Published on: August 22, 2026
The 14th edition of Rajnigandha Presents Jagran Film Festival (JFF) celebrated the enduring legacy of veteran actor Moushumi Chatterjee with a special retrospective dedicated to her remarkable body of work. As part of the tribute, the festival also screened her much-loved film Anuraag, giving audiences an opportunity to revisit one of the memorable performances from her celebrated career. The retrospective was complemented by a candid interaction with Moushumi, where she shared personal anecdotes from her early years in Mumbai, offering the audience a glimpse into the woman behind the iconic screen persona.
Recalling her move from Kolkata to Mumbai after marriage, Moushumi spoke about adjusting to a new city and its unfamiliar customs. With her characteristic warmth and humour, she remembered that she was still in school when she got married and how one of her earliest encounters with Mumbai’s everyday language left her completely amused. What began with her learning the term ‘Bai’ from an elderly housemaid eventually turned into a hilarious moment during a visit to legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar’s home.
Sharing the anecdote, Moushumi Chatterjee said: “After my marriage, I came from Kolkata to Bombay, and I was still in school when I got married. One day, I asked an elderly lady who worked at home, ‘What should I call you?’ She said, ‘Mala Bai bolav—call me Bai.’ A few days later, my father-in-law, Hemant Kumar, told me that we had to go to Lata Mangeshkar’s house because she had specifically asked him to bring his daughter-in-law. So I dressed up in a beautiful Paithani sari with matching jewellery. When I stepped out of the car, someone announced, ‘Moushumi Bai has arrived!’ I thought, ‘What? I am dressed like this, and they are calling me Bai?’ I was furious. And just when I started getting angry, somebody announced, ‘Lata Bai has arrived too!’ I thought, ‘Well, if Lata ji is called Bai, then I can be called Bai too.’”
The laughter-filled exchange offered a glimpse into Moushumi’s ability to turn even the simplest memories into stories that stay with you. Her candid recollection added a deeply personal dimension to the retrospective, allowing audiences to connect with the actor not only through the films she has given Indian cinema, but also through the warmth, wit and memories that have accompanied her remarkable journey over the decades.
