal Muri and Aloo chaat.^[17]

Filmography

Awards

• 2006: BFJA-Most Promising Actress Award for Nishi Japan^[21]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Raima Sen.

• Raima Sen at the Internet Movie Database
• Raima Sen biography at Koimoi