Biography
Lily Chakraborty is primarily a Bengali actress renowned for her natural acting style. She has appeared in numerous Bollywood films as well. While she often played character roles, she also starred as the heroine in several movies. Notably, she was the lead in the 1970 Malayalam film 'Priya.' Additionally, she has acted in Bhojpuri and Assamese films, along with performances in stage plays and TV serials.
Born on August 8, 1941, in Dhaka, Lily is the daughter of Kesab Chandra Chakraborty and Dipti Chakraborty. She made her film debut as a supporting actress in "Bhanu Pelo Lottery" (1958) and subsequently featured in Bengali films such as 'Adwitiya,' 'Fuleswari,' 'Mukhjay Paribar,' and 'Janani.' In 1973, she starred as the heroine in Gulzar’s sensitive film 'Achanak,' which tells the story of a handsome, devoted Army officer returning home after the 1971 war only to discover his wife loves another man. Vinod Khanna played the lead, with Iftekhar as a police officer and Farida Jalal as a nurse. She also appeared in Gulzar’s 1975 hit 'Mausam,' alongside Sanjeev Kumar, Sharmila Tagore, and Om Shivpuri.
In 1975, she acted with Mallika Sarabhai in 'Mutti Bhar Chawal,' directed by Surendra Shailaj. In the popular film 'Chupke Chupke,' starring Dharmendra and Sharmila Tagore, she portrayed Lata Kumar Srivastav under the direction of Hrishikesh Mukherjee. She also appeared as Geeta A. Prasad, wife of Amitabh Bachchan’s character, in Mukherjee’s 1977 film 'Alaap.' In 1989, she featured in Mrinal Sen’s 'Ek Din Achanak,' starring Shabana Azmi.
Lily Chakraborty worked in two Satyajit Ray films: 'Jana Aranya' (1976) and 'Shakha Proshakha.' Her lead role in the Malayalam film 'Priya' (1970), directed by Madhu in his directorial debut and based on a novel by C. Radhakrishnan, saw Madhu himself as the hero. In 2009, she acted in the Assamese film 'Basundhara,' which won the National Award for Best Feature Film in Assamese. Directed and produced by Hiren Bora, the film addressed the conflict between humans and elephants faced by forest dwellers.
