Veteran Indian actress Sharmila Tagore is all set to walk the red carpet of Cannes Film Festival 2025 to attend the screening of Aranyer Din Ratri (1970) at the Cannes Classics. She will be there with her co-actor Simi Garewal at the screening of the 4K restored version of Satyajit Ray's film. Tagore has been to the Cannes Film Festival several times because of her long career in cinema. She also served as a Jury member of the 62nd Cannes festival in 2009. In the final part of The Apu Trilogy, she made her acting debut in Apur Sansar (1959). Since then, she has appeared in several prominent Ray films including Devi (1960), Nayak (1966) and Seemabaddha (1971).
Devi (1960): Sharmila Tagore plays the character of Doyamoyee, who is married into an orthodox and conservative Bengali household. The film's plot starts when her father-in-law, Kalikinkar (Chhabi Biswas) sees his daughter-in-law in his dream as an incarnation of the goddess. The next day he begins to worship her and soon, the whole village follows. Tagore poignantly essays the character of Doyamoyee who is now trapped in this imposed divinity by her father-in-law. Her performance underlines the torn individuality of Doyamoyee, who is stuck in the tug-of-war between human and divine power. The film is a critique on blind faith, patriarchy and how society oppresses women.
Aranyer Din Ratri (1970): Tagore plays the role of Aparna, a modern, educated, and composed woman. An adaptation of Sunil Gangopadhyay's novel, the film revolves around four urban men from Calcutta who take a short vacation in the forests of Palamau. Tagore’s Aparna plays the love interest of Soumitra Chatterjee, played by Asim. However, her character is not merely a love interest in the film. In Ray's exploration of class and identity, Aparna is able to challenge and reflect the hypocrisy of the men in the film.
Seemabaddha (1971): In Seemabaddha, Tagore plays the character of Tutul who is the sister-in-law of the protagonist Shyamalendu Chatterjee ( Barun Chanda). It is based on the novel of the same name by Mani Shankar Mukherjee. Though her role is not central, but through her eyes, we see the world of Calcutta and Shyamalendu. Initially, she admires his success but later in the movie, she questions him without being preachy. She is a silent observer throughout the film, who bears witness to Ray's exploration of capitalism and urban alienation.
Nayak (1966): The film revolves around a Bengali Matinee idol Arindam Mukherjee (Uttam Kumar), who is travelling to Delhi to receive a national award. On the train journey, he meets a journalist, Aditi Sengupta, essayed by Tagore. Aditi is a sharp journalist who runs a women's magazine named Adhunika. Her character is that of an outspoken woman who has no interest in the world of cinema. She tries to take an interview of Arindam about his life and career for her magazine but later becomes his counselor. Her character shines in the film because her probing questions lead to revelations about the insecurities of a big star.
Apur Sansar (1959): In her debut role, Tagore plays the character of Aparna, a 14-year-old young bride of Apu (Soumitra Chatterjee). Her transformation arc from a shy teenager to a wife who commands authority was highly-revered as graceful and expressive. The chemistry between the two protagonists was also well received by the audience. The film explores the themes of love and loss and is still remembered as her career best till date.
