Nearly six a long time in the past, in the summertime of 1962, Soumitra Chatterjee was taking pictures for Satyajit Ray’s Abhijan (‘The Expedition’) within the scorching 45-degree-celsius warmth of Birbhum in West Bengal. That day, the younger actor was visibly battling exhaustion, fatigue, and the heavy make-up that he needed to put on to play Narsingh, the lead. The manufacturing supervisor Anil Chowdhury observed this and instructed the director, “Soumitra is struggling, can we pack up?” Soumitra recalled in his 1993 memoir Manikdar Sange (‘Manik Da and I’) that Ray responded to this with a softly voiced, “Nicely, you can’t develop into an excellent actor with out wrestle”. Soumitra wrote that he was slightly damage with this remark coming from his beloved mentor, however didn’t say something. A number of days after returning to Calcutta and in the course of the taking pictures of a vital indoor scene, the exhaustion lastly acquired the higher of Soumitra. A sudden dizziness made him fumble, and he prevented falling by holding on to a rod as assist. Ray observed this, got here in direction of him, and requested him with a straight face, “What occurred, are you feeling unwell?” Out of satisfaction, Soumitra replied with a curt “No”. After looking at him for a couple of seconds, Ray stated, “Pack up”.
To say as we speak that Soumitra Chatterjee has earned the excellence of being a ‘good actor’ would most likely be the understatement of the century. Even the time period ‘nice actor’ doesn’t suffice. Soumitra is a cultural icon, a nationwide treasure, and among the many trailblazers of Indian artwork cinema. Nonetheless, within the prolific media protection that the actor has obtained in his astonishingly lengthy profession, he’s nonetheless sometimes provincialised as a ‘Bengali’ actor — despite the fact that he’s arguably the best residing appearing legend in India after Dilip Kumar. Whereas Chatterjee has had no dearth of worldwide recognition in his six-decade-long profession (together with being awarded the Legion d’Honneur and Commandeur de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the federal government of France) his place within the nationwide cinematic creativeness is a bit more skewed.
After refusing the Padma Shri a number of instances, he obtained Padma Bhushan in 2004 and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award eight years later. He obtained his first Nationwide Award for Greatest Actor solely in 2006, for Suman Ghosh’s Podokkhep (‘Footstep’), after a couple of Particular Jury Awards. Maybe one of many causes behind that is Soumitra’s non-presence in Hindi movies regardless of an extremely prolific profession in Bengali business cinema. Whereas he by no means publicly expressed any prejudice in opposition to Bollywood, his acutely aware resolution to concentrate on Bengali cinema might have stemmed from a mix {of professional} pragmatism (keep in mind Uttam Kumar’s tumultuous Bollywood section? Only a few do exterior Bengal, proving the purpose) and a way of agency mental rootedness.
The second purpose may very well be the inevitable typecasting of Soumitra as ‘Satyajit Ray’s protagonist’, glossing over the variety of his oeuvre. Whereas Soumitra’s shut private {and professional} affiliation with Ray is unquestionably similar to the Akira Kurosawa-Toshiro Mifune and Ingmar Bergman-Max Von Sydow partnerships, we conveniently neglect that his profession continued to flourish even after Ray’s dying in 1992. He has remained a strong presence in group theatre (together with unforgettable performances in lots of productions of a King Lear adaptation on the Kolkata stage since November 2010), standard and artwork cinema, tv, spoken phrase poetry, and even in digital shorts (you possibly can watch the Sujoy Ghosh-directed Ahalya here).
Earlier than that, even throughout Ray’s lifetime, Soumitra by no means confined himself to appearing. As an alternative, he outlined himself as an indefatigable cultural employee. He’s a poet, playwright, theatre director, and spoken phrase artist, attaining appreciable stature in every of those fields. Two volumes of his collected performs (some translated from performs in different languages into Bengali) have been printed, as has an enormous fats assortment of his poems. For a while, Soumitra co-edited a superb Bengali cultural journal known as Ekkhon.
Most lately, Soumitra has been within the information because of his harrowing battle with Covid-19. As we proceed to hope for his full restoration, this personally curated checklist under is an try and remind readers that Soumitra is not only ‘Satyajit’s actor’ or a ‘Bengali icon’, however an establishment in himself. The 20 performances listed under are supposed as a place to begin to discover the astonishing depth and vary of his cinematic achievement.
1. Apur Sansar (‘The World of Apu’; 1959)
An immortal basic of world cinema, the third and closing instalment of Satyajit Ray’s Apu trilogy additionally marked Soumitra’s display debut. Within the earlier two movies of the trilogy three totally different actors portrayed the position of Apu. Soumitra, who got here to Calcutta after spending his early childhood within the culturally vibrant city of Krishnanagar, supplied himself for the position of Apu in Aparajito (1956) when he was nonetheless in college. However Ray thought that he was too tall to play an adolescent Apu. Nonetheless, inside two years, when Soumitra was working at All India Radio, he was known as again for the lead in Apur Sansar. Whereas Ray was taking pictures for Jalsaghar (‘The Music Room’; 1958) with Bengali display legend Chhabi Biswas he launched younger Soumitra because the actor “who’s taking part in Apu in my subsequent movie Apur Sansar”. A exceptional cinematic relationship of each collaboration and mentoring was thus born. Along with Ray’s genius, watch the movie for Soumitra’s extremely cerebral display presence and meticulous supply, beginning a brand new period for Bengali appearing (fairly distinct from the legacy set by one other of Soumitra’s early mentors: theatre legend Sisir Kumar Bhaduri). Plus, who can neglect the smouldering chemistry between Soumitra and younger Sharmila Tagore as his spouse?
2. Jhinder Bandi (‘The Prisoner of Jhind’; 1961)
Director Tapan Sinha, whose title ought to completely be taken in the identical breath because the trinity of Ray-Sen-Ghatak, first labored with Soumitra in his Tagore adaptation Kshudhita Pashan (‘Hungry Stones’; 1960), but it surely was in Jhinder Bandi that we see the primary correct exploration of Soumitra’s appearing vary. He performed the antagonist Mayurbahan, standing tall in opposition to Uttam Kumar’s standard hero. The movie was primarily based on a novel by Saradindu Bandyopadhyay, which in flip was considerably impressed by Anthony Hope’s The Prisoner of Zenda. A pleasant however sustained rivalry between two faculties of stardom so started. Watch it for the scenes that includes the 2 titans, and in addition for Ali Akbar Khan’s compositions.
3. Abhijan ( ‘The Expedition’; 1962)
Soumitra was a captivating casting selection for the cynical and hot-headed taxi driver Narsingh, struggling to stability satisfaction, guilt, and fervour. The actor responded to the problem, brilliantly highlighting the complexity and ambiguity in his character. Additionally, look ahead to his chemistry with Waheeda Rehman as Gulabi and with the at all times underrated Ruma Guha Thakurta as Narsingh’s old flame Neeli. Earlier than his correct breakthrough later within the decade, Rabi Ghosh shines right here as properly in a small position as Narsingh’s industrious assistant.
4. Saat Pake Bandha (‘Marriage Vows’; 1963)
This isn’t an inventory of Soumitra’s greatest performances. If it have been, I doubt if Ajoy Kar’s Saat Pake Bandha would have discovered a spot. Soumitra, because the mild but insecure educational Sukhendu, performed second fiddle to Suchitra Sen, whose gorgeous efficiency as Archana earned her world accolades. The movie was an out and out automobile for Suchitra’s famous person enchantment and charisma, and Soumitra supported her with aplomb. I additionally included it to focus on the under-appreciated partnership between Soumitra and Ajoy Kar, an necessary determine within the historical past of standard Bengali cinema. They’ve labored collectively in six movies, and the actor at all times held Kar in excessive regard.
5. Charulata ( ‘The Lonely Spouse’; 1964)
Maybe the head of Satyajit Ray’s cinematic achievement and his most mature movie, Charulata was additionally a milestone in Soumitra’s profession for his capability to painting with acute sensitivity the naiveté, fragility, and vitality of creative aspiration. Be certain to note Soumitra’s consideration to element on this movie. As a result of the movie was set within the late 1870s and featured many photographs of his handwriting, Soumitra studied previous manuscripts and paperwork so he might reproduce the patterns of Bengali handwriting within the Pre-Tagorean age.
6. Akash Kusum (‘Up In The Clouds’; 1965)
Though Soumitra had labored with Mrinal Sen earlier than in Punascha (‘Over Once more’; 1961) and Pratinidhi (‘The Consultant’; 1964), this saga of aspiration and deception is probably their most fruitful collaboration. Soumitra thought-about Akash Kusum a really trendy movie. Later, he wrote in an essay titled ‘Priyo Choritro’ (Favorite Character) about his position of the middle-class govt Ajay Sarkar: “The battle between dream and actuality as envisioned within the pressure between extroverted and introverted self within the character actually attracted me to the position. I’m at all times drawn by an opposition between stark actuality and vibrant romanticism, and I discovered that within the position in abundance.”
7. Baghini (‘Tigress’, 1968)
An under-appreciated gem so far as Soumitra’s efficiency is worried, Bijoy Bose’s Baghini options him as Chiranjib, a protagonist with a political previous, reverse Sandhya Ray. The film launched in a extremely charged political local weather the place Bengali youth have been experiencing an awesome sense of disillusionment, and Soumitra’s considerably Robin Hood-like traits within the position related properly with the viewers.
8. Aparichito (‘Stranger’; 1969)
Salil Dutta is one other comparatively unacknowledged Soumitra collaborator, they usually have carried out a number of movies collectively. This film was primarily based on a novel by Samaresh Basu, and the plot appeared to have important influences from Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s basic The Fool. On this movie, that includes the Uttam-Soumitra duo (they did 9 movies collectively), the psychological well being challenges of naïve and immature Sujit have been evocatively portrayed by Soumitra.
9. Teen Bhubaner Pare (‘On The Shores Of The Worlds’; 1969)
One in all Soumitra’s most enduringly standard movies, Teen Bhubaner Pare was additionally a turning level in his profession. The movie, directed by Ashutosh Bandyopadhyay, was an enormous hit, due partially to the compositions of Sudhin Dasgupta (voiced superbly by Manna Dey), however maybe an equally important issue was Soumitra’s efficiency because the working-class hero Subir attempting to juggle the energetic spirit of youth with societal expectations. Soumitra, after all, had already established his vary in his range of movie roles. However when the middle-class Bengali viewers, which didn’t restrict itself to viewing simply ‘severe’ or ‘parallel’ cinema, noticed Soumitra’s delightfully carefree dance to the tune of ‘Jibone Ki Pabo Na Bhulechi Shey Bhabona (I get pleasure from life with out bothering about what I don’t have)’ (watch it right here), a brand new sort of city hero was born — one whose enchantment was distinct from Uttam Kumar’s appeal of fading youth. This marked a interval of immensely standard enchantment, which has endured for the following 5 a long time.
10. Baksa Badal (‘The Baggage Change’; 1970)
Soumitra has written that he has a particular weak point for comical characters, however to incorporate Baksa Badal (primarily based on a brief story by Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay) over the way more standard Basanta Bilap (1973) as a celebration of Soumitra’s comedic energy may elevate a couple of eyebrows. I’ll stick with my resolution just because I discover Baksa Badal to be extra cerebral with sturdy overtones of the sort of Hollywood screwball comedies that Ray admired a lot. I additionally assume it has aged higher. Baksa Badal, by the way, was virtually a Ray unit movie. It was directed by Ray’s assistant director Nityananda Datta, and Ray himself wrote the screenplay and composed the music. Though commercially launched later, the taking pictures of the movie was carried out in 1964.
11. Ashani Sanket (‘Distant Thunder’; 1973)
Set in opposition to the backdrop of the devastating Bengal famine of 1943, Satyajit Ray’s Ashani Sanket holds a particular significance on this wretched plague 12 months. The travails of the idealist physician Gangacharan, performed by Soumitra, echoed the larger realities of the person and collective struggles of rural India within the face of poverty and hunger. In keeping with Soumitra himself, Gangacharan turned a logo of the resistance of the peasant class in the course of the famine. Soumitra wrote in Manikdar Sange of how he strove to choose up the Nadia dialect used within the movie by accompanying the director for location scouting and noting not simply how the agricultural populace spoke, but in addition their mannerisms and gestures. The ability of the actor can be noticeable within the methods he conveyed the indignities of hunger in his facial expressions in the course of the close-up photographs: be it in a determined gulp or stone-faced indifference in the course of the brutalities of purely transactional encounters, resembling offering medical assist to an ailing neighbour for some meals.
12. Sonar Kella (‘The Golden Fortress’; 1974)
When Soumitra performed Feluda, one of the crucial well-known fictional youth icons of Bengal, he was already 38 years previous. Throughout Ray’s second and closing Feluda enterprise Joi Baba Felunath (‘The Elephant God’; 1978) he was in his mid forties. But, so sturdy was Soumitra’s affect in visually establishing the sleuth within the Bengali cultural psyche that even Satyajit Ray’s later illustrations and sketches of the character in books had a ‘Soumitra look’. Arguably, Sonar Kella paved the trail for Soumitra turning into a cultural icon for Bengalis of all ages. Whereas Feluda, the character which Ray created within the mid Sixties for standard Bengali periodicals, did have an enchantment past the supposed viewers of youngsters and younger adults, Soumitra’s cinematic portrayal established him as a dependable position mannequin in lots of households, and a preferred fictional character was reworked into an iconic cultural treasure. Soumitra and Feluda turned nearly interchangeable from then on.
13. Sansar Simante (‘On The Edge Of The World’; 1975)
Soumitra has a variety of respect for the delicate and stylish model of filmmaking of Tarun Majumdar, one of many stalwarts of Bengali standard cinema. Aghor is a memorable position for Soumitra, and he has written about his fond recollections of taking pictures for the movie. The screenplay was primarily based on a narrative by Premendra Mitra, a literary genius. Soumitra and Majumdar’s profitable collaboration continued in Ganadevata (‘The Folks’; 1978) the place Soumitra’s position of Debu Pandit stays equally unforgettable. Sansar Simante, nevertheless, is a extra structurally sound piece of labor.
14. Koni (1984) Directed by Saroj Dey
Saroj Dey’s Koni, a story of conquer adversity, was primarily based on the Bengali novel of the identical title by the sports activities journalist and novelist Moti Nandi. The Nationwide Award-winning movie tells the story of Koni (performed by the achieved swimmer Sriparna Banerjee) who’s introduced up in poverty however competes nationally as a swimmer with the steering of her coach Khitish Sinha, fondly often known as Khit Da (performed by Soumitra). The movie’s rallying catch phrase —“Battle Koni Battle!” — continues to encourage, and the efficiency arguably ranks amongst Soumitra’s most interesting.
15. Atanka (‘Terror’; 1986)
Tapan Sinha’s mid- to late-career works present his ability at marrying technical solidity with empathy. His three movies that includes Soumitra within the span of eight years — Atanka (1986), Antardhan (‘Disappearance’; 1992), and Wheel Chair (1994) — have been all considerably profitable. In essence, all three are tales of ethical braveness, wrestle, and resilience. In Atanka, Soumitra performs an aged faculty instructor who witnesses a ugly homicide dedicated by a few of his ex college students. A memorable line from the movie was, “Mastermoshai… apni kichhui dekhen ni (Expensive Sir, you haven’t seen something)”. It resonated sharply with the up to date Bengali society grappling with a decline in collective ethical braveness. This was additionally mirrored superbly in Antardhan, the place Soumitra performed a retired faculty professor decided to rescue his daughter (performed by Shatabdi Roy) from intercourse traffickers. Antardhan earned Soumitra his first Particular Jury Award within the Nationwide Movie Awards.
16. Asukh (‘Sickness’; 1999)
This was Soumitra’s first enterprise with Rituparno Ghosh, who directed a few of his greatest works within the early to late Nineties. Asukh was a Nationwide Movie Award winner, however stays a reasonably unacknowledged basic for its masterful portrayal of the dynamics of a father-daughter relationship. Each Soumitra and Debashree rose to the event in conveying the helplessness, despair, and mistrust that may emerge throughout a disaster within the household.
17. Paromitar Ekdin (‘Home of Recollections’; 2000)
On this feminist basic directed by Aparna Sen, Soumitra performed a reasonably small position as Monimoy or Moni Da, the estranged lover of Sanaka (performed by Sen herself). In his youth, Monimoy couldn’t collect the braveness to defy their households and elope with Sanaka, and their love for one another remained unrequited. Sanaka, trapped in a deeply unfulfilling marriage, regained contact with Moni later, even monetarily supporting him commonly. The resigned dilemma of Moni — shuffling between desperation, remorse, and guilt — is poignantly expressed by Soumitra, magically transcending the narrative potential of the character. Notably compelling are the scenes wherein Sanaka’s uncooked frustration complement Moni’sense of ignominy.
18. Dekha (‘Sight’; 2001)
Soumitra’s efficiency as a bitter and ageing poet dealing with close to blindness in Gautam Ghose’s adaptation of a brief story by Sunil Gangopadhyay earned him his second Particular Jury Award. Nonetheless, Soumitra flatly refused to just accept what he termed a “comfort prize”, citing the credibility deficit of the controversy-ridden Nationwide Movie Awards. In solidarity, director Gautam Ghose too declined to just accept the Nationwide Award for Greatest Bengali Movie.
19. Podokkhep (‘Footsteps’; 2006)
In economist-turned-filmmaker Suman Ghosh’ debut characteristic movie, Soumitra performs a retired banker and widower known as Shashanka. The narrative revolves round Shashanka’s dynamics together with his daughter (performed by Nandita Das), and much more importantly, together with his neighbours’ little lady who provides him a brand new lease of life. His impeccable execution of the boredom and insecurities of previous age lastly gained him his first Greatest Actor prize on the Nationwide Movie Awards. This time, Soumitra determined to just accept, telling the Hindustan Times in 2008 (when the awards have been introduced) that he might need refused it a couple of years earlier however now that he was “older” he considered issues from a “totally different perspective”. He additionally stated that he accepted the award as a nod to his followers: “They might be damage and offended if I turned it down. How can I disappoint those that have been watching my movies for the final 50 years and have given me a lot love?”
I contemplate filmmaker Atanu Ghosh to be one of the crucial thrilling voices in up to date Bengali cinema. The acutely delicate portrayal of the intimacies of a father-son relationship amid the ravages of previous age and dementia makes Mayurakshi one the very best Bengali movies of the previous few years. Soumitra performs an 84-year-old former historical past professor whose son (performed with subtlety and restraint by Prasenjit Chatterjee) visits from Chicago whereas combating his personal private battles. The superbly shot scenes of emotional bonding between these nice actors can simply convey a tear to the attention, and in addition show that for Soumitra’s age isn’t any impediment in reaching new heights of excellence.
Now, I can already hear the faint battle cry of purist Soumitra followers, so let me make clear: this can be a very private and subjective checklist. It was arduous to go away out acclaimed movies such because the 1983 launch Agradani (which I discovered a tad too melodramatic), Kshudhita Pashan (‘Hungry Stones’; 1960) and even Wheel Chair. So, let me simply go away them there as ‘honourable mentions’, whereas additionally setting the report straight that just about each work of Soumitra with Ray is a protected guess to look at. Wait! Not each work. Possibly omit Ganashatru (‘Enemy Of The Folks’; 1990). Why? Nicely… that’s a topic for one more article.
Somak Mukherjee is a doctoral candidate within the Division of English, College of California-Santa Barbara
