| As the sultry Koena Mitra turns a year older today, we asked her mother living in Kolkata, Krishna Mitra, to tell us about her beti's bachchpan and more.
In an exclusive tte--tte with hitList, Mommy Mitra recounts tales of a naughty Koena, who would pour water in her sleeping sister's nostrils to wake her up. Read on to get your gup about the actresses' growing years. Born to dance
Koena was a naughty, playful and a very active child. I remember when she started walking on her own she would tap her feet at the faintest music coming from a radio, television and even blaring microphones.
We had a security guard who could evoke the sound of beating drums from a wooden table and whenever she would hear that she would start twirling and make animated moves.
This is how I got her to danseuse Mamta Shankar's school where she learnt various dance forms including Bharatnatyam, Kathak and Manipuri. She would pull off a live performance on a stage without even trembling or crying during her school days.
During her kindergarten days, the teachers would tell me that she couldn't bear it when anyone was being punished. She would apologise on behalf of the other errant kids and promise her teachers that her classmates wouldn't repeat their mistakes. Koena: 'Tom'my girl
She was such a tomboy. She used to sport a cropped haircut and dress in shorts and T-shirts then. Once a teacher actually took her into the boy's loo as she resembled a boy.
That day after coming back from school she had told me, 'Ma, get me bangles; so, no one takes me to the boy's toilet again.' I laughed at my darling's ordeal but made sure that she never had to face a similar situation.
In the evenings she would head for a nearby park to play with other kids. Once I remember she had got a tiny puppy, covered it with a bed-sheet and hid it under our bed. I realised it only in the middle of the night when it started crying out of hunger. Mischief maker
As she grew up she ganged up with all the boys in our locality and would play cricket and badminton.
She hated to stay indoors and would also drag her sister Sumana out for some game. When Sumana would sleep in the afternoon Koena would play all kinds of mischief to wake her up that included pouring water in her sister's nostrils.
She would even cajole me to dab some make-up on her face and she had a strong affinity for my lipsticks. But I wouldn't give in. Once she was alone in our bedroom and had somehow reached for my cosmetics and painted herself from head to toe.
On her birthday what else can I give her except my prayers — beta we are proud of you, I hope you remain strong, focused and do better work in the years to come. Here's wishing Koena a happy birthday!
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