A biography of Moon Moon Sen

Moon Moon Sen is an Indian actress, famous for her work in Bengali, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Marathi and Kannada movies as well as featuring extensively in Bollywood films. A member of a famous Indian acting family which stretches back three generations, she is married to a descendant of the royal family of Tripura state.

Early days

Moon Moon Sen traces her origins to Kolkata, where she was born in to a Bengali family in 1958. Her mother, Suchitra Sen was an actress, as, indeed, are her two daughters today. Her father Dibanath Sen, was the son of one of Kolkata's wealthiest businessmen. Moon Moon Sen was educated in India and England, and graduated from there and concluded her education by receiving a masters in Comparative Literature from Jadavpur University. She has also aspired in interviews to work as a teacher. Sen taught English in a boys' school in Kolkata. After marrying and having children, Sen began her career in acting after first undertaking some modelling assignments for products such as soap. In 1984, she made her Bollywood film debut in a movie called 'Andar Baahar', in a somewhat daring role which caused some controversy.

Fame and fortune

Sen continued to work in Bengali and Bollywood movies until 1994. Films from this period included 'Jaal' (1986), Sheesha (1986), Pyaar Ki Jeet (1987) and Majnu (1987). Although some observers have remarked that Sen has never matched the heights of fame achieved by her mother, who was a huge star of Bengali movies, she has said herself that this comparison is artificial and not one worthy of consideration. “I have never felt the pressure of being my mother’s daughter," she said in an interview with Screenindia.com. "My mother never allowed me to feel it, ever. It is the media that creates a comparison hype which, I feel, is unfair to both of us. Though my mother did not like the idea of my joining films, she was the last to oppose my choice."

Current activities

Sen began working in films again in 2003 with the film 'Kuch To Hai'. She has also worked with her daughter Riya, and there have been reports that she is writing a Bengali cookbook. She continues to receive coverage in India's media, and is frequently seen at the kind of social events which tabloids love to report on. Her career has been graced by the receipt of several awards, including the Nandi State Award, the Kalakendra Screen Award and the Bharat Nirman Award.