Updated February 6th, 2020 at 15:56 IST
Arati Das - 'Queen of Cabaret' passes away at 74 in Kolkata, West Bengal
Arati Das, better known as the 'Queen of Cabaret' in Kolkata breathed her last on Thursday at 6 am at her Sodepur residence, a suburban town adjoining Kolkata.
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Arati Das, better known as the 'Queen of Cabaret' in Kolkata breathed her last on Thursday at 6 am at her Sodepur residence, a suburban town adjoining Kolkata. The 74-year-old Arati Das was popularly known as Miss Shefali and was hailed as the first cabaret dancer of Kolkata. A sensation back in the '60s and '70s, Miss Shefali ruled the cabaret world with her charm and magnanimous dancing skills.
Ms Shefali's journey from dancing to films
Her popularity could be understood by the fact that she was not only a dancer but turned into a filmstar as well. Such was her charm and popularity that people called her the 'Sandhya Raater Shefali' which means Twilight's Shefali. Miss Shefali was one of the most iconic entertainers who had the privilege of working with the legendary Satyajit Ray in movies such as Pratidwandi and Seemabaddha.
Read: Satyajit Ray: Top 5 movies by the iconic filmmaker every movie buff must watch
She went on to star in several other movies and stage plays as well. Her famous plays include ‘Samrat o Sundari’, ‘Saheb Bibi Golam’ and ‘Ashlil’ to name a few. As a sensation of the '60s and '70s, she never got to be a 'leading lady' in her cinematic career but had a crazy fan following which could give star actresses of the era, a run for their money. It is stated that her fan following was not limited to the masses but cinematic legends of Bengal and Mumbai were her fans as well.
Read: Satyajit Rays films to be screened at MIFF-2020
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee pays her regards to the icon
Saddened at the passing away of actress Arati Das, famous under her screen name, Miss Shefali. She appeared in two of Satyajit Ray’s films, Pratidwandi and Seemabaddha. Condolences to her family and her admirers
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial)
Read: Satyajit Ray's film manuscripts digitised
The iconic dancer was suffering from a kidney ailment and had not been keeping well for a while. It was reported that actor-director Konkona Sen Sharma had shown interest in directing a web-series based on the life of Miss Shefali. Konkona would be making her digital directorial debut with the project if that took off.
Read: Helen's Birthday: Here is the family tree of Bollywood's first cabaret dancer
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Published February 6th, 2020 at 15:56 IST