‘You can have a boyfriend, but you don’t have to marry that person’: Moushumi Chatterjee’s advice to daughter

Moushumi Chatterjee married young but now advises her daughter to prioritize her life choices and embrace change.

Veteran actor Moushumi Chatterjee found success very early in life. She made her film debut in the 1967 Bengali film Balika Badhu when she was just a teenager. She went on to build a successful career in Bengali and Hindi cinema. While she continued working in films, Moushumi also got married at a young age to Jayanta Mukherjee, son of legendary singer-composer Hemant Kumar.

Moushumi Chatterjee shares her advise to daughter.

‘You can have a boyfriend, but you don’t have to marry that person’

While Moushumi got married early in life, she now advises her daughter Megha Mukherjee to take her time with marriage and live life on her own terms. She also had some advice for young women, urging them to be ‘selfish’ and think about themselves.

During a conversation with Nayandeep Rakshit at the Jagran Film Festival 2026, Moushumi said, “I tell my daughter, ‘You can have a boyfriend, but you don’t have to marry that person’. You girls, be careful today. Be a little selfish and self-centered because the times have changed now. It’s written in Gita as well, ‘Parivartan sansaar ka niyam hai’ (Change is the only constant).”

‘Don’t do anything to prove it to others’

Moushumi continued, “Change has happened now, and we have come forward as compared to older times. We teach our daughters to take care of their in-laws’ house, but we don’t teach our sons. We think that the woman has to do chores, it’s not a man’s job. Today, the younger generation is so stressed. They aren’t able to enjoy their life. They don’t have time for themselves. Don’t do anything to prove to others. I have turned 70 now. Do what you like, but don’t go overboard. If you make a mistake once, don’t repeat it. I have also made mistakes in my life. But once I knew it was not done, I never repeated it. We are human beings, we have a conscience but we don’t analyse it.”

How did Moushumi Chatterjee get married?

While speaking to NDTV earlier this year, Moushumi had recalled how her success in Balika Badhu led to a stream of marriage proposals. She also revealed that her wedding was arranged partly because of the last wish of her ailing aunt.

“It was crazy. Subhey se shaam tak line hoti thi (There was a line from morning till evening). That's why I'm thoroughly spoiled. And then my badi bua (aunt)—I was very attached to her; she used to live in Bhawanipur. And she was in the last stage of cancer when we got to know. She held my father-in-law's hand and said, 'Hemanta Babu, can I see her wedding?' Because I was the last girl from our family, my father-in-law said, 'Yes, you will.' And within a month, the marriage took place,” she said.

Moushumi Chatterjee’s career

Moushumi went on to become one of the prominent leading ladies of Hindi cinema in the 1970s. She starred in projectslike Anuraag, Roti Kapada Aur Makaan, Benaam, Swarg Narak, Manzil, Angoor and Swayamvar. She worked with several leading actors of the era, including Amitabh Bachchan, Rajesh Khanna, Dharmendra, Jeetendra, Vinod Khanna and Sanjeev Kumar.