Uttam Kumar

Uttam Kumar ( Bengali : উত্তম কুমার, Uttam Kumār; real name: Arun Kumar Chattopadhyay ; born September 3, 1926 in Kolkata ; † July 24, 1980 ibid) was an Indian film actor. He was the best known star in Bengali film . Over more than 20 years he formed with Suchitra Sen a popular movie couple .

Live and act

Uttam Kumar was born into a Kolkata family of amateur actors. He left college without a degree and initially earned his living as an office worker in Kolkata. In 1949 he made his film debut. He broke with the exaggerated theatrical style of Bengali performers that had prevailed until the early 1950s.

In 1953 he appeared in front of the camera for the first time with Suchitra Sen in the comedy Sharey Chuattar . The film was a box office hit, but the quality was rather modest. But he founded a long-term film partnership between the two most popular Bengali film stars in entertainment cinema. Kumar's career is particularly marked by romantic melodramas such as Sagarika (1956) and Saptapadi (1961).

Uttam Kumar starred in two films by the Bengali Oscar winner Satyajit Ray , Nayak (1966) and Chiriakhana (1967). In Nayak , he played a movie star who, disgusted by the absurd and cultic worship of his fans, flees into alcohol and isolation. During a train journey, he comes into contact with a young journalist (played by Sharmila Tagore ), who finally manages to elicit the story of his life. The film has Kumar's biographical traits.

The actor Kumar played in around 190 films over three decades. In the Hindi film he appeared only sporadically. Uttam Kumar himself was behind the camera as a director for four films. His autobiography was published in 1979. He died of a heart attack in Kolkata . His body was cremated according to the Hindu rite.

Web links

• Uttam Kumar in the Internet Movie Database (English)