Nearly 75 years after his first hit film (Basu Paribar), and more than 46 years after his death, Uttam Kumar remains one of the biggest cultural phenomena in West Bengal. He was one of those rare artistes who transcended his movie stardom to represent something even greater—the identity and culture of a people. As the evergreen legend turns 100, Frontline presents you with a special Uttam Kumar package, which explores the various aspects of the star’s great craft and his continuing appeal.
From his shift away from the early melodrama tradition of Bengali cinema to his later films; from his style of speaking—which remains a model of Bengali articulation—to the way he has come to represent Bengaliness itself, the pieces by Madhuja Mukherjee, Moinak Biswas, Anindya Sengupta, and Suhrid Sankar Chattopadhyay offer new and unique perspectives on Uttam Kumar’s great legacy. The package also includes an interview with the legendary Bengali star Ranjit Mallick, who talks about his experience of acting alongside Uttam Kumar.