Remembering Soumitra Chatterjee, Bengali cinema’s alt superstar

He was the alt famous person of Bangla cinema in its glory years, the affable Bhadralok icon who crafted a towering stature satirically 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 up to date cinema within the state — Uttam Kumar — whose place as Mahanayak within the Bengali psyche was primarily cemented in idol worship and mass hysteria.

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 up to date industrial powerhouses as Ajoy Kar and Tarun Mazumdar. He is 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.

Importantly, Soumitra Chattopadhyay`s greatness as a display screen icon will survive the test 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. Beyond such a nuanced portrayal, he may 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 well known story in Bengal. Ray was on the lookout for his grownup Apu in “Apur Sansar”, closing 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 A pal launched Soumitra to the grasp filmmaker who promptly declared the budding actor seemed too outdated to be Apu, a school pupil in response to his script. Soumitra would finally bag the position reverse Sharmila Tagore, after all, and the remaining is historical past.

Soumitra`s cinematic destiny is overwhelmingly dictated by the good cinema of Satyajit Ray, a lot so the maestro`s filmography via his most necessary section outlines the actor`s profession graph. Soumitra made his debut with “Apur Sansar” (1959) and, over the following 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), “Joy 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 if 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 reality stands an affidavit to his professionalism and disposition as a human being.

Consider a number of different diversely prolific filmmakers past Ray who labored with Soumitra, and also you get the image.

Mrinal Sen, one other world 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 iconic Tapan Sinha directed him in initiatives as “Kshudhita Pashan” (1960), “Jhinder Bandi” (1961), “Atanka” (1984) and “Antardhan” (1992).

Mainstream titans of his period beloved 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 through the years 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 in all probability could 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 Bollywood area twice. In 1986, he acted reverse Roopa Ganguly within the Hindi quick movie “Nirupama”, primarily based on Tagore`s story “Dena Paona”. He additionally had a job within the 2002 launch, “Hindustani Sipahi”, primarily based on Utpal Dutt`s famend Bangla play “Pherari Fauj”.

These although have been non permanent departures. For most components, his staggering profession is predicated on his Bengali filmography. It is a physique of labor that has given him recognition past the National Award as Best Actor (“Podokkhep”). He additionally obtained the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1998.

Although his greatness lies in his physique of labor earlier than the digicam, Soumitra did strive his hand at filmmaking, too. His directorial effort “Stree Ki Patra”, a telefilm primarily based 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 Old Man was established in his lifetime is apparent from the variety of GenNow actors who’ve adopted in his footsteps. Young skills within the Bengali movie trade of at this time reminiscent of Parambrata Chattopadhyay and Abir Chatterjee have original 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 at this time often known as the multiplex cinema circuit, catering content-driven leisure of refinement, faraway from the cliches of kitsch. It is one thing Soumitra relished doing all these many years in the past.