Chapal Bhaduri Biography 
Chapal Bhaduri - India’s Last Female Impersonator, is a living legend associated with Bengali theater. Born in 1938 in Bengal, he did female impersonation in Jatra, a form of Bengali folk theatre. He has been continuing this practice for many decades in Bengali theater film, since the days when only a few female artists came forward to act in plays. He was known as 'Chapal Rani' during his glorious years in theatre, when he used to enact female characters on stage. In 2010, he appeared in Bengali Film Arekti Premer Golpo, a film based on homosexuality. He played his real-life character in the film, and the film is about making a documentary film about him as an artist.
Chapal Bhaduri was born in Kolkata in the year 1938. Both his parents were theatre actors, and he was their youngest child. His sister Ketaki Dutta was an actor of Bengali theatre and films, and also a singer. Chapal Bhaduri was promoted on stage by his parents, and he appeared on stage for the first time at the tender age of 7. Since then he had a deep bond with theatre for so many decades, enough to call him a legend. Raja Debidas, Chand Bibi, Sultana Razia and Mahiyashi Kaikeyi are among his highly successful plays.
As a female artist, he appeared on stage for the first time in 1955, when he performed the female character of Marjina in Bengali Theatre play named Ali Baba. His voice is very thin and soft – the features needed for a female artist, and slowly he gained recognition in this field. He became the leading lady of Bengal's jatra and audience used to call him as Chapalrani, which means Queen-Chapal.
Published: July 29, 2018
Updated: July 29, 2018
