New Delhi, Aug. 14 -- In 1961, exactly 20 years prior to her directorial debut with 36 Chowringhee Lane, the world was introduced to Aparna Sen, nee Dasgupta, the daughter of eminent film critic Chidananda Dasgupta, as the young Mrinmoyee of 'Samapti', a part of Satyajit Ray's Teen Kanya (1961). Sen says that this was in keeping with the fact that she had always wanted to be an actor, and her parents indulged her dreams and even promised to send her abroad to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London.

In 1969, she returned in a brief role in Ray's cinema to play Samit Bhanja's love interest in Aranyer Din Ratri. While her career as an actor was not exactly stellar to begin with, very soon she went on to become one of the most po...