Uttam Kumar (born Arun Kumar Chattopadhyay), popularly known as the Mahanayak, was an Indian actor, producer, director, script writer, composer, and singer who predominantly worked in Bengali Cinema. His popularity was mainly concentrated in West Bengal, India and the Bangladesh region.  Kumar was one of the most successful actors in Bengali Cinema history.

When the Government of India  instituted National Film Awards, Kumar was the first actor to be honored with the National Award for Best Actor  at the 15th National Film Awards  in 1968 for his performances in ‘Anthony Firingee’ and ‘Chiriyakhana’.

Kumar’s career spanned three decades, from the late 1940s until his death in 1980. He appeared in over 200 films including 15 Hindi films. Some of his best known films are Agni Pariksha, Harano Sur, Saptapadi, Nayak, Amanush,  and many others.

He was a cinema, theatre and Jatra lover  since childhood. In 1935, while still in school, he founded a theatre group called  ‘Lunar Club’ with his friends. Kumar’s first role was in Rabindranath Tagore’s Mukut. At the age of ten, he won a trophy for his role in the play. He joined Kolkata Port Trust  as a clerk, where he got paid 75 rupees per month.

Kumar played football, volleyball, and learned swimming, wrestling and singing.  He acted in his own theatre group Sruhid Samaj.  He also learned Lathi Khela  from Sukumar Gupta and practice wrestling in Mallabi’s Noni Ghosh’s wrestling arena.  He also became a champion in swimming at Bhawanipur Swimming Association three years in a row.  He learnt acting to see theater actor Sisir Kumar Bhaduri. He also learned the Hindi and Urdu  languages from a Maulana  during this time.

After working in theatre and Port Trust for a few years, Kumar entered the film industry in 1947, in the Hindi film  Mayadore  which was never released. His first released film under his birth name Arun Kumar Chatterjee was the 1948 film ‘Drishtidan’  directed by Nitin Bose. Next year he appeared as the hero in the film ‘Kamona’  in 1949, changing his name again to Uttam Chatterjee. Later he changed his name again to Arun Kumar. From  ‘Sahajatri’  1951 he kept his name permanently as Uttam Kumar.

His first successful film was under the M. P Production banner ‘ Basu Poribar,  in 1952 by Nirmal Dey. The following year he worked again with the same banner and director in the film ‘Sharey Chuattor’  in 1953, which was his first time paired with Suchitra Sen. His first breakthrough role came in the following year in Agradoot’s film ‘Agnipariksh’  in 1954. The movie was remade in  Hindi  in 1967 as ‘Chhoti Si Mulaqat’  also starring Uttam Kumar.

He produced six successful Bengali films and also produced a Hindi film. First he produced Harano Sur  (1957) and Saptapadi  underf the banner off Alochayas Production. Both films were directed by Ajoy Kar and received National Film Award. In 1963 he changed his production house name to Uttam Kumar Films Private L.T.D. Under this banner he produced first Bhranti Bilasj  others is Uttar Falguni, Jatu Griha both of film was won again National Film Award and also Grihadaha. Kumar also directed the films Sudhu Ekti Bochhor, Bon Palashir Padaboli, Kalankini Kankabati (relealsed after his death).

Kumar collaborated with Satyajit Ray  for the first time in 1966 on the film Nayak  (The Hero). Bengali language film composed, written, and directed by Satyajit Ray.  A famous actor of Bengali Films, Arindam Mukherjee (Uttam Kumar), is invited to the capital,  Delhi to receive a prestigious award. He travels by the train. The morning newspaper arrives and carries with it an article on an altercation he had been involved in. In the restaurant car, he meets Aditi Sengupta (Sharmila Tagore), a young journalist who edits a modern women’s magazine,  Adhunika. Filled with contempt for the likes of him, she secretly plans to interview him because she thinks it would attract more readers. He soon starts to reveal his personality, and also brings to surface the inner insecurities and his consciousness of the limitations of his ‘powers’. Aditi initially takes notes, surreptitiously, but later on, out of empathy almost bordering on pity, stops. However, critical of the star, she interrogates him, leading to further introspection on his part. Slowly, his guilt about the way things turned out is very visible.

Arindam also mentions Shankar-da, his mentor, who had never wanted Arindam to join films, being a strong opposer of the medium. He talks about his first day in film, and on the different experiences he faced with other workers in the field and some of the things that happened to them.

Toward the end of the train journey, Arindam is drunk and feels a need to confide his wrongdoings. He asks the conductor fetch Aditi. He begins to reveal the reason behind the altercation he was a part of, but Aditi stops him, as she has already guessed. It was an affair he’d had with one of his co-actors, Promila. Afraid that he might commit suicide, Aditi makes sure he returns to his cubicle, before going back to her own. As the star re-lives and examines his life with Aditi, a bond develops between them. Aditi realizes that in spite of his fame and success, Arindam is a lonely man, in need of empathy. Out of respect for him, she chooses to suppress the story and tears up the notes she has written. She lets the hero preserve his public image.

In May 1966, Satyajit Ray called Uttam Kumar. “Uttam,  Nayak  premieres tomorrow at Indira Cinema. I hope you will be there,” Ray reportedly said. “But Manikda, the press and public will be in attendance. Do you think I should go? There will be pandemonium,” he replied, “Uttam, don’t forget it’s a Satyajit Ray film. Please be there,” Ray commanded. The next day, the news of Kumar’s appearance at the cinema house spread and all hell broke loose. By late afternoon, roads leading to Bhowanipore had to be barricaded. Kumar’s car was piloted through the by-lanes. The theatre was shaking under the weight of uproarious chanting, ‘Guru,  guru’, with demands to see the star. The hall manager rushed to Ray. “Sir, if we don’t bring him up on stage there will be a serious law-and-order issue.” Minutes later, the lights came on and Kumar was seen standing on the platform in front of the screen. He raised his hand. The crowd fell silent, as if by the waving of a magic wand. “I request you to please be silent and watch the film. Don’t forget it is a Satyajit Ray film.”

This story, a piquant testimonial to two of Bengal’s foremost immortals, is probably apocryphal. But that takes nothing away from what this tale testifies to – from Ray’s sway over his cast, the pliant theatre manager and finally the phenomenal stardom of Kumar. In some ways, this story encapsulates the fantasy that was Bengali cinema. But as is known, it is not Ray who colonised that cinema, either as fantasy or as commerce. It was Kumar. And only Kumar.

After seeing Kumar in  Nayak, actress Elizabeth Taylor  was impressed with his performance and wanted to work and meet with him. He worked with Ray the following year in Chiriyakhana (1967).  On his performance in Nayak  Forbes India  was including him in “List Of 25 greatest acting performance of Indian Cinema”.

Uttam Kumar was the first-ever recipient of the National Film Award for Best Actor for his performances in  Antony Firingee and Chiriyakhana in 1967.

He composed music for the film Kaal Tumi Aleya  in which Hemanta Mukherjee and Asha Bhosle sang to his tune and also composed Sabyasachi  1977 film. Kumar learned singing at an early age from Nidanbandhu Banerjee. He was also a playback singer  in his own film Nabajanma  1956. Later he also recorded some Rabindra Sangeet. At first he lip-synced on the 1950 film Maryada.

Kumar also acted in theatre, creating his own theatre group in his house called “Surhid Samaj” before debuting in the film industry. He worked in theatre in between his clerk job. In 1953 when he became a busy actor in the Bengali film industry he again worked in a play, called “Shyamali” under the Star Theater banner. The “Shyamali” ran for over 480 nights. However, Bidhan Chandra Roy  (Chief Minister of West Bengal) called him “Shyamal”. After this, the director Ajoy Kar made a film based on him with the same title Shyamali. He returned to the theatre in the 1970s, where he directed three plays under his foundation Shilpi Sangshad  these are “Charankabi Mukunda Das”, “Sajahan” and “Charitraheen” but he did not act. Up next he also acted in “Alibaba”.

He also worked some Hindi films like Amanush  (his only success in Hindi), Anand Ashram, Kitaab and Dooriyaan. Amanush  (Inhuman) is a 1975 Indian action film  made in both Hindi and Bengali  languages, produced and directed by  Shakti Samanta.  Both the versions were hits. A village youth falsely implicated in a conspiracy is imprisoned and can’t prove his innocence to his beloved. Devastated, he takes to alcohol. Kumar shines as Madhusudan Roy Chaudhary, or Madhu, a straightforward scion of a zamindar family settled in a fishing village in the Sunderbans. He reflects angst and anger with understated ease after his life is ripped asunder by the family  munim , Maheem Ghosal (a superlative performance by veteran Utpal Dutt). Reduced to a penniless drunkard, he is condemned to live the life o f an  amanush — half human, and half beast. As a debauched vagabond, he raises his voice on behalf o f the downtrodden who suffer under the highhanded and corrupt Ghosal. This brings him face to face with the law enforcers, who are often hand in glove with the wily Ghosal.

While shooting the song “Ki Ashay Bandhi Khelaghar” on the launch. They had lost the track in the deep jungle. Then Shakti Samanta saw a small light reflected from a grocer shop. When the shopkeeper came and saw Uttam Kumar he immediately ran away. Some moments later they see hundreds of people gathering in the bank of the river to see their guru Uttam Kumar. At the Bengaluru Swapna Theater  the film ran for 65 weeks. This was first and only successful Hindi film of Uttam Kumar’s career.

Kumar played dual roles in the film  Jhinder Bandi and Bhranti Bilash a judges and lawyer in Bicharak and Jibon Jiggasa, a servant in Khokababur Protyabartan, a thief in Abak Prithibi, a murderer in Sesh Anka  a detective in Thana Theke Aschi and Chiriyakhana, a hotel receptionist in Chowringhee, a jamindar in Stree, a king in Sanyasi Raja, a villainous evill politician in Bagh Bandi Khela, an ideal doctor in Agnishwaar, a revolutionary leader in Sabyasachi, a serial killer in Plot No 5.

In the 1960s a rivalry was started between Kumar and Soumitra Chatterjee.  In a 2014 interview, Chatterjee said  “I knew Uttamda ever since he was a Kolkata Port Trust employee before becoming a star. We had met at the theatre beforehand.” “Any talk about our rivalry is baseless as few know how caring he was. He once dragged me jogging to stay and look fit and trim as a hero at the crack of dawn. I woke up in the dawn hearing commotion in the lane outside and then he called me aloud. Waving to the crowd around the Austin we both got inside and drove away – to the lake area.”

Abheek Barman of  The Quint  wrote in 2019 that Kumar’s time was the “Golden Era of Begali Cinema”. Kumar was one of the most successful actors in Bengali cinema history.  He made most of the highest grossing Bengali films of the years in which he worked. In 1960s at the time Kumar appeared in 15 successful films.

Kumar and Suchitra Sen have worked together in 30 films from where 29 films was give box office success.  In an interview Uttam Kumar once said about his chemistry between Suchitra Sen that  Roma saved my career. Roma came and I felt I got my heroine. If Roma never came I never would’ve been the Uttam Kumar. He worked with more than 46 heroines in his career.

In 1942 he joined in the Indian independence movement. In 1945, he also helped Subhas Chandra Bose’s Indian National army relief fund, arranging a play “Ananda Math” from which he collected 1750 rupees and gave it to Bose’s elder brother Satish Chandra Bose.  In 1946 Hindu-Muslim controversy he also involved them.

For the 1978 flood, he organized a charity cricket  match between artists from the Bengali film industry and the Bombay film industry 1979. He was captaining for Bengal team while Dilip Kumar  was captaining for Bombay team.

Tollygunge Metro station in Kolkata  was renamed as Mahanayak Uttam Kumar Metro Station  in his honour. A life-size statue has been erected near Tollygunge metro station which in 2013 was renamed after the actor by the Central Railway Ministry.

Celebrating the 89th birth anniversary of Uttam Kumar, the Department of Posts in 2009 released a series of new postage stamps featuring the actor. The Department of Posts also released a brochure on the Uttam Kumar Stamp release with a note that says “Uttam Kumar – The Legend of Indian Cinema”.

The Mahanayak Uttam Manch  in Kalighat, named after him, was established by his youngest brother Tarun Kumar. This is mainly a business auditorium but is also used for Bengali drama and plays. Currently, the auditorium is supervised under the Kolkata Municipal Corporation.

In 2012, the Government of West Bengal started giving an award in his name as “Mahanayak Samman” for lifetime contribution and film award also. This program is held on Uttam Mancha on his every death anniversary.

In 2016 a television series based on his life was started, which was starring by the Bengali cinema actor Prosenjit Chatterjee named Mahanayak.  A biopic named Achena Uttam  on his life is being made, where his character is played by the Bengali actor Saswata Chatterjee. National Award  winner director Srijit Mukherjee  made a film where he cast him through the VFX taken the footage of his 54 films the filmed named as Oti Uttam.

Photos courtesy Google. Excerpts taken from Google.