00:05Wearing a traditional dhuti panjabi at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Prashenji Chatterjee wasn't just
00:10receiving a Padma Shri, he was carrying Bengal's cultural identity with him.
00:15This is just not my instrument, it's a achievement for everybody who had made me Prashenji Chatterjee,
00:21so thank you so much once again.
00:23For generations of Bengalis, Bhumbada is more than a superstar. He's the face of modern
00:28Bengali cinema. The son of veteran actor Bishoji Chatterjee, Prashenji began acting as a child
00:33before becoming Tollywood's biggest star in the late 1980s. At a time when Bengali cinema was
00:38struggling, he became its biggest constant, delivering hit after hit and eventually earning
00:43the title of Mr. Industry. From romantic blockbusters like Amar Shongi to acclaimed films like Autograph
00:53and Baishi Shrabun, Prashenji 3 invented himself across genres, staying relevant for more than
00:59four decades and 350 plus films. His personal life too often made headlines. His marriages,
01:04including his highly publicized divorce from actor Debo Sri Roy, frequently became tabloid
01:09conversation in Bengal. Today, Prashenji is married to actor and former model, Arpita Chatterjee.
01:15Critics also occasionally argue that Tollywood had become too independent on one superstar.
01:20But even they admit that few actors have shaped an entire regional film industry the way Prashenji
01:26has. And maybe that's what made this Padmasri moment feel bigger than just an award.
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