Nirmal Kumar - the sophisticated actor of Bengali cinema, should have won more BFJA awards.

Nirmal Kumar – the sophisticated actor of Bengali cinema, should have won more BFJA awards.

Nirmal Kumar had acted in landmark Bengali films during the 50s and 60s. But inspite of his effortless performance in sometimes thoughtful and sometimes complex characters did not earn him many BFJA awards. He acted in the role of literary educated character in the film Sesher Kobita in the early 50s. Then he got a landmark role in Tapan Sinha’s Louha Kapat. He played the role of a jailor who witnessed the stories of different prisoners in his prison. He almost portrayed the observation of Jorasondho, the author of the epic novel.

He played the role of a compassionate doctor in Tapan Sinha’s film Khaniker Atithi. He treated a small boy who was suffering from infirmity in the legs. Later on he came to know that the boy was the child of Ruma Guha Thakurta, the woman he was supposed to marry but could not marry due to different reasons. He even took the child to Kolkata to show him to his senior doctor played by Radha Mohan Bhattacharya who ultimately cured him. His ability to interact with the little child had created a lasting impact in the minds of cinematic audience. He did not win BFJA award for it.

He received the BFJA award for best performance in the film Kamal Lata. He played the role of a muslim poet depicted by writer Sarat Chandra Chatterji who had stayed in Baishnov Ashram and composed devotional songs. His association with one of the devotees played by Suchitra Sen compelled the other members from boycotting her from society. Uttam Kumar played the role of (Srikanto) Sarat Chandra Chatterij and he took Kamallata ( Suchitra Sen) from the place. Nirmal Kumar died at the end of then film. His lips in the song “o mo kokhon shuru” sung by Shaymal Mitra and composed by Robin Chatterji had touched the souls of the viewers of classic films. That was the only time Nirmal Kumar won a BFJA award.

His performance in the film Chaya Shurjo requires special mention. He played the role of the uncle of Sharmila Tagore who was disliked by all the family members and who lost his husband also due to illness. Nirmal Kumar was the poet in the film who was the silent observer of the ill-treatment towards the unfortunate girl in Partho Pratim Choudhury’s epic film. He did not win any award for the landmark performance. His other successful films include Upahaar, Kono Ekdin, Lal Pathor, Bishkonya, etc. In Kono Ekdin, he played the role of a wealthy person, who drove his own taxi in Kolkata and gathered diversified experiences of different persons who drove in his taxi. The role of a thoughtful observer did not earn him any award.

His soft style of performance in majority of films had touched the viewers and for those reasons his films should be preserved and restored.

Review of Uttam Kumar's film Kamallata.

Review of Uttam Kumar’s film Kamallata.

Harishadhon Dasgupta took a big challenge in making a film on Sarat Chandra Chatterji’s classic literature Kamallata. Uttam Kumar played the role of Sarat Chandra himself named (Srikanto) in the film. Suchitra Sen played the role of Kamallata while Nirmal Kumar played the role of a muslim poet called Gahar Goshai.

A farmhouse in the districts of West Bengal was used by Harishadhan Dasgupta to portray a baisnav akhra (the place where devotees of God Vishnu stay together). Suchitra Sen was subjected to unrest in her family after her relationship with Biren Chatterji had been criticized and joined the Baishnav Akhra. Nirmal Kumar, the poet, wrote Ramayana in new style, and also wrote songs devoted to God Vishnu inspite of being a muslim.

Pahari Sanyal and other elders in the akhra appreciated the literary work of Nirmal Kumar and his monetary contribution for the development of the charitable institution. Uttam Kumar was his friend and visited the place a number of times and came to know the story of Suchitra Sen. The other members of the institution were narrow minded and just because Suchitra Sen communicated with Nirmal Kumar, asked her to leave the place.

Nirmal Kumar died at the end of the film and gave all his property to the Institution. Uttam Kumar took Suchitra Sen from the place and reached her to safe place in Kolkata. Sarat Chandra Chatterji had shown that tolerance of every faith was the actual realization based on which the meaning of religion could be understood.

Nirmal Kumar received BFJA award for his brilliant performance in the film. He gave excellent lips in Shyamal Mitra’s devotional song (baishnavgeeti) “o mon kokhon shuru” and “mane na e mon”. Robin Chatterji the music director of the film showed his brilliance in composing devotional songs as well.
The film did excellent business after release in 1969 and still remains an inspiration for new directors in making films with classic literature. The film and music of the film should be restored.

Directors like Partho Pratim Choudhury never got their dues.

Directors like Parthopratim Choudhury never got their dues.

Directors of intellectual films like Partho Pratim Choudhury never got the recognition that they deserved. Neither were they associated with neo-realistic directors like Satyajit Ray and Hrithik Ghatak, nor got similar recognition like Tapan Sinha or Ajoy Kar.

Yet he was a path-breaker with his brilliant direction in the film Chayasurjo. The film was based on the classic literature of Asha Purna Devi. Among the two daughter of a Bengali middle class family, the younger daughter due to her ugly appearance was always rebuked by the family members.

She grew up and created her own chain of thoughts. Sharmila Tagore played the challenging role. Her elder sister received good education was also got married to a solvent person having recognition in society. While the person Sharmila loved namely Arun Mukherjee, was still looking for a job.

Arun Mukherjee got a job at last, but he became extremely and before solemnizing their marriage his entire relationship with Sharmila was burnt with his ashes. The tragic end of the film left the viewers speechless in the halls.

The entire ill-treatment towards Sharmila was countered by the poet in the film played by Nirmal Kumar. He was compassionate towards his brother’s daughter and found novelty in the creations of Sharmila Tagore who was apparently discarded even by her own mother played by Malina Debi. When at the end of the film Sharmila took her father’s money to complete the cremation of her husband Arun Mukherjee, all the family members accused her of stealing money when she disclosed the purpose for which the money was spend.

Films like Chayasurjo highlight the depth of thought of Bengali directors of 50s and 60s, which were matchless. Partho Pratim Choudhury was even sublime with his creative direction in the films Hongsho Mithun, Palonko, etc. He even did cast Uttam Kumar in the role of Ghanada later in the 70s, in a role which was a departure from his matinee idol image.

Viewers of bollywood films who had recognized Sharmila Tagore’s depth of acting through her performances in Gulzar’s films like Mausam, Namkeen and other notable films like Anand Ashram, Dooriyan, must watch Chaya Surjo which can be considered as the most dynamic performance of Sharmila Tagore in her entire life.

Films of Partho Pratim Choudhury should be restored and displayed in the film institutes of the country for the new generations who have visions towards making innovative films.

Remembering Tapan Sinha - the legendary storyteller.

Remembering Tapan Sinha – the legendary story – teller.

Tapan Sinha, the legendary story-teller and path-breaker in Bengali cinema had died recently at the age of 84 years. Very recently he had been awarded the highest award Dada Saheb Phalke for his notable contribution to films for more than 50 years. Being a big admirer of John Ford and Billy Wilder, Tapan Sinha worked under the dynamic personility Charles Cryton in Pinewood Studios in London.He returned back to India with a vision of merging the environment, mystery, tribal reality, social concerns with literary flavour and his dynamism shaped and nurtured silver screen from its infancy to a field of exhibition of work of art.

Most of his films received awards in India including national awards and also international awards. He had used the immortal literature of legendary writers of Bengal including Rabindranath Tagore, Jorasondho, Sorodindu Bandhopadhyay, Subodh Ghosh, to name a few and mesmerized the audience with his powerful script, outstanding camera work, meaningful casting and innovative story-telling.

The subjects with which he had made films never matched with each other showing the dynamism of the legend of legends. The story of Kabuliwala was based on Tagore’s realization of affection of an afghan father for his small daughter. Chabi Biswas astonished the viewers with his dynamic performance and created a standard which was not reached by even stalwart actor of bollywood Balraj Sahani in Bimal Roy’s Kabuliwala.

In that respect, no other director other than Satyajit Ray had such a strong casting sense that was exhibited by Tapan Sinha. His team of actors varied from film to film and the audience found that the actor or actresses he chose in the respective film matched the literary character that was depicted in novels. Nirmal Kumar, the jailor in the film Louhakapat was matchless with his poetic eyes which expressed his compassion towards the prisoners.

His casting of Uttam Kumar in the film Jhinder Bandi, the adaptation of Anthony Hopp’s Prisoner of Zenda, stormed Bengali films in the early 60s. Uttam Kumar looked like a European actor on horseback which was required in the film considering the chivalry that was required from Shankar Narayan Singh, the prince of Jhind, a land of warriors. The same Uttam Kumar was used in a different way by Tapan Sinha in the film Jotu Griha.

Uttam Kumar was a notable engineer in the film, who married Arundhuti Debi, but could not beget any child due to deficiency of Arundhuti Debi. He had property, pomp, grandeur, recognition in the society, yet due to lack of children ultimately the relationship ended up in separation. In their separation also the relationship between Uttam Kumar and Arundhuti Debi was divine, and their feelings for each other touched the souls of the audience when in the last scene their trains crossed one another thereby providing a new path for the spouses. The depiction of Anil Chatterji, a middle-class worker in Uttam Kumar’s firm who had many children and was needy, yet happy with his struggling life, had not been forgotten by cinematic audience.

The same Tapan Sinha brought out the best from Tragedy King Dilip Kumar in the film Sagina Mahato, which was remade in hindi as well. Dilip Kumar was tribal leader and leader of worker’s union in the hilly districts of West Bengal. He was used by the local political leaders including Anil Chatterji for mobilizing the ideal youth of the place, but when Dilip Kumar gained popularity, his powers were taken away and he was proved to a traitor. The powerful performance of both Dilip Kumar and Anil Chatterji had not been forgotten by cinematic audience even after 40 years of the date of creation of the film.

He used Ashok Kumar and Vaijayantimala in style in the film Hate Bajare, where the notable contribution of a compassionate doctor attracted the attention of the viewers. Villains like Ajitesh Banerjee and comedians like Chinmoy Roy surprised the viewers with a different style of acting. Again in Nirjan Saikate, Anil Chatterji’s performance as an observer questioned the fate of five widows in the film namely Sharmila Tagore, Ruma Guha Thakurta, Bharati Devi, Chaya Devi, Renuka Debi, all of whom received National awards for their individual performance.

When the works of Tapan Sinha are analyzed it becomes a question to the historians in respect of where to start and when to end. The work of Kali Banerjee, a compounder in the film Arohi, with an emotional relationship with his master played by Bikash Roy, requires special mention. The feelings of a semi-educated rural person was displayed in style by Kali Banerjee who sacrified his earnings for the education of his master’ son.

Tapan Sinha’s other landmark films include Khudito Pashan, Khaniker Atithi, Golpo Holey Sotti. Tapan Sinha even showed the unrest existing in Kolkata during the naxalite period in films like Ekhoni and Aponjon. Besides there were films based on reflections like the film Atithi were Tagore’s complex observations were highlighted. His comedy films like Bancharamer Bagan and Baidurjo Rahasya addressed the interests of common audience of the country.

Radhamohan Bhattacharya, an eminent scholar and versatile personality was used by Tapan Sinha in dynamic roles like the royal diwan in Jhinder Bandi, the medical expert in Khoniker Atithi, the noted novelist in Kabuliwala and the urdu poet in Khudito Pashan.

In the late 90s, Tapan Sinha even made films based on antisocial activities like Antardhan and Atonko, where Soumitra Chatterji depicted the concerns of middle-class father in a complex society. Most of Tapan Sinha’s films were remade in hindi and provided fresh ideas for other directors in bollywood industry like Bimal Roy, Hrishikesh Mukherjee, etc.

He is probably the most unsung, unrecognized, unlamented maestros of golden age of Bengali cinema, but the intellectuals of India and abroad consider Tapan Sinha as the greatest director of all times after Satyajit Ray and had remained an institution by himself.

The viewers pay their regard and respect to the departed soul.