Smriti Biswas and Shekhar in the 1955 film ‘Chandni Chowk’

New Delhi/Nashik: Smriti Biswas, whose compelling performances in B R Chopra’s ‘Chandni Chowk’ and Navketan’s ‘Humsafar’ drew critical praise but who’s remembered more for her glitzy roles in films like ‘Dilli Ka Thug’, passed away at her Nashik residence on Wednesday. She was 100.

“My mother was suffering from various ailments and passed away peacefully at 9 pm,” her son Rajiv Narang told TOI.

The actor, who also modelled for Lux soap and featured on the Filmfare cover, had cameos in Raj Kapoor’s ‘Jagte Raho’ (1956) and ‘Neel Akasher Neechey’ (1959), an early Mrinal Sen film based on noted Hindi writer Mahadevi Verma’s story ‘Chini Feriwala’.

Biswas was in her prime in the 1950s, putting together a string of compelling acts. The Times of India review of ‘Humsafar’ (1953) said, “Biswas projects a strong personality with an alluring verve which does full justice to that difficult part (of a dancer).”

Her role in ‘Shaheed Bhagat Singh’ (1954) earned fulsome plaudits. “A truly memorable performance comes from a wholly unexpected quarter; Smriti Biswas, the seductive Bengali artiste in secondary roles. Though her part in this film is a departure from the femme fatale she plays so well, she gives it a performance which brings it alive,” the review said. Biswas played a revolutionary.

Similarly, the glowing ‘Chandni Chowk’ (1955) appraisal said, “Charming and convincing vignettes are provided by Smriti Biswas as a seductive Egyptian dancer, with a distinctive sinuous appeal.” Her roles in Guru Dutt’s ‘Sailab’ and ‘Aabroo’ (both 1956) were also received positively.

Hindi film lovers of the black & white era would remember her breathing glamour and sensuality to the rock & roll track, “O babu o lala’ in ‘Dilli Ka Thug’ (1958) and her free-spirited jiving to the joyful number, ‘Deewana dil ye gaaye’ (film: ‘Baap re Baap’, 1958). Film database IMDB lists 30 of her works but movies like ‘Maldar’ (1951), ‘Humsafar’ (1953) and ‘Aabroo (1956)’ are missing from the list. ‘Modern Girl’ (1960) was her last Hindi film.

Biswas left the industry after marrying film producer-director S D Narang, who delivered box-office winners such as ‘Dilli Ka Thug’, ‘Babul Ki Gali yan’ (1972), ‘Do Thug’ (1975). He died in 1986.

Born in Dhaka, now in Bangladesh, Smriti was the daughter of Harendrakumar and Jyotirmoi, both schoolteachers. She took to acting as a child in the Bengali film ‘Sandhya’ (1930). Some years ago, she had shifted to Nashik, where she lived in a small flat. “She had slipped into financial distress. The later part of her life was sad and troubled,” said actor Anju Mahendroo. Biswas was a friend of Mahendroo’s mother.

In a poignant 2020 article published in The Quint, film critic Khalid Mohamed had written about film archivist Shivendra Singh Dungarpur assisting her financially. It is learnt that filmmaker Hansal Mehta also helped her out. “She donated her photographs, personal letters and other film memorabilia to Film Heritage Foundation,” Dungarpur said.

Biswas is survived by her two sons, Rajiv and Satyajeet.