Uttam Kumar would have got more national awards had it started earlier.

Uttam Kumar would have got more national awards had it started earlier.

The national awards for best actor started in 1967. Uttam Kumar received the best actor award for his splendid performance in the film Chiriakhana and Antony Firingi released in the same year.

It is a pity that the national awards for the best actor were started so late. Otherwise superstar Uttam Kumar could have won many more awards. Firstly his performance in the film Saheb Bibi Ghulam could have been considered for the award. He played the role of Bhootnath who was the observer in the film who witnessed the downfall of zamindari in North Calcutta during British regime. The same character was played by Guru Dutt in the bollywood film Saheb Biwi Aur Ghulam.

Uttam Kumar’s performance in the film Harano Sur would have been considered for award. He played the role of big industrialist in Ajoy Kar’s classic film who lost his memory, married Suchitra Sen, and then forgot her after meeting with another accident. The film was considered as one of the greatest blockbusters of Bengali cinema.

Uttam Kumar won the BFJA award for the best actor for his brilliant performance in the film Saptapadi in 1961. He played the role of Krishnendu Mukherjee, an eminent doctor, who fell in love with Suchitra Sen, who was a Christian, but as his father Chabi Biswas stood in the way of inter-religious marriage, he sacrificed his life for the cause of victims of 2nd world war. Uttam Kumar’s performance could very well qualify for national award.

Uttam Kumar was equally brilliant in Tapan Sinha’s historical film Jhinder Bandi. He played a double role showing the bravery of rajput prince. Uttam Kumar was sublime in his performance in the films Thana Theke Aschi, Jotugriha, Nayak and Shankhabela.

Had these films being released after 1967, Uttam Kumar would have got more number of national awards. Firstly he was the automatic choice of all the legendary directors of Bengal, namely Satyajit Ray, Tapan Sinha, Ajoy Kar, Harishadhon Dasgupta, Agradoot, Agragami, Salil Sen, Salil Dutta, to name a few. Secondly, his films were path-breaking classics, which remained in the hearts of numerous filmlovers across the country. The films should be revived as each of them had become work of art over the years.

Uttam Kumar and Ajoy Kar.

Uttam Kumar and Ajoy Kar.

Uttam Kumar being the greatest superstar of Bengali cinema during the golden age, that is the 50s, 60s and 70s, had acted in the films of all the legendary filmmakers of Bengal and the country as a whole. He had worked with Satyajit Ray in films like Nayak, Chiriakhana, Tapan Sinha in films like Jotugriha, Jhinder Bandi, Agragami in films like Sankhabela, Shilpi, Agradoot in films like Sabar Opore, Surjo Toron, Gulzar in films like Kitaab, Mrinal Sen in films like Raat Bhor.

But the commercial films in which Uttam Kumar had gained stardom were mostly related to the works of Ajoy Kar, the innovative filmmaker of the country. He utilized the middle-class image of Uttam Kumar in the film Griha Prabesh. He made Uttam Kumar play a sacrificing role in the society in the film Shyamali. Shaymali was staged in Star Theatre in Kolkata as play and ran successfully for more than 4 years. Ajoy Kar came out victorious in the film Shyamali after Uttam Kumar played a cameo in the film.

Uttam Kumar played the role of an honest academician in the film Bardidi based on the epic literature of Sarat Chandra Chatterji. Ajoy Kar provided spectacles in the make up of Uttam Kumar. Uttam Kumar was as brilliant in the role of a down to earth zamindar as Sandharani who played the lead role in the film.

Ajoy Kar’s Harano Sur was the biggest hit film of Bengali cinema of the 50s. Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen became the most enterprising romantic pair of the millennium with the landmark performance in the film Harano Sur. Uttam Kumar lost his memory in the early part of the film after meeting with an accident and married Suchitra Sen. He forgot her after his earlier memory was regained. Suchitra Sen worked in the house of Uttam Kumar as governess of Uttam Kumar’s brother’s child to return his memory. Uttam Kumar produced the film and it created history.

The Ajoy Kar Uttam Kumar magic continued in the film Saptapadi based on the classic literature of Tarashankar Bandopadhyay. Uttam Kumar being a hindu Brahmin married Suchitra Sen, a Christian. Chabi Biswas the father of Uttam Kumar begged before Suchitra Sen to forget Uttam Kumar. Uttam Kumar changed his religion, became a doctor and served the people during the 2nd world war. He even cured Suchitra Sen who suffered a bomb blast during the war. The film was considered to be the greatest hit of the 60s.

Uttam Kumar acted in other landmark films of Ajoy Kar like Suno Boronari and Khelaghar. It was pity that in the late 60s, Ajoy Kar went to Pune Film and Television Institute and taught new directors the art of film making. Otherwise he could have experimented more with Mahanayak Uttam Kumar. The legendary films of the great director and the landmark matinee idol should be restored for the future generations.