Happy birthday Seema!

On this day in 1965, Seema was born in Assam, to the culturally rich family of Jagdish and Meera Biswas. Jagdish, who was into construction, harbored a deep love for the arts, while Meera, a history teacher at an art school, had made her mark as a pioneer in Assamese theatre. Seema's siblings were immersed in the world of music and dance, with her father envisioning Seema as a singer and her mother dreaming of her as an actress.

As a teenager, Seema Biswas began her theatrical adventure, encouraged (rather forced) by her mother. Her performances in the local plays started enchanting audiences. It soon became clear that her own passion lay in acting. To pursue this dream, after graduating in Political Science, with flying colors, she joined the esteemed National School of Drama. After graduating at NSD, she became a member of the NSD Repertory Company, where she honed her skills and gained invaluable experience.

Her years at the Repertory Company saw her shine in numerous celebrated plays, including Jeevan Mrityu, an adaptation of a poignant tale by Rabindranath Tagore, and Rudaali, inspired by a work of Mahasweta Devi, among others. Even as she ventured into the realm of cinema, her fervor for theatre remained undiminished. In the year 2000, her exceptional contributions to Hindi theatre were recognized with the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, a testament to her remarkable talent and dedication.

One of her standout performances was in the unforgettable play Khubsurat Bahu at the NSD Repertory Company. This captivating role drew the attention of renowned filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, who subsequently cast her in Bandit Queen, marking a pivotal moment and one of the most significant roles of her career.

Undoubtedly, one of the finest in Indian cinema, Seema's impressive filmography extends beyond Bandit Queen, featuring notable works such as Krishnan Kartha's Amshini, Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Khamoshi: The Musical, Suraj Barjatya's Vivah, Deepa Mehta's Water, Anatomy of Violence, and Midnight's Children. She also appeared in Govind Nihlani's Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa, Shyam Benegal's Samar, Dr. Chandraprakash Dwivedi's Pinjar, Ram Gopal Verma's Company and Bhoot, Sriram Raghavan's Ek Haseena Thi, Samar Khan's Shaurya, Mahesh Manjrekar's City of Gold, Sandeep Varma's Manjunath, K Rajagopal's A Yellow Bird, among many others.

In addition, Seema took on a groundbreaking role in David Atkins's Queens! Destiny of Dance, making history as the first female actor in India to portray a transsexual character. The film featured performances by Vineeth and transgender activist Laxmi Narayan Tripathi.

In 1996, Seema Biswas was celebrated with the National Award for Best Actress and the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for her extraordinary role as Phoolan Devi in Bandit Queen. Four years later, in 2000, she received the Sangeet Natak Academy Award, recognizing her significant contributions to Hindi theatre. That same year, she also won the Screen Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Flavy, a deaf and mute character, in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Khamoshi. Her impressive accolades continued in 2006 when she earned a Canadian Screen Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of the character of Shakuntala in Water. She played the twins Shakuntala and Gayatri in the movie. 

To celebrate Seema's 60th birthday today, I want to highlight some of my favorite performances of hers.

Bandit Queen is a biographical film that tells the story of Phoolan Devi, inspired by Mala Sen’s book, India's Bandit Queen: The True Story of Phoolan Devi. Directed by Shekhar Kapur, the film features Seema Biswas in the lead role. It received several accolades, including the National Film Award for Best Feature Film, as well as the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Film and Best Direction that year. Seema also was honored with the National Award for Best Actress for her role. Bandit Queen is available on Prime Video. 

Ek Hasina Thi is a neo-noir action thriller helmed by Sriram Raghavan. Seema delivers a powerful performance as ACP Malati Vaidya, a pivotal character in the story. The film, along with the standout performances from Saif Ali Khan, Urmila Matondkar, and Seema Biswas, garnered significant critical praise. The movie is available on Prime Video. 

Water is a film crafted by Deepa Mehta, who also directed it, with a screenplay penned by Anurag Kashyap. This movie serves as the third and concluding chapter of Mehta's Elements trilogy, following the earlier works Fire and Earth. Both the film itself and Seema's performance as Shakuntala received widespread critical acclaim. Unfortunately, the movie is not available on any streaming platform in India. 

Seema's portrayal of Rama in Sooraj Barjatya's audience-loved film Vivah is unforgettable. This film stands out as one of her most recognized mainstream successes, showcasing her as a quintessential villain. She perfectly embodied the wicked stepmother archetype, making the audience despise her character. What greater praise could there be for an actor than to evoke such strong feelings? Available on Prime Video and Zee5.

Khamoshi: The Musical is a captivating romantic musical that showcases Sanjay Leela Bhansali's directorial debut. The film features Manisha Koirala in a standout role as Annie, alongside the remarkable performances of Nana Patekar and Seema Biswas as her deaf-mute parents. All three have been widely praised for their exceptional portrayals, often regarded as some of their finest work. Available on Prime Video. 

Wishing Seema a happy 60th!