Tanuja

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Tanuja was born in a Maharashtrian family of film line. She has three sisters including the actress Nutan. Her Grandmother RattanBai and Nalini Jaywant were also actresses. Tanuja's parents Kumarsen Samarth and Shobhna Samarth parted ways and she was linked with Motilal for many years. Shobhana produced debut films for Tanuja and her older sister Nutan. Her two other sisters Chatura an artist and Reshma who didn't take up in films. she has one brother Jaideep who is also not in the film line. Tanuja married filmmaker Shomu Mukherjee in 1973 and has two daughters both actresses , Kajol and Tanisha. Kajol is married to actor Ajay Devgn. Shomu died on 10th April in 2008 due to heart attack at the age of 64. Filmmakers Joy Deb and Ram are her brothers-in-law. She is the aunt to actors Mohnish Behl , Rani and Sharbani and Film Director Ayan Mukherjee. Tanuja was ahead of her times and is known to have enjoyed smoking and would smoke openly which did not go well with her image in the media and Bollywood. Tanuja is remembered for her bubbly roles and is a versatile actress . She started her acting career with her older sister Nutan in Hamari Beti in 1950 as baby Tanuja. As an adult her debut film was Chhabili in 1960 which was directed by her mother and her sister Nutan in the lead role. The film that truly marked her transition from a child star to the adult heroine came with Hamari Yaad Aayegi in 1961 directed by Kedar Sharma. Tanuja had wish to produce a film for her daughter Kajol who had just entered into the films then but it ran into losses and the film got shelved. She has now started a company called T. Mukherjee along with her daughter Tanishaa. The 'T Mukherjee' stands for Tanuja and Tanishaa Mukerji . Her daughter Tanishaa became popular with her participating in the reality show ' Big Boss'. Tanuja hopes to make films with a social message some day but with no gyaan and will be working along with Ajay Devgn and Kajol's expertise in the films. She is looking at producing for her home productions both in Hindi and Regional films to reach out to the larger audience. She has been getting offers even till date to do films but she is not keen to play the stereo type Mother roles . She believes the film has to be enjoyable and says she is not judgmental. A few years back there lot of gossip was on her and her sister Nutan not getting along and had an open case in the court for 23 years but she gets along very well with Nutan's son, Actor Mohnish Behl as the past is all forgotten. Tanuja being married to a Bengali observes Durga Puja and the family meet every year.

Tanuja who predominantly worked in the Hindi Film Industry was a part of the Mukherjee-Samarth family both from the filmline so she was not new to the industry. One of her early films that won her appreciation was her acting in the film Baharen Phir Bhi Ayengi in 1966 directed by Shaheed Latif. Incidentally it was Guru Dutt's team's last offering especially visible in the film ' Woh Hanske Mile Humse ' in which Guru Dutt worked hard to help her ' tone down' her performance. The result of which was her acting that had spontaneity and she gave a highly restrained performance which became the highlight of the film, as well gave a kickstart to her film career. As she moved up to gain popularity and got leading roles one after another. Tanuja had a supporting roles too . She did a big film with Jeetendra in Jeene Ki Raah in 1969 and was considered as a Surprise hit in the same year for which she won the Best Actress Award by Film fare. for Paisa Ya Pyaar. Her next hit film was ''Haathi Mere Saathi' opposite to Rajesh Khanna in 1971 who was then the Superstar of the Indian Cinema. She acted in several films like Door Ka Raahi, Mere Jeevan Saathi, Do Chor, Ek Baar Muskaro Do all in 1972. besides her films Kaamchor, Yaarana, Khuddar ,and Masoom that didnt do to well . Tanuja has also acted in Marathi films, ' Zaakol, 'Unad Maina' and 'Pitruroon'. During the mid 60's she started her parallel career in Bengali movies in Kolkotta starting with Deya Neya in 1963 in which she was paired opposite Uttam Kumar. Followed by Anthony -Firingee in 1967, Rajkumari in 1970. Tanuja had an on-screen chemistry with Actor Soumitra Chatterjee which she has acted in many films like Teen Bhuvaner Parey in 1969 and Prothom Kadam Phool and is said to have spoken her own lines in these films in Bengali. Tanuja has retired from films for a number of reasons but her setback came when her marriage ended . She was then offered roles as supporting actress in films , Pyar Ki Kahani and Raj Kapoor's famous film Prem Rog. She did a number of supporting roles in films Saathiya, Rules: Pyaar Ka Superhit Formula and Khakee. In the film 'Pitruroon, made by Nitish Bharadwaj, her role as a Widow , she has tonsured her head to make her character look real and authentic.