From Teen Kanya to The Rapist, Aparna Sen’s works reflect her mantra of constant change and evolution

As Aparna Sen turns 76, here's a deep dive into her works and their relevance in present society.

Aparna Sen is an eminent actor and director who has received nine National Film Awards and a Padma Shri (the fourth-highest civilian award of India) for her filmmaking achievements. Her acting career took off with a role in Satyajit Ray's Teen Kanya (1961) when she was sixteen. Her first film as director 36 Chowringhee Lane (1981), received positive reviews from critics and won the Grand Prix at the Manila International Film Festival. Over a glittering career spanning six decades, Sen has cemented herself into the history of Indian cinema with her acting and directorial accomplishments.

Aparna Sen was born in 1945 to a Bengali family in Kolkata. She studied at Modern High School and pursued a Bachelor of Arts from Presidency College, Kolkata but did not complete the degree. Her early acting career included brief stints in commercial theatres. She was also the editor of the popular Sananda magazine for a long time. Since her debut as Mrinmoyee in Teen Kanya in 1961, Sen has acted in several critically acclaimed films like Basanta Bilap (1973) and Jay Jayanti (1971). Her beauty, graceful screen presence, and charm shone through each role. Yet her films were never only about her elegant appearances, but characters that were progressive and determined.

In Basanta Bilap (1973) Aparna Sen and Soumitra Chatterjee’s brilliant acting punctuated some of the best comic sequences ever and tickled the funny bone of a generation of cinephiles. The film follows the sweet and sour relationship between four close friends and four girls from the neighbouring Girls' hostel. In Jay Jayanti (1971) Sen effortlessly essayed the role of a governess to a group of kids and wooed the critics with her seamless screen presence. Arguably one of Sen’s most memorable performances, 2009’s Antaheen saw her share screen space with Radhika Apte and Rahul Bose. The film eventually went on to win four National Awards.

In 1981, when directing was mainly a male monopoly, Aparna Sen switched to the other side of the camera with her directorial debut, 36 Chowringhee Lane. The film delves into the unsettling nostalgia in a fast-changing world where it is possible to be forgotten by the people you love the most. She followed it up with a series of thoughtful, nuanced, and engaging films. Sen received the New York Film Festival award for the best director for her film, Iti Mrinalini: An Unfinished Letter(2011). The film follows Mrinalini Mitra (Konkona Sen Sharma), an ageing actress who writes a suicide note before overdosing on sleeping pills. As the actress destroys the documents about her past life, she begins to relive her colourful youth.

Aparna Sen’s other films like Paromitar Ekdin (2000), Mr. and Mrs. Iyer (2002) Goynar Baksho (2013), Arshinagar (2015), and Sonata (2017) have received positive reviews from film critics and propelled her into the list of the best Bengali filmmakers of all time. Sen’s most recent Hindi film, The Rapist starring her daughter Konkona Sen Sharma and Arjun Rampal, has ruffled feathers with its thought-provoking storyline. The film examines the psyche of rapists and the societal influence responsible for producing perpetrators of the heinous crime. The Rapist also bagged the Kim Jiseok award at 26th Busan International Film Festival, 2021.

Despite not being directly involved in politics, Aparna Sen is known for being vocal on socio-political issues. In Ghare Baire Aaj she demonstrates her political views with more nuance than Satyajit Ray’s version that was filmed against the backdrop of nationalistic fervour during the 1905 Bengal partition. Instead, Sen’s film is set in the present times where mob lynchings are common, and there is a growing demand to speak, think, and retaliate in common rhetoric. The definition of nationalism is increasingly becoming polarised and the unity in diversity is being replaced by intolerant extremism. Ghare Baire Aaj leaves the audience with a terrifying reminder that the more things change, the more they remain the same.

Sen’s body of work speaks for itself. But the most commendable part of the narrative still lies in the fact that she continues to experiment and push her boundaries to explore new avenues. With her continuous efforts through her films, Sen has ensured that she always pushes the conversation on change and evolution forward. Always one to speak her mind, Sen’s persona more than shines through her unconventional style of filmmaking.

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