Uttam Kumar

One of the greatest actors in the history of Indian cinema, Uttam Kumar, fondly known as Mahanayak, was also a producer, director, screenwriter, composer, and playback singer who ruled the Bengali film industry for more than 40 years.

Uttam Kumar was born Arun Kumar Chattopadhyay on September 3, 1926, in Ahiritola, northern Calcutta. His father, Satkari Chattopadhyay, was a film projectionist at Metro Cinema, while his mother, Chapla Devi, was a homemaker. His maternal grandmother gave him the name “Uttam.” He attended South Suburban School before attending Goenka College of Commerce and Business Administration for his higher education, but dropped out after a while.

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Kumar was active in acting from a young age and even founded a theatre group called “Lunar Club.” His family also runs an amateur theatre troupe called “Suhrid Samaj.” He also received music and singing lessons from Nidanbandhu Banerjee. Kumar was also interested in sports and athletics; he used to play football, volleyball, and cricket. He also learned Lathi Khela, martial arts, and wrestling. He was also a talented swimmer and won the Bhawanipur Swimming Association Championship three years in a row.

Before trying his luck in films, he worked as a clerk at the Kolkata Port Trust. Uttam Kumar started to try out in films in the mid-1940s, but did not succeed initially. He made his first appearance in the 1947 Hindi film “Mayadore” as an extra, but the film was never released. He made his debut with the 1948 film “Drishtidan,” directed by Nitin Bose.

His first film as a lead was “Kamona,” followed by Maryada (1950), Sahajatri (1951),” “Nastaneer (1951), Ore Jatri (1951), Kar Pape (1952), and Sanjibani (1952), but none of them were successful. The failure of his initial films left him heartbroken, and he was dubbed “Flop Master General.”

The Uttam-Suchitra films have come to define an era of Bengali popular melodrama, which not only led to a commercial revival of the popular Bengali film but also shaped its major narrative trends. These films often addressed the issues of rapidly changing society, problems of economic upheaval at the time, and even marital issues in middle-class families, as well as presented ethical dilemmas easily identifiable for the Bengali middle class. And all that was done with great subtility and grace by both; Kumar even shunned his theatrical mode of acting to give them a more realistic tone.

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His natural acting style, charismatic screen presence, and ability to portray a range of emotions with subtlety earned him the love of the masses and the respect of critics. Uttam Kumar’s filmography is vast, with over 200 films to his name. His work with notable filmmakers like Ajoy Kar, Nirmal Dey, Niren Lahiri, Chitta Bose, Debaki Bose, Sushil Majumdar, Yatrik, Asit Sen, Subodh Mitra, Agradoot, Agragami, Pijush Bose, and many more.

Some of his other notable films during this period include Ora Thake Odhare (1954), Sabar Uparey (1955), Pathe Holo Deri (1957), Harano Sur (1957), Har Jeet (1957), Khelaghar (1959), Bicharak (1959), Marutirtha Hinglaj (1959), Saptapadi (1961), Jhinder Bandi (1961), Bhranti Bilas (1963), Lal Pathar (1964), Jotugriha (1964), Thana Theke Aschi (1965), Kal Tumi Aleya (1966), Nishi Padma (1970), among many others.

One of his other iconic pairings was with Supriya Devi; their first film together was “Sonar Harin (1959),” which marked the beginning of their on-screen and off-screen relationship. They starred together in numerous films, including Suno Baranari (1960), Agni Sanskar (1961), Uttarayan (1963), Lal Pathor (1964), Kal Tumi Aleya (1966), Jibon Mrityue (1967), Chiradiner (1969), Mon Niye (1969), Bilambita Loy (1970), Andha Atit (1972), Bon Palashir Padabali (1973), Sanyasi Raja (1975), Bagh Bandir Khela (1975), Sister (1977), and Bhola Maira (1977).

Uttam Kumar has also worked with Tapan Sinha in films like Upahar (1955), Jhinder Bandi (1961), Aamar Desh (1962), and Jatugriha (1964). He made his directorial debut with the 1966 film “Sudhu Ekti Bochor,” which stars Supriya Devi and Tarun Kumar with himself. He also directed “Bon Palashir Padaboli (1974)” and “Kalankini Kankabati (1981).”

Uttam collaborated with the great Satyajit Ray in only two films, Nayak (1966) and Chiriyakhana (1966), where he played the role of detective “Byomkesh Bakshi.” Ray actually offered him the film “Ghare Baire” in the 1950s, but Kumar refused because he felt that the role needed an established actor. Ray eventually made “Ghare Baire” with Saumitra Chaterjee in 1984.

In 1967, he starred in Sunil Bannerjee’s biographical film “Anthony Firingee,” which was based on the life of a Bengali language folk poet of Portuguese origin, Hensman Anthony. For his portrayal, Kumar won the inaugural National Award for Best Actor.

The late 1960s were a time of transition in his acting life as. he started focusing on more mature roles. Some of his notable films in this period include Chowrangee (1968), Kokhono Megh (1968), Tin Adhyay (1968), Aparichita (1969), Chiradiner (1969), Nishi Padma (1970), Bilambita Loy (1970), Dhanni Meye (1971), Chhadmabeshi (1971), Jiban Jiggasa (1971), Ekhane Pinhar (1971), Stree (1972), Memsaheb (1972), Andha Atit (1972), Roudra Chaya (1973), Sonar Khancha (1973), Jadi Jantem (1974), Bikele Bhorer (1974), Phul Sanyashi Raja (1975), Mouchak (1975), Agnishwar (1975), and Bagh Bondi Khela.

In 1974, Shakti Samanta convinced him to star in the Bengali-Hindi bilingual “Amanush,” which also starred Sharmila Tagore and Anil Chattopadhyay. Based on Shaktipada Rajguru’s novel Naya Basat, the film tells the story of a man betrayed by his munim and forced to take matters into his own hands.

For his performance, he won the BFJA Best Actor Award (his seventh) and a Filmfare Award. He again worked with Sahkti Samanta in 1977 on the film Ananda Ashram.

In 1975, he worked with Suchitra Sen for the last time in Hiren Nag’s “Priyo Bandhobi.” Other than Suchitra Sen, he also made successful pairings with Sabitri Chatterjee, Supriya Devi, Sandhya Roy, Arundhati Devi, Mala Sinha, and Madhabi Mukherjee.

Uttam Kumar’s first Hindi film was Alo Sarkar’s “Chhoti Si Mulakat” in 1967. He again worked with Sarkar in “Bandi (1978),” also starring Indrani Mukherjee, Sulakshana Pandit, Utpal Dutt, and Amrish Puri. He worked with Sahkti Samanta in “Ananda Ashram (1977),” Gulzaar in “Kitaab (1977),” S. S. Balan in “Nishan (1978),” and Bhimsain in “Dooriyaan (1978).”

On July 23, 1980, Uttam Kumar suffered a stroke while working on the film “Ogo Badhu Sundori.” Kumar passed away on July 24, 1980, at the age of 53.

Kumar married Gauri Chatterjee in 1948, and together they had a son named Gautam Chatterjee. Despite having a troubled marriage and living separately, Kumar and Gauri never divorced. Uttam Kumar was also in a relationship with Supriya Debi. Kumar moved in with her in 1963 after leaving his home and he lived with her for seventeen years, from 1963 until his death.

Uttam Kumar was not just an actor but a cultural icon of Bengal and the whole of India. The Government of West Bengal named the Mahanayak Uttam Kumar metro station in Tollygunge and the Mahanayak Samman Award in his honour, serving as enduring tributes to his impact on Bengali culture and cinema.