Here's what Sudipa had to say about her beloved Benudi

I’m one of the lucky few who

Benudi

gifted one of her cookbooks. And she personally took me to

Bangshida

(Uttam Kumar’s right hand man), who taught me the recipes of many dishes Uttam Kumar loved. She told me that

Mahanayak

(she used to lovingly call him that) didn’t like the smell of mustard oil, so she used to boil five litres of the oil and keep it aside so that he didn’t get the smell when she cooked. Such was her love for him! Benudi told me never to bombard my husband with questions after he comes back from work. ‘Give him that space so that he feels that home is his comfort zone’. Also, she said, ‘Don’t expect a handsome, successful husband who doesn’t get attention from girls. Enjoy it and don’t feel insecure; rather, feel proud’. She also taught me that a woman is glorified when we say, ‘Songshar sukher hoy romonir gune,’ and that a woman is more capable than a man in balancing work and home. So Benudi, I owe you big time. Bhalo theko, khushi theko, till we meet again.