Remembering a matinee genius

By Seema Sengupta

KOLKATA ― To Bengali film buffs across the globe, the date July 24 remains an emotional attachment of rare order. Precisely three decades ago on this day the Indian province of Bengal lost its most coveted matinee idol all of a sudden.

Uttam Kumar, as the world knows him, enthralled generations of Bengali film enthusiasts with his inimitable style. His peculiar charisma, unique screen presence, dazzling smile that mesmerized ladies of all ages and hypnotic voice transformed the actor into a legend.

Indeed there are not many examples of a performing artist representing regional or local dialect having attained such great height and stature. Like generations of Bengali film aficionados, the legendary actor to me is still the great hero or Mahanayak, as he is fondly called in local dialect.

This undisputed king of the silver screen captured my imagination through his versatility and dedication. The other day while watching his tribute on television, I felt an inner urge to write something on him and his legacy.

Perhaps an effort should be made to organize a retrospective of Kumar’s films in Korea with proper subtitles. Maybe, this will open up new vistas of cooperation between the Korean and the Bengali Film Industry leading to greater cultural interaction and tie-ups.

Kumar learned the art of the trade as an amateur theater actor while performing in a group called Suhrid Samaj floated by his extended family. They staged many wonderful performances within the community.

Despite his immense star appeal and unique acting skill, Kumar did not have a smooth launch in the film world. His first release, “Drishtidan” way back in 1948 was a complete flop. In 1949 the actor made his “second” debut as the lead hero in the film “Kamana.”

This one too bombed at the box office resulting in the industry labeling him as a flop master. His first big hit came as late as in 1952 with the film “Basu Paribar.” The year 1953 is marked as a significant turning point for Bengali movies.

Cineastes relished the introduction of a romantic pair in the film “Sharey Chuattor.” The movie witnessed the coming together of Bengali cinema’s renowned actress Suchitra Sen and Uttam Kumar for the first time ever.

Since then the Uttam-Suchitra duo delivered successive hits thus ushering in the golden era of Bengali cinema. Their glamorous and powerful performances in films such as “Shap Mochon” (1955), “Shagorika” (1956), “Harano Shur” (1957), “Shaptopodi” (1961), “Bipasha” (1962) and “Grihadaho” (1967) elevated them into icons of Bengali romantic melodramas.

Softly focused close-up shots of the stars in addition to lavishly mounted romantic scenes virtually transformed the pair into a unique genre revered by generations thereafter.

Though several of Kumar’s films with other actresses opposite him were runaway hits, there remained a significant difference in audience perception of these pairs as compared with that of Suchitra Sen.

In spite of a number of mega hits, Kumar’s unparalleled, unmatched and undisputed screen presence in the film “Nayak” or “The Hero” (1966) fascinated me the most.

The film was written and directed by none other than the Oscar winning director Satyajit Ray and the maestro created the role of the protagonist keeping Kumar in mind.

In fact this was the only instance when Ray is said to have penned a script with a living star in perspective. Such was the level of mutual adoration between the two glittering personalities on the Bengali film circuit that Ray had even contemplated abandoning the project had the star actor refused to do the film.

Many film critics had opined that the protagonist of the movie actually depicts Kumar’s real life. The continuous sense of insecurity prevailing in the actor’s mind about the longevity of his phenomenal success and superstardom is rumored to have been pictorialized subtly.

This highly rated film should be included in the panorama whenever a festival on Uttam Kumar’s movie is organized in Korea. This is a story of an urban educated youth struggling yet determined to achieve stardom through sheer merit and hard work.

The storyline revolves around the protagonist, a film star named Arindam Mukherjee traveling by train to receive a prestigious award. During this trip a female journalist manages to extract some well-kept secrets of the hero’s life.

The film director Ray did a splendid job to amplify the emotions and feelings of a matinee idol through judicious mixtures of flashbacks and symbolic scenes.

The spontaneity of Uttam Kumar in fathoming the depth of the character had drawn accolades from none other than Elizabeth Taylor who expressed her desire to meet and work with such a versatile actor.

His perfect portrayal of a Japanese gentleman in the film “Chiriakhana” for which he was bestowed with a national award will surely draw appreciation in this part of the globe. In hindsight this workaholic matinee genius perhaps deserved more recognition from his country.

Seema Sengupta is a journalist based in Kolkata, India. Her articles have been published by The Tribune, The Telegraph, The Pioneer, The Asian Age and other newspapers. She can be reached at seemasengupta@vsnl.net.