Ruma Guha Thakurta

Singer

Indian Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India (now Kolkata, West Bengal, India)

Quick Info

ProfessionSinger
NationalityIndian
Date of Birth21/11/1934
Age84 years (died on 03, Jun, 2019)
BirthplaceCalcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India (now Kolkata, West Bengal, India)
Date of Death03/06/2019

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Bio/Wiki

Indian actress and singer primarily associated with Bengali language films
Founder of Calcutta Youth Choir in 1958

Physical Stats & More

Height165 cm
Weight70 kg
Eye ColorBlack
Hair ColorBlack

Educational Qualification(s)

School
  • Loreto School, Kolkata, West Bengal
  • Gokhale Memorial Girls' School, Kolkata
  • Sacred Heart School, Lahore
College/University
  • Almora Academy of Uday Shankar, Almora
  • Swarabitan, Kolkata
  • Visva-Bharati University, Shantiniketan, West Bengal

Personal Life

Religion/Religious ViewsBrahmo Samaj
CasteKayastha Community

Relationships & More

Marital Status (at the time of death)Widow
Marriage Date
  • 1950
  • 1960
  • 1951
  • 1958

Family

FatherSatyen (Monty) Ghosh
MotherSati Devi (Bengali Singer)
Spouse
  • Kishore Kumar (Singer, actor)
  • Arup Guha Thakurta (director)
Children
  • Amit Kumar Ganguly (singer, with Kishore Kumar)
  • Sromona (singer, with Arup Guha Thakurta)
  • Ayan (son, with Arup Guha Thakurta)

Career

Debut
FilmJwar Bhata (1944)
NotesAlso Dilip Kumar's debut film
Last FilmThe Namesake (2006)
Awards, Honours, Achievements
  • IFFI (International Film Festival Award of India; Female) for 'Niranjan Saikate' 1965
  • First prize at Copenhagen Youth Festival to Kolkata Youth Choir 1974
  • Soviet Land Nehru Peace Award 1982
Notable Films
  • Abhijan (Satyajit Ray)
  • Ganashatru (Satyajit Ray)
  • Teen Kanya (playback singing, Satyajit Ray)
  • Ganga (1959)
  • Khaniker Atithi (1959)
  • Benarasi
  • Nirjan Saikate
  • Wheel Chair
  • Palatak
  • Balika Badhu
  • Dadar Kirti
  • 36 Chowringhee Lane

Some Lesser Known Facts

1. Ruma Guha Thakurta was an Indian singer and actress celebrated for her contributions to Bengali cinema.
2. She established the Kolkata Youth Choir, a group that showcases folk and mass songs through song and dance.
3. Ruma was the first wife of the renowned singer Kishore Kumar.
4. Ruma Guha’s parents, Satyen Ghosh (Monty) and Sati Devi, were musicians who founded the music school Swarbitan in Kolkata.
5. She was related to freedom fighter Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das and was the niece of Bijoya Ray, Satyajit Ray's spouse.
6. Ruma Guha honed her singing under the tutelage of musician Abdul Rehman Khan from the Patiala Gharana.
7. In the early 1940s, she moved from Kolkata to Bombay where she made her Bollywood debut at age 10 in 'Jowar Bhata.'
8. From 1950 to 1958, Ruma appeared in Hindi movies like 'Mashaal,' 'Afsar,' and 'Rag Rang.'
9. Ruma and Kishore separated in 1958 due to differing views on life and career aspirations.
10. In 1959, she made her Bengali cinema debut with 'Khaniker Atithi' and later starred in 'Ganga,' which won a National Award.
11. After marrying Arup Guha Thakurta, she produced and acted in 'Benarasi,' which earned critical acclaim and awards.
12. Her final film was 'The Namesake,' where she portrayed Irrfan Khan's mother.
13. Ruma Guha is remembered for her roles in various films such as 'Abhijaan,' 'Palatak,' 'Antony Firingee,' 'Ganashatru,' and 'Wheelchair.'
14. She revolutionized choir singing in India through the Calcutta Youth Choir, winning awards and global recognition.
15. Under her guidance, the Calcutta Youth Choir won accolades, including first prize at the Copenhagen Youth Festival.
16. They performed at significant events like Nelson Mandela's visit to Kolkata and Fidel Castro's India visit.
17. To honor Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, the choir sang in 1998, adapting diverse music styles.
18. The choir celebrated music ranging from Bhupen Hazarika and Rabindranath Tagore to international artists like Paul Robeson and Pete Seeger.
19. Leaders like Indira Gandhi enjoyed Calcutta Youth Choir's music, and she formally released their album.
20. President Ram Nath Kovind conveyed condolences to Ruma's son, Amit Kumar, after her demise.
21. Ruma Guha Thakurta's last rites were held with state honors at Shahnagar Keoratola Crematorium in Kolkata, West Bengal.
22. She founded the Calcutta Youth Choir in 1958.
23. She acted in Satyajit Ray's films Abhijan and Ganashatru, and provided playback singing in Teen Kanya.
24. Her Bengali version of 'We Shall Overcome,' recorded during the 1971 Bangladesh War of Independence, became one of the best-selling Bengali records of all time.
25. She recommended a 12-year-old Jaya Bhaduri to Satyajit Ray, leading to her debut film.
26. She was one of the first child students at the Uday Shankar Cultural Centre in Almora.
27. She was active in the Bombay IPTA (Indian People Theatre Association) as a child.
Information on this page is collected from public sources and may not be 100% accurate. Report an error
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