Film career When Sabitri Chatterjee was in class ten, she was noticed by veteran actor
Bhanu Banerjee who picked her up for a role in
Natun Ihudi, a play of Uttar Sarathi group theatre on the refugees from
East Pakistan. The play was being directed by
Kanu Banerjee – the actor who would later perform as
Harihar Roy, in
Satyajit Ray's
Pather Panchali and
Aparajito. Sabitri also acted the film version of the play which was released in 1953. She made her big screen debut in
Uttam Kumar starrer
Sahajatri (1951) directed by
Agradoot and appeared as her first female lead in Sudhir Mukherjee's comedy film
Pasher Bari (1952) which was a major success at box office. Sabitri Chatterjee's next film assignment was
Subhada (1952) – a film based on a novel by
Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay and directed by Niren Lahiri along with
Chhabi Biswas and
Pahari Sanyal. In this film, she played the role of an unfortunate girl named Lalana. In the same year, she appeared in the
Uttam Kumar starrer family drama
Basu Poribar (1952), directed by
Nirmal Dey, which had
Supriya Devi in the role of Uttam Kumar's sister. Sabitri and Uttam Kumar had been friends since 1951,
Uttam Kumar offered her to act in a theatrical production to be produced by his group Krishti O Srishti. The Uttam-Sabitri combination became a favourite of the Bengali cine-goers and their friendship withstood strong but false rumours of marriage. This TV serial is also aired in Star Jalsha. She acted in an Indian Bengali show named
Andarmahal, which aired on the popular Bengali entertainment channel Zee Bangla. ==Awards==