Born in 1945 in Calcutta. Grew up watching European art films. Graduated in English. Film debut as a teenager in the Three Daughters (1961) by Satyajit Ray. Went on to star in many mainstream melodramatic plays and films by Mirnal Sen and Tapan Sinh. Directorial debut with the English-language film 36 Chowringhee Lane. As director she deploys psychological realism familiar from Western art films but concentrates on female characters, often imbued with a strong sense of nostalgia.

filmography (selection):
• 1981 36 Chowringhee Lane
• 1985 Paroma (The Ultimate Woman)
• 1989 Sati
• 1995 Yugant (What the Sea Said)
• 1999 Paromitaar Ek Din (House of Memories)
• 2002 Mr. And Mrs. Iyer