Anita
Guha (Bengali; 1932 – 20 June 2007) was an Indian Bengali actress
who usually played mythological characters in films. She became known
for playing the title role in Jai Santoshi Maa (1975). Previously,
she had played Sita in other mythological films Sampoorna Ramayana
(1961), Shree Ram Bharat Milap (1965) and, Tulsi Vivah (1971).
Besides this, she also played notable roles in films like Goonj Uthi
Shehnai (1959), Purnima (1965), Pyar Ki Rahen (1959), Gateway of
India (1957), Dekh Kabira Roya (1957) and Sanjog (1961).
She
came to Mumbai in the 1950s as a beauty pageant contestant, when she
was 15 years old. She became an actress there and made her film
debut in Tangewali (1955). She moved onto hit films like "Dekh
Kabira Roya" (1957), Sharada (1957), and Goonj Uthi Shehnai,
for which she earned her only Filmfare nomination of her career as
Best Supporting Actress. In 1961, she appeared as Sita, in
Babubhai Mistry's Sampoorna Ramayana, which made her a household
name.
But
it was her title role in Jai Santoshi Maa (1975) that brought her the
most fame. She had never even heard of goddess Santoshi until she was
offered the role, as this was a little-known goddess. It was only a
guest appearance, and her scenes were shot 10–12 days. She fasted
during the shooting. The low-budget pic was a surprise hit, and
broke box office records while becoming a cultural phenomenon. The
goddess Santoshi now became a famous goddess, and women all over
India worshipped her. People treated the movie theatres showing Jai
Santoshi Maa as a temple, bringing offerings of food, leaving
slippers at the door. Guha claimed that people came to her asking her
to bless them, as they perceived her to be a real goddess. However,
she never became a devotee of the goddess herself, claiming that she
was a devotee of the goddess Kali.
Other
mythological films she acted in include "Kavi Kalidas"
(1959), "Jai Dwarkadesh" (1977) and "Krishna Krishna"
(1986). She wasn't happy that she became typecast as a mythological
actress, because acting offers eventually stopped coming her way. Her
earlier credits include period films such as "Sangeet Samrat
Tansen" (1962), "Kan Kan Mein Bhagwan" (1963), "Veer
Bhimsen" (1964). She played Rajesh Khanna's adoptive mother in
the huge hit Aradhana (1969).
She
was married to actor Manik Dutt; they had no children. After her
husband's death, she lived alone in Mumbai where she died of cardiac
failure on 20 June 2007. Anita Guha is the maternal aunt of actor
Prema Narayan. Prema is the daughter of her sister Anuradha Guha
Anita Dutt's Filmography with Super Star Rajesh Khanna :
- 1969 - Aradhana : as Mrs. Prasad Saxena
- 1972 - Anuraag : as Rajesh's Mother
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