Apr 27, 2025 10:12 AM IST
Moushumi Chatterjee had a reputation for not putting up with misbehaviour, even from leading Bollywood stars.
Actor Moushumi Chatterjee is not known to hold back. The veteran actor was always outspoken and known as somebody who did not take any misbehaviour lying down. There were stories of her lashing out at and even slapping male co-stars if they crossed the line. In a recent interview, Moushumi addressed that and how her being outspoken cost her roles. (Also read: Moushumi Chatterjee calls Rajesh Khanna ‘egoistic’, says this about Amitabh Bachchan)
Moushumi Chatterjee on slapping male actors
In an interview with Subhash K Jha, Moushumi was reminded of the times when she ‘slapped actors who misbehaved’. The actor responded, “They deserved it, they were sexist, but I don’t blame them for this. You have to see both sides of the coin. The heroes used to flirt with the heroines, and they expected the heroines to reciprocate. That is the only way they knew. They didn’t know any other way. Men are brought up with mothers pampering them, wives pampering them, sisters pampering them.”
In the same interview, Moushumi also spoke about never compromising with her dignity and how it cost her several roles. When asked about what led to her being replaced in Gulzar’s Koshish by Jaya Bachchan, Moushumi said, “That’s because I would never compromise with my dignity, no matter what. All that is in the past. Gulzar and I made up and did Angoor many years later. Coincidentally, Haribhai (Sanjeev Kumar) was my hero in Koshish, and also in Angoor. I lost a lot of roles as I wouldn’t pander to anyone’s ego.”
Moushumi Chatterjee’s life and career
Moushumi debuted in films as a child heroine in the 1967 film Balika Badhu. Five years later, she made her Hindi film debut with Anuraag. In the 70s, she worked with most of the top stars like Amitabh Bachchan, Vinod Khanna, Rajesh Khanna, but found a hit pairing oppsoite Vinod Mehra. After 1985, she transitioned to supporting roles. She was most recently seen in the Bengali film Aarii, which released earlier this year.
