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Amitava Nag reviews “Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen- Bengali Cinema’s First Couple” by Maitreyee B Chowdhury, the first book in English on Bengali cinema’s evergreen couple

U ttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen are the two names that any one remotely connected to Bengali cinema can associate with even today, more than three decades after they ever acted on screen. Today’s media and the cultural space which is filled up with the modern day hero and the bit-sized starlets hanging from his shoulder in all directions cannot still quite shrug off the magnetic presence of this romantic on-screen couple who swayed Bengali cinema in its golden period – the 1950s and the 1960s. Strangely, there had not been any book on the duo in English (a few are available in Bengali though but not very authentic in any sense) so far till one comes across Maitreyee B Chowdhury...

<div>Legendary Bengali actor Soumitra Chatterjee, who has portrayed a versatile range of lead characters in films by Satyajit Ray, has been selected for India.s highest film honour - the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2012.</div><div></div><div>Confirming the news, Chatterjee told us that he was extremely happy at the honour.</div><div></div><div>.I am extremely happy. Till this evening I had not thought of this award. But after I got the news I am extremely happy,. Chatterjee said.</div><div></div><div>Chatterjee, one of India.s most talented actors, made his debut in 1959 with Ray.s super-hit movie .Apur Sansar.. The film gave him the much needed platform, and he never looked back.</div><div></div><div>Chatterjee soon became Ray.s favourite, and became the lead actor of most of the movie maker.s classics including Sonar Kella, Charulata and Ghare Baire.</div><div></div><div>Chatterjee.s association with Ray is often compared with the chemistry between famous actor-director duos of the world...

Soumitra Chatterjee

Soumitra Chatterjee has been my way of life. He is, for many Bengalis even if he passed our stage of life three decades ago. This is one classic test that he endured like his mentor Satyajit Ray. But even apart from the towering shadow of Ray, Soumitra carved out an image for himself which he fostered over a period of time, so much so that even younger generations can’t but try to emulate him.

Be it the dreamer in Apu (Apur Sansar) or Amal (Charulata), the charismatic sleuth in Feluda (Sonar Kella), the casual romantic in Teen Bhuvaner Paare (twisting his way to impress Tanuja) and Basanta Bilap or the fairy-tale villain Mayur Bahan in Jhinder Bandi, Soumitra has played it all. He had been a successful hero, second only to Uttam Kumar in popularity perhaps but never shied away from doing character roles even then. How...