The tactless and outspoken Moushumi Chatterjee is in Calcutta for a Tapan Sinha festival, after which she will head back to home base, Mumbai, to help the Mukherjees with Durga Puja this year. Since Shomu Mukherjee (Shashadhar Mukhejee’s son, Tanuja’s husband, Kajol’s dad) passed away a few months ago, the family won’t conduct the main Puja with their own hands for a year. Moushumi, who has been a part of the Mukherjee Puja ever since she got married to Hemant Kumar’s son, has stepped in to personally supervise the ceremony this time. Durga Puja at the Mukherjees thus lives on.

After a short spell of unemployment, Moushumi will also be back in the studios soon. Once upon a time, when they were both in the fray as leading ladies, Moushumi and Aparna Sen hadn’t really hit it off but, after The Japanese Wife (ready but still to be released), the actress and the director seem to have developed a mutual fondness. Aparna has tapped Moushumi for a role in her next film, Goynar Baksho (Jewellery Box), a comedy for a change. This time Aparna has got daughter Konkona Sen Sharma on board (Koko was too busy with her Yash Raj Films when her mom was filming The Japanese Wife, Raima Sen had thus stepped in) and a workshop is slated for January. Great way for Moushumi to begin Year 2009, especially since Deepa Mehta who was in Mumbai recently also asked the actress to keep herself free for a film in mid-2009. Deepa and Moushumi had worked in Hollywood Bollywood a few years ago and have remained in touch with each other ever since.

Additionally, Indu (as Moushumi’s friends know her) is reading Karan Johar’s new script which has Konkona Sen Sharma and Ranbir Kapoor in the lead. It will be directed by Kajol’s cousin, Ayaan Mukherjee, son of Deb Mukherjee. So it’s full circle, back to the Mukherjees.

Deservedly, the talented but tactless Moushumi Chatterjee is finally getting her due. Despite her natural flair for acting, her amazing lack of diplomacy had nearly cost Moushumi her career as a heroine. Opting for motherhood at her prime, flaunting a matronly figure that was far from hour-glass perfect, never hiding the sindoor in her hair and telling her heroes where to get off were all typical Moushumi-isms. At a time when Rajesh Khanna was a superstar and his constant heroines, Sharmila Tagore and Mumtaz, knew just how to keep him on their side, Moushumi had taken him on. She was expecting her first child, Payal, at that time and Rajesh had asked her in a wink, wink moment, is the child your husband Babu’s or is it Vinod Mehra’s? Those were the days when Moushumi chose to work more with Vinod Mehra (who never really made it as an A-grade hero) than with the top-rung guys. Vinod (who died years ago) was actually Babu’s college mate, a loyal friendship that was often misunderstood as a romance between Moushumi and the actor. Anyway, instead of laughing it off as other heroines would have done to humour the superstar, Moushumi had shot back at Rajesh Khanna, ‘Why don’t you go home and check if your child has blue eyes?’ Rajesh’s wife, Dimple had just delivered Twinkle amidst rumours that the young Mrs Khanna had been going around with Bobby co-star Rishi Kapoor, from the famous blue-eyed filmland clan. Of course, Moushumi never figured on Rajesh’s or Rishi’s list of favourites thereafter!

All the characters in the drama have grown up since then and today it’s only Moushumi’s talent that keeps her going. She is back on a par with Sharmila Tagore (in fact, ahead of her in talent) while the other contender, Mumtaz, packed up her career years ago.

By the way, heard a story on the other Bengalan, Jaya Bhaduri. It’s a story which reiterates that Jaya doesn’t identify herself as a UP-ite purely for political reasons or to make headlines. Says singer Nitin Mukesh, when he requested Jaya to please do the honours as chief guest at a new auditorium in Kanpur owned by his daughter Neha’s in-laws, Mrs B accepted the invitation. When Nitin tried to arrange air tickets for her, Jaya admonished him saying, ‘Are you going to ask your daughter’s family for air tickets, Nitin?’ Unlike celebrities who want to be paid even for a Namaste, Jaya not only flew down on her own but refused to allow any of the hosts to meet her at the airport. ‘They will have enough to do at the auditorium. I’ll find my way, I’m in UP after all.’ Jaya may have had the Mulayam Singh machinery at her disposal but the point is, she truly believes she’s at home in UP. And maintains the dignity expected of a UP bahu.

Bharathi S. Pradhan is managing editor Movie Mag International