“Despite my fear of fish bones, she would deftly remove them and hand-feed me with love. Fish wasn’t my top pick then, but now it’s a treasured memory, and I wish I had learnt her recipe,” Riya Sen Dev Varma recalled Suchitra Sen, whom she and her sister Raima Sen lovingly called ‘Amma’. On Mahanayika’s birth anniversary, her younger granddaughter shares with My Kolkata all that she loved to eat, cook and more.
Donning the chef’s cap
Born in Pabna (now in Bangladesh), the Bangal in Suchitra Sen was reflected when she cooked Shorshe Ilish for the family. A big fan of the cook Suchitra Sen, Riya said: “Amma’s cooking means the world to me. She’d whip up the famous shorshe ilish macchh for us.” A little intimidated by the jungle of bones in the fish, little Riya always found her granny separating them for her so she could relish the fish. Looking back, she treasures the memory and regrets missing out on learning her recipe of this delicacy.
Apart from her famous ilish, she was also known for whipping simple food into a culinary wonder. “Sundays were for sheddho bhaat, a cherished comfort food that remains a family hit. Her careful mashing and feeding left a lasting impression,” Riya adds. After her, it seemed impossible for the Sen sisters to recreate the same. According to her: “No matter how much we try, nothing can match her lovingly prepared flavours and textures.”
Riya Sen Dev Varma
Where and what did the enigma love to dine?
Much like most of the Bengalis, Suchitra Sen too was a fan of Kolkata Chinese cuisine. Her usual go-to places were Bar-B-Q on Park Street and Jimmy's Kitchen on AJC Bose Road. The diva also loved doodh cha and often relished it at Nizam’s. Riya remembers her granny as quite a foodie — “Whenever our family got together, it was like a big food festival! She had a soft spot for junk food and Bengali sweets too.”
Both Riya and Raima were very close to their grandmother. Along with their parents Moon Moon Sen and Bharat Dev Varma, they made sure to celebrate her birthday together as a family. Riya, who picked up culinary skills from her granny, headed the kitchen to make her favourite dishes. And one among them was Kewa Datshi. “Amma adored Kewa Datshi, a special Bhutanese dish, so I’d make it for her birthday – her absolute favourite! On her special day, Dad, Mom, her sisters, and I would gather for a grand feast. We spent the day chatting, laughing, dancing, singing, and having an absolute blast together.”
The quintessential granny
Whether it was shopping or spending quality time, Riya and Raima enjoyed every moment with Suchitra Sen. The sisters, who are best friends today, once also had their fair share of sibling rivalry. But guess who put an end to the little wars? Riya admits that her “Amma was the ultimate peacemaker with style!”
To explain further, she went on recalling hilarious memories of when she took Riya and Raima shopping to AC Market. “We’d spot the fanciest toys, cue the classic sibling showdown – me wanting what Raima chose! To save the day, clever grandma would sneakily pick something for me, pretending it was for Raima.” That’s how she handled the toddler meltdowns with ease!
The sisters also picked up their love for pets from their Amma who loved all kinds of animals. “Amma had quite the menagerie of pets! From a baby leopard, a monkey and peacocks to her cherished Pomeranian Mickey. She truly had a soft spot for animals.”
Gone but not forgotten
Both Raima and Riya fondly remember their Amma. They often post her old photographs on their social media rekindling memories for her fans too. Suchitra Sen, the first Indian actress to be honoured at an international film festival, securing the best actress award for Saat Paake Bandha at the 1963 Moscow Film Festival, left behind a legacy.
Ahead of her time, she created her space in the entertainment industry, even when male actors struggled to shine. Her grace and talent made her works relevant to this day and her fans across all ages testify to it. There was one group of filmmakers, Gulzar being one of them, who used to address her as ‘sir’. Inspired by her and their mother, the successful sisters have made their individual space in the industry too.
Summing up the tribute to her dear grandma, Riya said: “Amma’s apartment is frozen in time, just the way she left it. Her puja room, her little haven, is our go-to spot for prayers and remembering her, not just on special occasions but whenever we feel like it. It’s heartening to see people from all over honouring her in their own ways. She’s not just a grandma; she’s a forever presence in our hearts.”
