Raima Sen

Raima Sen (Bengali born Raima Dev Varma on 11 November 1979) is an Indian film actress.

Early life

She is the daughter of Moon Moon Sen and the granddaughter of legendary actress Suchitra Sen. Her sister, Riya Sen, is also in the Bollywood industry. Their father Bharat Dev Varma is a member of the royal family of Tripura.^[1] Her paternal grandmother, Ila Devi, was the princess ofCooch Behar, whose younger sister Gayatri Devi was the Maharani of Jaipur.^[1] Her paternal great-grandmother Indira was the only daughter of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III of Baroda.^[2][3]Raima's maternal great-grandfather Adinath Sen was a prominent Kolkata businessman, whose father Dinanath Sen - a relative of former Union Law Minister Ashoke Kumar Sen- was the Diwanor a Minister of the Maharaja of Tripura.^[4] The sisters are credited on-screen under their mother's maiden name, although their official papers carry the surname Dev Varma.^[5]

Career

Sen made her debut in the film Godmother, which was a critically acclaimed success, but her minor role may have been overlooked in favour of the protagonist, played by Shabana Azmi. She then starred in the film Daman playing Raveena Tandon's daughter, where her small performance was appreciated.

Her breakthrough role came when she starred in the Rituparno Ghosh's film Chokher Bali. She won much praise for her role as the simple, submissive Ashalata. After a few more average movies she had a critically acclaimed hit in 2005 with Parineeta, where she played the playmate of the film's heroine, essayed by the debutante Vidya Balan. Since then she has had two more hits with the action thriller Dus and the Bengali film Antar Mahal (where she had a very small role). Most recently, she appeared in the film The Bong Connection (co-starringShayan Munshi).

She has signed her first Tamil film and she is expected to do more south Indian films. She has yet, however, to play the leading role in any hit movie.

Personal life

Raima's public profile and image is much lower-key and more demure than that of her sister Riya who has been compared more to their mother. Raima is also said to resemble her grandmother much more than either her mother or her sister.^[6] Journalists who meet her describe her as easy to talk to, and devoid of starry airs.

In an interview, she says while she enjoys Mumbai's faster pace of life, its gyms and its nightclubs, she misses her family in Kolkata, her dog Cuddles, and Kolkata's street food, notably Jhal Muri and Aloo Chaat.^[7]

Awards

• 2006: BFJA-Most Promising Actress Award : for Nishi Japan^[8]

Filmography

• Mirch (2010) ... Maya/Manjula
• Natobar Not Out (2010) (Bengali)
• Mumbai Cutting (2009) (Completed) (segment "Jo Palti Nahin Woh Rickshaw Kya")
• Mere Khwabon Mein Jo Aaye (2009) ... Maya
• Teen Patti (2010)
• The Japanese Wife (2010) (Bengali) ... Sandhya
• Mukhbiir (2008)
• C Kkompany (2008) ... Priya
• Dhariya (2008)
• Khela (2008) (Bengali)
• Meridian Lines (2007) ... Jyoti
• Migration (2007) ... Yamuna
• Sunglass (2007) (Bengali)
• Manorama Six Feet Under (2007) ... Sheetal/Neetu
• Yatra (2007)
• Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd. (2007) ... Milly P. Sen
• Eklavya: The Royal Guard (2007) ... Princess Nandini
• Anuranan (2006) (BENGALI) ... Preeti A - Bannerjee
• The Bong Connection (2006) (Bengali)
• Antar Mahal (2005) (Bengali) ... Rukmini (Special Appearance)
• Dus (2005) ... Priya
• 99.9 FM (2005) ... Kim G. Singh
• Parineeta (2005) ... Koyal (Lolita's sister)
• Nishijapon (2005) (Bengali) ... Sunita
• Dhairyam (2005) ... Mallika (Telugu)
• Swapner Din (2004) (Bengali)
• Fun2shh... Dudes in the 10th Century (2003) ... Junali
• Chokher Bali (2003) (Bengali) ... Ashalata
• Nil Nirjane (2003) (Bengali)
• Daman: A Victim of Marital Violence (2001) ... Deepa Saikia
• Godmother (1999) ... Sejal

Posted in: Indian film actresses (celebrity)