Meet actress who married at 15, became mom at 17, romanced actor whom she considered uncle onscreen, was replaced in many films, is now..., her name is..

Times have evolved in Bollywood, and today, actresses like Kareena Kapoor Khan, Alia Bhatt, and Deepika Padukone continue to enjoy box office success even after marriage and motherhood.

However, back in the 1960s, it was much harder for actresses to sustain their careers post-marriage. Despite this, one remarkable actress broke the norm, she began her career at just 15, got married the same year, and became a mother by the age of 17, yet still maintained a successful run in films.

The actress in question is none other than Moushumi Chatterjee, one of the most successful names in both Hindi and Bengali cinema. Born as Indira Chatterjee in 1952, she made her acting debut as a child artist in the 1967 Bengali film Balika Badhu, which turned out to be a massive hit and made her an overnight star. Despite the early success, Moushumi initially wanted to focus on her studies. However, at the request of her family, she married Jayant Mukherjee, the son of legendary music composer and singer Hemant Kumar.

Got married at 17:

In an interview with Lehren Retro, Moushumi Chatterjee opened up about the emotional reason behind her early marriage. She said, "My father was very close to my elder sister, who was in the final stages of cancer. Her last wish was to see me married. That’s when my father-in-law suggested that we should get married. I had to give up my exams, and at the same time, I got a film offer. Everything was falling into place

Her second Bengali film, Parineeta (1969), proved to be an even greater success than her debut, which eventually opened the doors for her entry into Bollywood with the film Anurag in 1972.

She further added, "At 17, I became a mother. I got my own Mercedes. I didn’t even know what success meant at that time. I was just happy to see my face on the big screen.”

She was the highest-paid actress:

During the 1970s, Moushumi Chatterjee became one of the highest-paid actresses in Bollywood, known for consistently delivering box office hits. As the 1980s rolled in, she transitioned into supporting roles in both Hindi and Bengali films. One of her most notable performances came in the 1991 film Ghayal, directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, where she portrayed Sunny Deol’s sister-in-law.

According to reports, there was a moment on set when Sunny arrived late and spent a considerable amount of time on the phone, which irritated Moushumi. She reportedly scolded him and reminded him not to tarnish the reputation of his father, Dharmendra. After this incident, Sunny is said to have apologised and become noticeably more punctual and disciplined during the shoot.

Romanced actor whom she considered uncle:

Moushumi Chatterjee once revealed on The Kapil Sharma Show that she used to call Shashi Kapoor "uncle." The reason, she explained, was that by the time she entered the film industry after her marriage, most of her co-stars were already established and significantly older than her. Shashi Kapoor was one of them, an experienced and respected actor in the industry, so out of respect, she naturally addressed him as "uncle."

Moushumi Chatterjee once shared an amusing anecdote from the sets of the film Naina, where she was paired opposite Shashi Kapoor. She recalled that before shooting a romantic song, Shashi Kapoor called her aside and gently told her not to call him "uncle" on set since the scene was romantic.

He suggested she call him Shashi ji or Shashi Baba instead. Moushumi agreed to call him “Shashi ji,” and later, the two ended up playing several romantic roles together in films.