Veteran star Moushumi Chatterjee quickly rose to fame after making her debut in Tarun Majumdar’s 1967 film Balika Badhu. As her career scaled, she starred alongside superstars like Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan. However, Moushumi took a decision that actresses rarely made early in their careers — she married producer Jayanta Mukherjee in 1972, when she was in the 10th standard and was just 15 years old at the time. In a recent interaction, she explained how she got married at such a young age.
‘Everyone wanted me as their wife’
Speaking to NDTV, Moushumi said, “No, there was a story. Everything happened for a reason. I was in the 10th standard, but I was engaged after Balika Badhu only because my father-in-law, Hemanta Mukherjee, was the music director of that film. So their family and our family became a thing. And at that time, everybody wanted to make me their daughter-in-law; everyone wanted me as their wife.”
Moushumi revealed that after the film was released, many prospects came to her for marriage. She also shared how her wedding was organised as a last wish of her dying aunt. She said, “It was crazy. Subhey se shaam tak line hoti thi (There was a line from morning till evening). That’s why I’m thoroughly spoiled. And then my badi bua (aunt)—I was very attached to her; she used to live in Bhawanipur. And she was in the last stage of cancer when we got to know. She held my father-in-law’s hand and said, ‘Hemanta Babu, can I see her wedding?’ Because I was the last girl from our family, my father-in-law said, ‘Yes, you will.’ And within a month, the marriage took place.”
Recalling how she would spend time playing after coming to Mumbai following her marriage, she said, “So that’s why I came here, Bombay. I bought my dollhouse, my small doggy. And then one of my friends also went back and gave her 10th exam because she also missed one year. She was with me. My father-in-law ensured I got everything. I should not feel left alone. I used to play with my dollhouse the whole day. My father was very protective of me. He was like a mother and father, both here in Bombay.”
About Moushumi Chatterjee
Moushumi had been a well-known face in Bengali and Hindi cinema. She starred in various memorable roles, including the blind protagonist in Anuraag (1972), a desperate wife in Roti Kapada Aur Makaan (1974), and her comic performance in Angoor (1982) also received applause. She was also seen in Manzil (1979). Most recently, she appeared in the 2025 Bengali film Aarii. She also played a pivotal role in Shoojit Sircar’s beloved film Piku, in which she portrayed Deepika Padukone’s aunt. The film also starred Amitabh Bachchan and Irrfan Khan.