Uttam Kumar’s birth centenary, Filmfare’s Editor-in-Chief, Jitesh Pillaai, reflects on what made him the Mahanayak. From his magnetic screen presence to the emotional truth he brought to every role, he created a legacy that remains timeless.
In Jitesh Pillaai’s words:
Was it the tender romance in his eyes? Was it the pain beyond the tears, or was it just his ability to be and chew up the scenery? What made Uttam Kumar the Mahanayak?
Everyone has an apocryphal Uttam Kumar story that, even forty-five years after his death, seems relevant. That he shunned publicity, that he did several noble gestures unannounced, that he followed his heart and chose to live with the woman he loved and was severely censured for that. But he didn’t care.
He was a star. And he was an actor par excellence. From Satyajit Ray to Ajoy Kar, from Tarun Majumdar to Tapan Sinha, there was not one director who didn’t succumb to his spectacular talent.
His on-screen pairing or ‘juti’ with the likes of Suchitra Sen, Sabitri and Supriya Devi, not to forget Sharmila Tagore, Aparna Sen, and Tanuja, is the stuff movie lore is made of. Why he refused Raj Kapoor’s Sangam (1964) or walked out of Basu Bhattacharya’s Grih Pravesh (1979) is best left to conjecture.
Despite a maelstrom of mindless movies, he was a bona fide superstar till his untimely end at the age of 53.
Uttam was real; he engaged, he communicated. Even when he simulated emotions, he revealed a kernel of truth. Nothing came close to Uttam, be it in star power or magnetism or just pure acting.
But ultimately, it’s the story of the bhadralok actor who was seamless in a three-piece suit as he was in a dhoti. Be it Saptapadi (1961), or Harano Sur (1975), Stree (1972), Sanyasi Raja (1975), Chhadmabeshi (1971) or Nishi Padma (1970), this was a sanguine actor who invested as much into the character being portrayed as into the words being said.
Long after you’ve forgotten the movie, his character stays with you for long. Uttam Kumar was your never-forgotten first love. Time only rearranges those memories.
Also Read: Srijit Mukerji’s Oti Uttam Teaser is a befitting ode to Mahanayak Uttam Kumar. WATCH:
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