What did Soumitra Chatterjee make a famous actor from Bengal?

Two Indians of the 20th century have found the greatest global belief in art that Rabindranath Tagore and Satyajit Ray are. And, Soumitra Chatterjee (1935-2020) tied closely to his life and work. Together, they played an important role in flourishing a culture, which was still universal. It was different from other parts of India – it was a world where Russian literature and German music were mixed with Sanskrit and Bengali poetry.

Rabindranath, a friend of Satyajit’s grandfather, Upendra Kishore Roy Chaudhary, was the guru of Satyajit, who was in turn, the patron of Soumitra. The Government of India commissioned Satyajit to make a documentary on Rabindranath for the later birth centenary (1961) – he also made films based on the works of Rabindranath, including including. Teenage girl1961, Churulata (1964) and Ghai Bayer (1984). In these films, Soumitra played the role of a hero, who looked Rabindranath as one of his literary heroes, an ideal of the Bengali man.

Saumitra acted in 14, which is 50 percent of Satyajit Ray. He worked with other prominent directors, including Tapan Sinha and Mrinal Sen. He never worked with the Ritvik Ghatak, which he disliked intensely.

Soumitra was an elegance about him, his sophisticated form and in his great personal style. Like many mythological cinema actors, they were also trained in theater, and worked closely with their directors, so that they could correct their ‘Come Is More’ acting. Bengali and his command of his dialects and registers contributed immensely to his performance.

In these films, Soumitra often played an educated, cultural role Bhadralok Chitra, contemporary or historical, usually romantic, sometimes model. It is easy to confuse the actor with roles, and many people continue to see him as Apu, after his first film with Satyajit, Apur Sansar (1959).

Sometimes, Saumitra played a more ambitious character, especially as a seducker of unhappy wives – this is innocent implementation Churulata Or exploited sandip Ghai BayerHe was also assuring Narasimha EmbassyInspiration for scholars Taxi driver. Soumitra also loved for his non-romantic FeludaIndian Sherlock Holmes, as Feluda themselves have accepted in stories.

Although Amitabh Bachchan or Shah Rukh Khan may be one of better known Indian actors globally, Soumitra is known to all who see the world or economous cinema. He was the most beautiful till now Of His highly talented contemporary, including Chabi Biswas, Robbie Ghosh and Util Dutta, included great. Saumitra worked with many smart and stylish actresses of her generation, including Madadi Mukherjee, Supriya Chaudhary, Aparnan Sen and Sharmila Tagore, as well as Vehida Rehman.

Soumitra with Satyajit Kiran on the set of Ghaire Bair (1984). , Photo Credit: Hindu Archives

Many comparisons are made between Soumitra and Uttam Kumar. Suve Uttam Kumar was the most talented star in the popular Bengali cinema, always a star, a great hero. On the other hand, Soumitra was an actor and an ordinary person who was going about Calcutta. Unlike Bhadralok/Rabindranathian Nayak, Uttam’s melodramas often show him as a sensitive middle -class Bengali man, who talks on complex roles and comprehensive social questions in his search for love and stability.

Although Uttam Kumar was senior, both actors were in good positions, and even worked together in Tapan Sinha Jinder Bondi (1961), a version of ‘The Prisoner of Zand’, where Soumitra played a negative role against Uttam’s advice.

Saumitra’s offscreen life was well known, although it seems uneven for one of the most famous and acclaimed actors in India, focused on family, friends, work and some political activities. Writer Sanghamitra Chakraborty has done a good job of writing an attractive and fluent book. She attracts a wide range of published tasks, her writing and a wide range of interviews by Soumitra. The book has been structured around his work instead of introducing a chronological, so his serious films, his mental films, then his theater work with his other great patron, Sisir Kumar Bhaduri, before watching his poetry, his art and his work as the editor of a literary magazine.

There are no salty revelations, only refer to close friendship with other women, but it is mostly an analysis of his work against a tragic story of a person who felt dissatisfied with himself and sometimes with life.

New Biography | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Although the book is very big, I enjoyed every page. Sometimes Satyajit is found in Kiran’s life for a long time. It is difficult for a global reader to write a book with local audience (English -read Bengalis). Publishers should get better photos or an index should be added so that it can also act as a reference task.