Rajeshwari Raychowdhury
{{Short description|Indian actress}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox actor
| name = Rajeshwari Raychowdhury
| image = Rajeshwari Raychowdhury.jpeg
| caption = Raychowdhury in 1987
| birth_date = 1952
| birth_place = Bhowanipore, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| death_date = 1994
| death_place = Kolkata, West Bengal
| citizenship = Indian
| alma_mater = {{ubl|Beltala Girls' High School|Jogamaya Devi College}}
| occupation = {{hlist|Actress{{sfn|Biswas|1991|p=201}}}}
| mother = Kabita Sinha{{Cite web |title=ফিরে দেখা কবিতা সিংহ |url=https://www.kaliokalam.com/%E0%A6%AB%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%87-%E0%A6%A6%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%96%E0%A6%BE-%E0%A6%95%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BE-%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%82%E0%A6%B9/ |access-date=2025-05-22 |language=en-US}}
| father = Bimal Raychowdhury
| partner = Abhishek Chatterjee (1986—1991)
| children = 3
| years_active = 1973, 1979—1994
}}
Rajeshwari Raychowdhury (1952—1994) was an Indian actress who is recognized for her work in Bengali cinema.{{Cite web |date=2025-04-09 |title=অভিষেকের কোলে বয়সে বড় রাজেশ্বরী, অসম লিভইন সম্পর্ক নিয়ে চর্চা |url=https://www.thewall.in/entertainment/abhishek-chatterjee-rajeswari-roychowdhury-livein-relationship/tid/155329 |access-date=2025-05-22 |website=TheWall |language=bn}}{{Cite web |last=Bangla |first=Jago |date=2024-01-13 |title=খলচরিত্রে বাংলার অভিনেত্রীরা |url=https://jagobangla.in/bengali-actresses-as-villain/ |access-date=2025-05-22 |website=JagoBangla |language=en-US}} The daughter of the eminent faminist writer Kabita Sinha, she made her big screen debut in Purnendu Patri's Strir Patra (1973) which was based on Rabindranath Tagore's short story of the same name.{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Actor Live In Relation: বয়সে বড় ও তিন সন্তানের মায়ের সঙ্গে লিভ-ইন সম্পর্ক, কেমন ছিল অভিষেক-রাজেশ্বরীর অসম প্রেম কাহিনি? |url=https://bengali.indianexpress.com/entertainment/abhishek-chatterjee-live-in-relationship-with-late-actress-rajeshwari-raychowdhury-8965172 |access-date=2025-05-22 |website=bengali.indianexpress.com |language=bn}} Afterwards, she appeared in films such as Job Charnaker Bibi (1979), Sansarer Itikatha (1983), Rajpurush (1987), Dolonchanpa (1987), Devi Baran (1988), Shatru Pakhha (1989). Her relationship with Abhishek Chatterjee attracted significant media attention.{{Cite web |date=2022-03-24 |title=কেরিয়ারে ধাক্কা, ভুল নারীসঙ্গ, অবসাদ! ভাসান হল টলিউডের কার্তিক ঠাকুরের |url=https://www.thewall.in/entertainment/abhishek-chatterjee-life-story/tid/68231 |access-date=2025-05-22 |website=ThewWall |language=en}}
Early life
Rajeshwari was born in 1952, to the Bengali Writer Bimal Raychowdhury and the Bengali poet Kabita Sinha. Parameshwari Raychowdhury and Konad Raychowdhury are her younger siblings. Her parents had to work very hard to make both ends meet.{{Cite web |title=নারীর রূপকে কবিতা সিংহ নারীর মননশীল অস্তিত্বের শত্রু বলে মনে করতেন |url=https://robbar.in/daily-update/an-article-about-kabita-singha/ |access-date=2025-05-26 |website=Robbar |language=en-US}}
Career
Raychowdhury made her debut in Purnendu Patri's Strir Patra (1973) which was based on Rabindranath Tagore's short story of the same name.{{Cite web |last=Bangla |first=TV9 |date=2025-01-13 |title=বয়সে ছোট নায়কের সঙ্গে 'লিভ ইন'! কী ভাবে মৃত্যু হয় নায়িকা রাজেশ্বরীর? |url=https://tv9bangla.com/entertainment/how-did-90s-actress-rajeswari-roychowdhury-died-1153745.html |access-date=2025-05-22 |website=TV9 Bangla |language=bn}} The film well documents the subjugated and dominated womanhood of the 20th century Indian society. It stars Madhabi Mukherjee in the lead. Rajeshwari portrayed Bindu, a teenage girl who is sheltered by the in-laws of her elder sister. Bindu is considered a burden in the family and is compelled to overwork throughout the entire day. The only person who is kind to her is Mrinal played by Mukherjee. Bindu later marries an insane person and kills herself to end the oppression by her in-laws.{{Cite web |title=স্ত্রীর পত্র (১৯৭৩) |url=https://banglacinema100.com/movie-details/UW14NFIwNHZlRGg1VVd3ck9FVjZPVkZYYUVGTFFUMDk= |access-date=2025-05-22 |website=banglacinema100.com}} Upon release, the film won critical favour.
Rajeshwari took a six-year sabbatical to complete her education and returned to silver screen with Job Charnaker Bibi (1979) based on Pratap Chandra Chunder's novel of the same name.{{Cite news |title=কলকাতার কড়চা: প্রান্তিক ইতিহাসের অনুসন্ধান |url=https://www.anandabazar.com/west-bengal/kolkata/kolkata-korcha-in-search-for-the-terminal-history-of-dumdum-1.1024198 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240619113604/https://www.anandabazar.com/west-bengal/kolkata/kolkata-korcha-in-search-for-the-terminal-history-of-dumdum-1.1024198 |archive-date=2024-06-19 |access-date=2025-05-22 |language=bn}} The film starred Soumitra Chatterjee as Job Charnock while she portrayed the role of Leela, Charnock's wife.{{Cite web |title=জব চার্নকের বিবি (১৯৭৯) |url=https://banglacinema100.com/movie-details/Y1RGbFpqYzFWSFp6YmxoUVlWbHJWRWRzVVdGWlFUMDk= |access-date=2025-05-22 |website=banglacinema100.com}} She performed in the lead opposite Tapas Paul in the drama Rupasi.{{Cite web |title=সংলাপ যেন ঠোঁটে লেগে থাকে, বলতেন তাপস |url=https://www.anandabazar.com/west-bengal/nadia-murshidabad/bengali-actor-tapas-paul-death-tapas-paul-used-to-say-dialogue-should-be-in-lips-1.1111149 |access-date=24 May 2025 |website=www.anandabazar.com}} She featured in Sujit Guha's love-triangle Dolanchanpa (1987) alongside Sandhya Roy and Ranjit Mallick.{{Cite web |title=দোলন চাঁপা (১৯৮৭) |url=https://banglacinema100.com/movie-details/WWxKSFVXdFJjMDloUzJkQ1dHMTRXVEo1Tms0elFUMDk= |access-date=2025-05-23 |website=banglacinema100.com}}
Personal life
Rajeshwari had two daughters and a son. In late 1980s, She left her husband to settle with Abhishek Chatterjee in the latter's apartment in South Kolkata. Her relationship with Chatterjee was highly speculated in media.
Death
After her separation from Abhishek Chatterjee, Raychowdhury turned alcoholic and eventually developed cirrhosis. In 1994, she died of Hepatitis B in Kolkata.
Filmography
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" |
| scope="col"|Year
!scope="col"|Title !scope="col"|Role !scope="col"|{{Refh|multi=yes}} |
|---|
| 1973
! scope="row" | Strir Patra |Bindu | |
| 1979
! scope="row" | Job Charnocker Bibi |Leela |
| rowspan="2"|1983
! scope="row" | Sansarer Itikatha | |{{sfn|Sur|1999|p=207}} |
| scope="row"|Utsarga
| |
| rowspan="2" |1984
! scope="row"|Rashiphal | |
| scope="row"|Uncle
| |
| rowspan="7" |1986
! scope="row"|Abhishap | | |
| scope="row"|Anurager Choya
| | |
| scope="row"|Daktar Bou
| |
| scope="row"|Dui Adhyay
| |
| scope="row"|Shyam Saheb
| |
| scope="row"|Tin Purush
| | |
| scope="row"|Urbashi
| | |
| rowspan="2" |1987
! scope="row"|Dabar Chal | |
| scope="row" |Dolan Chanpa
|Dolan |
| rowspan="4" |1988
! scope="row"|Aghat | |
| scope="row"|Devibaran
|Lalita | |
| scope="row"|Deepsikha
| | |
| scope="row"|Parashmoni
| | |
| rowspan="4" |1989
! scope="row"|Asha | | |
| scope="row"|Jhankar
| | |
| scope="row"|Shatru Pakhha
| | |
| scope="row"|Srimati Hangsaraj
| |
| rowspan="4" |1990
! scope="row"|Bhanga-Gara | |
| scope="row"|Chakranta
| | |
| scope="row"|Garmil
| |
| scope="row"|Nyaydanda
| | |
| rowspan="4" |1991
! scope="row"|Jiban Pradip | | |
| scope="row"|Prem Pujari
| | |
| scope="row"|Rajnartaki
| | |
| scope="row"|Shubho Kamana
| | |
| rowspan="2" |1992
! scope="row"|Ananya | | |
| scope="row"|Krodhi
| | |
| rowspan="3" |1993
! scope="row"|Krantikal | | |
| scope="row"|Shakti
| | |
| scope="row"|Shanka
| | |
| 1994
! scope="row"|Mahabharati | | |
| rowspan="2" |1995
!scope="row"|Jiban Yuddha | | |
| scope="row" |Mashal
| | |
| 1996
! scope="row"|Sinthir Sindur | | |
| 1997
! scope="row"|Jiban Sandhan | |
Notes
{{Notelist}}
References
{{Reflist}}
Bibliography
- {{Cite book|last=Biswas|first=Krishnakali|title=A Nagarir Nari Katha|year=1991|publisher=Firma K L M Private Limited|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.266229/page/n208/mode/1up}}
- {{Cite book|last=Sur|first=Ansu|title=Bengali Film Directory|year=1999
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R-hkAAAAMAAJ&q=Rajeshwari+Raychowdhury}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|id=3778322}}
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