Cinema VinesVeteran Indian actress Moushumi Chatterjee, who burst onto the screen in the 1967 Bengali film Balika Badhu as a teenager, has long been a fixture of both Bengali and Hindi cinema. Her early success led to a string of offers and, eventually, a marriage at a young age to Jayanta Mukherjee, the son of legendary singer‑composer Hemant Kumar.
Now in her seventies, Chatterjee shares a fresh perspective on love and marriage with her daughter, Megha Mukherjee. Speaking at the Jagran Film Festival 2026, the veteran told reporters, “You can have a boyfriend, but you don’t have to marry that person.” She urges young women to “be a little selfish and self‑centered” in a world where “change is the only constant,” citing a line from the Bhagavad Gita to support her point.
Chatterjee also criticised the traditional expectation that daughters should care for their in‑laws’ homes while sons are exempt from such duties. She warned that the younger generation is “so stressed” and “doesn’t have time for themselves,” and added, “Don’t do anything to prove it to others.” The 70‑year‑old reflected on her own mistakes, saying she has learned from them and will not repeat them.
When asked how her own marriage came about, Chatterjee recalled that the success of Balika Badhu attracted a long line of marriage proposals. She explained that her wedding was arranged partly because of her ailing aunt’s last wish. “My aunt, who was in the last stage of cancer, asked my father‑in‑law to let me marry. He said yes, and within a month the wedding took place,” she told NDTV earlier this year.
Throughout the 1970s, Chatterjee became one of Hindi cinema’s leading actresses, starring opposite stars such as Amitabh Bachchan, Rajesh Khanna, Dharmendra, Jeetendra, Vinod Khanna and Sanjeev Kumar in films like Anuraag, Roti Kapada Aur Makaan, Benaam, Swarg Narak, Manzil, Angoor and Swayamvar. Her career, coupled with her candid advice on love and self‑care, continues to resonate with audiences today.
