Even today, the immortal hero Uttam Kumar
Some names in the history of Bengali cinema do not age with time, but rather become brighter with each generation.
Uttam Kumar is one such name. He is still immortal in the hearts of the audience of Bangladesh, even beyond the borders of West Bengal.
Although his stardom has become brighter with the title of ‘Mohanayok’, the need to rediscover the extraordinary actor Uttam Kumar behind that veil is not over yet.
His infectious smile on the celluloid screen, his unique way of delivering dialogues, or his unique personality – even after four decades, it has not faded a bit.
September 3 was the 100th birth anniversary of the one and only ‘great hero’ of Bengali cinema, Uttam Kumar. Born on this day in 1926, this timeless star has entered his centenary.
The story behind becoming the ‘Uttam Kumar’ of today is that of Arun Kumar Chatterjee.
Born on September 3, 1926, in a simple family in Kolkata, this extraordinarily talented actor established himself at an unrivaled height in the history of Bengali cinema through hard work and ability.
Whenever the romanticism of Bengali cinema is mentioned, the pair of Uttam-Suchitra comes to mind.
Masterpiece films like ‘Saptapadi’, ‘Harano Sur’, ‘Sagarika’, ‘Sabar Udara’ or ‘Chawa Pawa’ have carved a permanent place in the hearts of the audience for ages.
However, Uttam Kumar did not limit himself to the identity of a romantic hero.
He was a unique example of versatile talent on the silver screen. He proved his acting skills by playing diverse roles in films like Satyajit Ray’s ‘Nayok’ and ‘Zoo’ to ‘Jhinder Bandi’.
His performance in Satyajit Ray’s ‘Nayok’ in particular is considered one of the best works in the history of Indian cinema.
Apart from acting, he was equally active and creative in film directing, producing and even music.
This great hero passed away on July 24, 1980, at the age of just 53. However, even after four decades of his death, his popularity has not diminished a bit.
On this historic moment of his birth centenary, the film worlds of both Bengal and millions of fans are remembering this undisputed prince of the silver world of Bengali cinema with deep love.
