{{Use Indian English|date=June 2018}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Nilima Sen | image = Nilima 2013-11-20 19-27.jpeg | caption = | native_name = নীলিমা সেন | birth_name = Nilma Gupta | birth_date = 28 April 1928 | birth_place = Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India | origin = | death_date = 28 June 1996 (Age 68) | death_place = Calcutta, West Bengal, India | genre = Playback singing, Rabindrasangeet | occupation = Singer | instrument = | years_active = 1944–1996 | website = }} '''Nilima Sen''' (28 April 1928 – 28 June 1996) was a famous Rabindrasangeet singer.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/2005/05/08/d50508140185.htm|title=The voice that continues to enchant|date=8 May 2005|work=The Daily Star|accessdate=2009-03-07}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050423/asp/weekend/story_4652657.asp|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20160303165602/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050423/asp/weekend/story_4652657.asp|url-status=dead|archive-date= 2016-03-03|title=Singing new tunes |date=23 April 2005|newspaper=The Telegraph|accessdate=2009-03-07}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2007/08/17/news0770.htm|title=An evening of Rabindra Sangeet|date=17 August 2007|publisher=The new Nation|accessdate=2009-03-07|archive-date=14 June 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110614062844/http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2007/08/17/news0770.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1060310/asp/atleisure/story_5948150.asp|title=Evocative style|date=10 March 2006|newspaper=The Telegraph|accessdate=2009-03-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110526041700/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1060310/asp/atleisure/story_5948150.asp|archive-date=26 May 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/2003/11/02/d31102140290.htm|title=Under the shady trees of Shantiniketan: Aditi Mohsin recalls her days at Tagore's university|date=2 November 2003|work=The Daily Star|accessdate=2009-03-07}}</ref>
==Early life== Nilima was born as Nilima Gupta in Kolkata, India on 28 April 1928.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1030428/asp/calcutta/story_1915285.asp|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20180612163656/https://www.telegraphindia.com/1030428/asp/calcutta/story_1915285.asp|url-status=dead|archive-date= 2018-06-12|title=Good Morning – Soiree to mark the 75th birth anniversary of Rabindrasangeet exponent Nilima Sen|date=28 April 2003|newspaper=The Telegraph|accessdate=2009-03-07}}</ref> Her parents moved to Shantiniketan when she was six. She had her education there and completed diploma course in Classical Music & Rabindra Sangeet from Santiniketan. She also did her B.A from the Visva-Bharati University at Santiniketan. She had the privilege of acting under the direction of Tagore but that was not staged. She sang in the presence of Gandhiji, Subhash Bose etc. during their visit to Santiniketan. Her Guru was mainly Sailajaranjan Majumdar.
She started singing at the AIR and cut her first disc at the age of 16 and soon became famous. In 1950, she married Dr Amiya Kumar Sen and settled in Santiniketan. She has a daughter Nilanjana who also is a singer. She visited US with her husband and performed at various centres including BBC.
She founded the music school "Surangama" along with Prasad Sen and later joined Sangit Bhavana as a Faculty. For a couple of years, she taught music at Bardhhaman University. She became the Principal of Sangit Bhavana & retired from there. As a Faculty, she took part in various dance dramas like Tasher Desh, Mayar Khela (along with Suchitra Mitra), Sesh Raksha (along with Supriyo Tagore) organised by Vishwa Bharati & staged at auditoriums like Rabindra Sadan, New Empire Kolkata. Songs like "Chokher jaler laglo joar", "Aha tomar sange", "Bajao re mohan banshi" found correct expression through the embedded sadness in her voice.
She performed all over India, Bangladesh, UK, US, Burma & Malaysia. Her famous students include Swastika Mukhopadhyay, Lily Islam, Basabi Datta, Rezwana Chowdhury Banya, Rita Ghosh, Pramita Mallick, Jayanti Purkayastha, Soma Roy, Aditi Mohsin etc.
She has a number of music albums to her credit.
She died in 1996 after a prolonged illness.
==Recordings== In 2004, Saregama re-released four singles by Nilima Sen: "Khelar Saathi, Bidaydwar", "Raja (Drama)", "Tomari Madhur Rupe Bhorechho Bhuban" and "Tumi Bandhu Tumi Nath".<ref>{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p970972|pure_url=yes}}|title=Nilima Sen discography|publisher=AllMusic|accessdate=2009-03-07}}</ref>
In 2005, Saregama released "ki ragini bajale"-some 21 of her songs in a collection
==References== <references/>
== External links ==
* [https://gaana.com/artist/nilima-sen Nilima Sen] gaana.com
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{{Notable singers of Rabindra Sangeet}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sen, Nilima}} Category:Bengali musicians Category:1928 births Category:1996 deaths Category:Visva-Bharati University alumni Category:Rabindra Sangeet exponents Category:Singers from Kolkata Category:Indian women classical singers Category:20th-century Indian women singers Category:Women musicians from West Bengal Category:20th-century women composers