Uttam Kumar at 100: In a Behala room, the Mahanayak lives on

In a room in Behala, Uttam Kumar is still surrounded by reminders of his time.

There are old cinema booklets, lobby cards, film stills, postal stamps and other memorabilia—nearly 211 items in all. There is even a share certificate from the actor’s production house. The collection belongs to Paramananda Chowdhury, who has spent years finding and preserving material connected with Uttam Kumar and Bengali cinema.

The room offers a quiet contrast to the celebrations planned across Kolkata for Uttam Kumar’s 100th birth anniversary on September 3. The West Bengal government has announced a four-day programme, featuring film screenings, exhibitions, discussions and tributes.

For Chowdhury, the tribute is more personal. He has devoted a room in his home to objects that might otherwise have been lost or thrown away.

Among the most interesting pieces is a stage photograph of Uttam Kumar with Sabitri Chattopadhyay at the Star Theatre. It recalls Shyamali, the play that opened there on October 15, 1953. The production became a major hit and ran for 552 shows until 1959, with Uttam Kumar appearing in 484 of them. Chowdhury has also preserved a brochure marking its 400th performance.

The photographs show Uttam Kumar before he became the Mahanayak, when theatre was still an important part of his career.

Who was the 'Mahanayak'?

Born Arun Kumar Chattopadhyay on September 3, 1926, Uttam Kumar did not become a star overnight. Before entering films, he worked as a clerk at the Calcutta Port Commissioners’ office and was involved with theatre. His early films did not bring him immediate success. It took several years before he established himself as the leading man who would change Bengali popular cinema.

His image as the quintessential romantic hero remains central to his legacy, particularly his pairing with Suchitra Sen. Together, they created one of Indian cinema’s best-known screen partnerships, but Uttam Kumar’s career was much wider than those romances.

He took on demanding roles and worked with directors including Satyajit Ray. In Nayak, Ray cast him as a successful film star travelling by train to Delhi. The film used the actor’s own image of stardom to explore fame, ambition and insecurity.

That ability to move between mainstream films and more complex roles helped set Uttam Kumar apart. He could be the familiar romantic hero for a mass audience and, at the same time, take on characters that challenged that image.

His appeal was also closely tied to Bengal. He was glamorous but familiar: a star who did not seem completely removed from the lives of his audience. His voice, mannerisms and understated style became as recognisable as his face. That helps explain why his popularity has lasted. Uttam Kumar was not simply one of the biggest stars of Bengali cinema. He became closely identified with an era of Bengali culture.

For Chowdhury, the interest in the actor began at home. His uncle, artist Satya Chowdhury, had documented aspects of Uttam Kumar’s life and career. Those records sparked his curiosity and eventually led him to start collecting material himself.

Over the years, Chowdhury searched for photographs, documents and other film-related material held by individuals and families. Some pieces were rare. Others were simply old items that had survived in private homes.

The collection grew gradually.

Saving the history behind the legend

Chowdhury’s concern now is what will happen to such material in the years ahead.

Film memorabilia is often treated as a collectible, but an old lobby card, theatre brochure, or photograph can also provide a record of how films were promoted and how actors were presented to audiences.

Much of that history remains in private hands. A photograph in an old cupboard or a programme kept in a family trunk may have little apparent value today, but it can become an important record of its time.

The problem is that such material is fragile. Paper deteriorates, photographs fade, and documents can be discarded when their significance is no longer recognised.

Chowdhury says he did not build his collection as a business. He has kept it in his home because he believes the material belongs to Bengal’s cinema history. He now hopes it can eventually receive institutional support so that the collection survives beyond him.

That concern gives his small museum added relevance during Uttam Kumar’s centenary year. While Kolkata prepares large public celebrations, exhibitions and film retrospectives, Chowdhury is looking after the smaller pieces that help tell the story behind the star.

A forthcoming exhibition at the Kolkata Centre for Creativity will also revisit Uttam Kumar’s journey, from Arun Kumar Chattopadhyay to the Mahanayak, through photographs, memorabilia and archival material.

Chowdhury’s collection tells that story in a more intimate setting.

It takes visitors back to a time when Uttam Kumar was not yet a legend—when he was still appearing on stage, making films and finding his place in Bengali cinema.

On September 3, Kolkata will celebrate the Mahanayak. In Behala, however, his memory will be marked in a quieter way, in a room filled with old photographs, documents and reminders of the actor he was before he became an icon.