Kabori: Little-known stories of the girl with the sweetest smile

Kabori, the girl with the sweet smile on the silver screen of Bengali cinema, captured the hearts of million. She was known as "mishti meye" (sweet girl) and that phase captured her identity, her stardom and the magic of her acting. It was her death anniversary on 17 April. On this day in 2021 she passed away. We look back on the life and the story of this truly unique artiste.

Born on 19 July 1950 in Banshkhali, Chattogram, Meena Pal, who later became Sarah Begum Kabori, spent much of her childhood in Firingibazar. She studied at Alkaran School and later at JM Sen High School. Her simple childhood bore traces of struggle. They didn't have any iron so she would place clothes under a pillow at night to press them and get rid of the creases. Such memories evoke nostalgia for many.

Growing up in a culturally inclined family, Kabori’s emergence as an artiste seemed only a matter of time. She stepped onto the stage as a dancer at just 13, then moved to television, and eventually to cinema. In 1964, she made her movie debut with Subhash Dutta’s Sutorang. She was only 14 at the time. Yet that very first step seemed to declare that Bengali cinema had found a truly unique face.

Kabori’s rise in the 1960s was remarkably striking. Film after film—Jolchhobi, Bahana, Saat Bhai Champa, Abirbhab, Banshori, Je Agune Puri—she quickly became a beloved face of the audience. Her expressive eyes, her style of delivering dialogue, and her spontaneous acting made her immensely popular, earning her a lasting place in people’s hearts.

In the 1970s, that popularity reached a new dimension. Deep Nebhe Nai, Darpachurna, K Kha Ga Gha Nga, Binimoy—followed by Moynamoti, Nil Akasher Niche, Sareng Bou, Sujon Sakhi, Paruler Sangsar, Rangbaz, Devdas, Agantuk, Bodhu Biday—in each film, she seemed to rediscover herself anew. In Ritwik Ghatak’s Titash Ekti Nadir Naam, she reached a unique height of acting, where she was no longer just a heroine, but a profound artistic spirit.

Her performances in Urdu films like Bahana and Khan Ataur Rahman’s Soye Nadiya Jage Pani also proved that neither language nor genre could confine her. Whether in romantic or social roles, she remained effortlessly natural in every character. And that is why the people affectionately called her “mishti meye”.

In a span of more than five decades, Kabori acted in over a hundred films. Her on-screen pairing with actor Razzak felt like a dream to audiences. Alongside him, she worked with Faruk, Sohel Rana, Ujjal, Zafar Iqbal, and Bulbul Ahmed, contributing to a rich and vibrant cinematic world. She is also the only Bangladeshi actress to have starred opposite five debutant heroes, Ujjal, Faruk, Alamgir, Sohel Rana, and Zafar Iqbal.

However, Kabori did not confine herself only to acting. In 2005, she made her directorial debut with the film Ayna. Toward the end of her life, she began working on Ei Tumi Sei Tumi, where she took on three roles simultaneously—as actress, director, and producer. Although the film remained unfinished, it clearly reflected the breadth of her creative vision.

She was also actively involved in the 1971 Liberation War. While in India, she participated in meetings, cultural programs, and speeches, helping build international public opinion in favour of Bangladesh. Alongside being an artiste, she was a patriot with undeniable commitment.

Kabori was the mother of five children. She was first married to Chitta Chowdhury and later to Sayeeduddin Sarwar, both marriages ended in separation. However, the ups and downs of her personal life never stopped her artistic journey.

She was also active in politics. In 2008, she was elected as a Member of Parliament from Awami League. Her involvement in women’s rights and various social welfare activities further enriched her public life.

She published her autobiography Smritituku Thak in 2017. During her lifetime, she received numerous honours including the National Film Award, Meril-Prothom Alo Award, and Rishij Padak, among many others, one of which was a lifetime achievement award.

Kabori’s had a great admiration for Sophia Loren, Audrey Hepburn, Uttam Kumar, Soumitra and some of the finest stars of cinema. In music, her tastes reflected deep refinement: Manna Dey, Hemanta Mukhopadhyay, Srikanto Acharya, Subir Nandi, Sabina Yasmin. One unfulfilled dream remained, acting alongside Amitabh Bachchan.

On 17 April 2021, while undergoing treatment in hospital after contracting Covid, she passed away at the age of 71. She was laid to rest at the Banani graveyard. Until her final days, she remained active, never truly far from the camera, never away from the spotlight.

She was a ideal co-artiste. Ujjal once said that Kabori embodied the very definition of a Bengali heroine. Sujata saw her as a strong and outspoken actress. And in Sohel Rana’s words, “Only one Kabori is born in a hundred years.”