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Having been mentored by the legendary Sisir Bhaduri, Soumitra Chattopadhyay has been straddling the twin worlds of professional and group theatres
His greatest quality has been his subtle vulnerability; he is willing to project uncertainty with a view to bypass the heroic for the human and the suave for the sentimental. Arguably the most versatile actor in India today, Soumitra Chattopadhyay has consistently pushed the envelope in his performances on stage and onscreen for more than six decades. The most prominent face of filmmaker Satyajit Ray’s films, Chattopadhyay is set to receive the Legion of Honour, France’s highest award.
A director’s actor, Chattopadhyay never endeavoured to become larger than life but contributed by understatement at times, or by hiding a searing anguish in certain situations so as to create characters of great authenticity. The inner conflict of the young man burning with ambition in Apur Sansar, the innocent ‘lover’ getting into a relationship with his sister-in-law despite himself in Charulata, the hard-boiled detective in Sonar Kella and the dubious revolutionary awakening romanticism in his friend’s wife in Ghare Baire are some of the magical moments that Chattopadhyay has created with Ray.
Outside Ray’s world, Chattopadhyay has created some incredibly eccentric characters. The swimming coach in Kony, the schoolmaster in Atanka, the petty thief in Sansar Simante, the lexicographer in Ekti Jiban and the slightly coarse father in Ashukh are magnificent creations, complex characters with shades of grey that remain with you long after you have seen the film.
Chattopadhyay was a fairly good student of Bangla literature, a theatre enthusiast and an announcer for All India Radio. His association with theatre is crucial to understand his craft. Having been mentored by the legendary Sisir Bhaduri, Chattopadhyay has been straddling the twin worlds of professional and group theatres. A playwright and a director, he has had a chequered career on stage, adapting and presenting to the Bengali audience brilliant texts from Luigi Pirandello, Anthony Shaffer, Friedrich Durrenmatt and Christopher Marlowe, besides original plays with avant-garde appeal. His performance as King Lear in a repertory production has been the talk of the town.
Despite being a theatre man, Chattopadhyay is restrained and subtle when it comes to cinema. I had the honour of directing him in the film Swapner Sandhane in 2000. He played the role of a police commissioner and delivered a magnificent monologue full of emotions and high drama.
Chattopadhyay is often compared with Uttam Kumar. While the so-called intellectual elite in the ‘60s and ‘70s sided with Chattopadhyay for being the more cerebral actor, it is undeniable that Kumar had a huge fan following.
However, why hasn’t Chattopadhyay acted in any Hindi films? And, why hasn’t he directed films himself? Despite getting offers from several renowned directors, including Shyam Benegal, he refrained from working in Hindi though he has been part of several international productions in English and French.
Chattopadhyay is meticulous, but in an easy going sort of way. He is a master of voice modulation and unexpected application of emotions. An enigma not just because of his astounding talent and amazing protean nature, Chattopadhyay has the ability to conceal his art even as he mesmerises with his authenticity.
Ashoke Viswanathan is an award-winning filmmaker.
