There was a time in Indian cinema when Hindi and Bengali film industries often exchanged stories and also their actors. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement. Hindi movies would be rewarded with great Bengali stories like Bawarchi, and actors and actresses from the Hindi film industry would get featured in Bengali films. It also helped that the Hindi film industry had an excess of filmmakers and performers who were Bengalis. One such talent is Tanuja. Tanuja Birthday: Did You Know The Actress And Her Sister Nutan Made Their Debuts In The Same Film?.

Hailing from an illustrious family of great female performers, Tanuja's talent took her to places. When young and in her prime, her roles were mostly that of a firebrand girl who likes to speak her mind. But Bengali movies gave her ample chance to explore the side of the actress not known to many.

Here are five such Bengali films of Tanuja you should check out:

Deya Neya (Give and Take)

Tanuja plays the elegant and softly brattish daughter of a rich father who is in love with an anonymous singer. The latter happens to be Uttam Kumar who pursues his passion without revealing his identity. Tanuja is extremely graceful and really lovable in the film.

Antony Firingee

A Portuguese connoisseur of Folk songs and culture of Bengali India falls so deeply in love with the art form that he tries to be one of them. Antony is played by Bengali Cinema's greatest actor Uttam Kumar and sees him paired again with Tanuja. The latter here is a widow who becomes Antony's lovable wife. Tanuja does a capable job as someone burdened by the shackles of an unjust society only saved by her husband.

Rajkumari

With Uttam Kumar again, Tanuja makes a spectacular splash as an introverted girl at first and a woman who gets a chance at freedom thanks to her lover. There's heartbreak and loss and Tanuja makes them all seem relatable.

Adalat O Ekti Meye (Court and A Woman)

Gang-raped and ostracised, Tanuja plays a victim who is fighting social injustice all alone. She brings a lot of class and integrity to the portrayal. Tanuja Samarth Birthday: 10 Melodious Songs Featuring the Jewel Thief Actress That Are Simply Gold! (Watch Videos).

Shonar Pahar (Golden Mountain)

Loneliness is the biggest disease that grips many in old age. They are either abandoned by their children or opt to live away from the crowd. Shonar Pahar has Tanuja playing a 70-year-old who lives alone with her son and wife choosing to stay away. She forms an unlikely bond with a 7-year-old boy. Tanuja goes from being a strict and reclusive woman to a grandmother spending great time with her grandchild.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 23, 2023 08:10 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).