Soumitra Chatterjee, The Actor With The Most Celebrated Stature in Bengal

He was the alt celebrity of Bangla cinema in its glory years, the affable Bhadralok icon who crafted a towering stature paradoxically banking on down-to-earth, plausible characters that represented middle-class Bengal. The model of stardom was in stark distinction to the opposite shining luminary of latest cinema within the state — Uttam Kumar — whose place as Mahanayak within the Bengali psyche was primarily cemented in idol worship and mass hysteria. Additionally Learn – Soumitra Chatterjee: A Man Who Outlined Versatility in Bengali Cinema, Verify Legendary Actor’s Notable Work

Soumitra Chattopadhyay — Chatterjee to anglicised India — solutions to the time period ‘phenomenon’ as completely as few actors do, for the sheer ease with which he defied the cliches of picture. His stardom was sensational and but born out of realism. He was the mascot of the peerless Satyajit Ray’s oeuvre, having labored with the maestro in 14 movies, and but he scored with the identical assuredness in works of latest industrial powerhouses as Ajoy Kar and Tarun Mazumdar. He’s the Dadasaheb Phalke Award (2012) and Padma Bhushan (2004) recipient who was additionally honoured with the Legion d’Honneur (2018) in France for his contribution to the world cinema. Additionally Learn – Soumitra Chatterjee Dies at 85 in Kolkata After Wrestle With COVID-19 Encephalopathy

Importantly, Soumitra Chattopadhyay’s greatness as a display screen icon will survive the take a look at of time in Bengali pop lore as a result of he had one thing for everybody. For, he was not simply Satyajit Ray’s Apu. Past such a nuanced portrayal, he might additionally merely grow to be Ray’s Feluda and attain out to each viewers, eight to 80.

It took a Ray to deliver to life Soumitra’s greatness, and but the account of their first assembly is a widely known story in Bengal. Ray was searching for his grownup Apu in Apur Sansar, the ultimate a part of the Apu trilogy that began with “Pather Panchali”. A pal launched Soumitra to the grasp filmmaker who promptly declared the budding actor seemed too previous to be Apu, a school scholar in response to his script. Soumitra would finally bag the position reverse Sharmila Tagore, after all, and the remainder is historical past.

Soumitra’s cinematic destiny is overwhelmingly dictated by the nice cinema of Satyajit Ray, a lot so the maestro’s filmography by way of his most essential section outlines the actor’s profession graph. Soumitra made his debut with Apur Sansar (1959) and, over the subsequent three many years, would work in Ray initiatives as Devi (1960), Teen Kanya (1961), Abhijan (1962), Charulata (1964), Kapurush O Mahapurush (1965), Aranyer Din Ratri (1969), Ashani Sanket (1973), Sonar Kella (1974), Pleasure Baba Felunath (1978), Hirak Rajar Deshe (1980), Ghare Baire (1984), Ganashatru (1989) and Shakha Proshakha (1990).

It was a filmography that Ray, one of many world’s biggest filmmakers ever, shared along with his chosen on-screen emissary. But when Ray labored with Soumitra 14 occasions, nearly each main filmmaker the actor collaborated with additionally tended to repeat him. If something, past underlining his credential as an artiste that truth stands testimony to his professionalism and disposition as a human being.

Take into account just a few different diversely prolific filmmakers past Ray who labored with Soumitra, and also you get the image.

Mrinal Sen, one other international icon of Bangla cinema of the period, directed Soumitra for the primary time in Punascha (1961), after which once more returned to collaborate with the actor in Pratinidhi (1964), Akash Kusum (1965), and Mahaprithibi (1991). The enduring Tapan Sinha directed him in initiatives as Kshudhita Pashan (1960), Jhinder Bandi (1961), Atanka (1984), and Antardhan (1992).

Mainstream titans of his period cherished working with the affable Soumitra, too. Asit Sen directed him in Swayambara (1961) and Swaralipi (1961), whereas Ajoy Kar made Otol Joler Ahoban (1962), Saat Pake Baandha (1963), Barnali (1963), Kaanch Kata Heere (1965), and Parineeta (1969). Tarun Mazumdar directed the actor over time in Ektuku Baasha (1965), Sansar Simante (1975), Ganadevata (1978), Agomon (1988), and Path O Prasad (1991).

Most of his administrators have typically spoken concerning the insatiable ardour he had for his craft. It was one thing that ensured he would keep busy as ever until his final days, essaying character roles with the identical enthusiasm with which he executed starring roles in his heydays.

His 300-plus movie profession most likely will be defined by his extremely adaptable high quality as an actor. He was at house working with new-age Bengali filmmakers as Atanu Ghosh (Mayurakshi), Suman Ghosh (Podokkhep, Peace Haven, Dwando, Basu Paribar), Partha Chakraborty (Samantaral), and Nandita Roy and Shiboprosad Mukherjee (Posto).

He did transfer outdoors Bengal into the Bollywood area twice. In 1986, he acted reverse Roopa Ganguly within the Hindi quick movie Nirupama, based mostly on Tagore’s story Dena Paona. He additionally had a task within the 2002 launch, Hindustani Sipahi, based mostly on Utpal Dutt’s famend Bangla play Pherari Fauj.

These although had been non permanent departures. For many components, his staggering profession is predicated on his Bengali filmography. It’s a physique of labor that has given him recognition past the Nationwide Award as Finest Actor (Podokkhep). He additionally obtained the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1998.

Though his greatness lies in his physique of labor earlier than the digicam, Soumitra did attempt his hand at filmmaking, too. His directorial effort Stree Ki Patra, a telefilm based mostly on Rabindranath Tagore’s Streer Patra launched in 1986. The movie starred Roopa Ganguly and Usha Ganguly.

That the legacy of Bangla cinema’s Grand Outdated Man was established in his lifetime is apparent from the variety of GenNow actors who’ve adopted in his footsteps. Younger abilities within the Bengali movie trade of immediately similar to Parambrata Chattopadhyay and Abir Chatterjee have normal their careers within the strains of Soumitra, looking for stardom with out dropping join with Bengali middle-class realities. These are actors who’ve carved a distinct segment in what’s immediately referred to as the multiplex cinema circuit, catering content-driven leisure of refinement, faraway from the cliches of kitsch. It’s one thing Soumitra relished doing all these many years in the past.