By Vinayak Chakravorty
He was the alt superstar of Bangla cinema in its glory years, the affable Bhadralok icon who crafted a towering stature ironically banking on down-to-earth, believable characters that represented middle-class Bengal. The brand of stardom was in stark contrast to the other shining luminary of contemporary cinema in the state -- Uttam Kumar -- whose position as Mahanayak in the Bengali psyche was primarily cemented in idol worship and mass hysteria.
Soumitra Chattopadhyay -- Chatterjee to anglicised India -- answers to the term ‘phenomenon' as absolutely as few actors do, for the sheer ease with which he defied the cliches of image. His stardom was sensational, and yet born out of realism. He was the mascot of the peerless Satyajit Ray's oeuvre, having worked with the maestro in 14 films, and yet he scored with the same assuredness in works of contemporary commercial powerhouses as Ajoy Kar and Tarun Mazumdar.
He was the alt superstar of Bangla cinema in its glory years, the affable Bhadralok icon who crafted a towering stature ironically banking on down-to-earth, believable characters that represented middle-class Bengal. The brand of stardom was in stark contrast to the other shining luminary of contemporary cinema in the state -- Uttam Kumar -- whose position as Mahanayak in the Bengali psyche was primarily cemented in idol worship and mass hysteria.
Soumitra Chattopadhyay -- Chatterjee to anglicised India -- answers to the term ‘phenomenon' as absolutely as few actors do, for the sheer ease with which he defied the cliches of image. His stardom was sensational, and yet born out of realism. He was the mascot of the peerless Satyajit Ray's oeuvre, having worked with the maestro in 14 films, and yet he scored with the same assuredness in works of contemporary commercial powerhouses as Ajoy Kar and Tarun Mazumdar.
- 11/15/2020
- by Glamsham Editorial
- GlamSham
The 17th Kolkata Film festival to be held from November 10-17, 2011 has announced its lineup. Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life, Alexander Sokurov’s Faust, Godard’s Film Socialism, Bela Tarr’s The Turin Horse, among others will be presented at the International Cinema section of the festival.
Joram Lürsen’s The Magicians will be the opening film of the festival.
In a Special Tribute to Uttam Kumar—Nayak directed by Satyajit Ray and documentary Mahanayak—a Superstar’s Journey directed by Swapan Das will be screened.
A Retrospective of Japanese director Shohei Imamura will showcase films like Stolen Desire, Black Rain and Vengeance is Mine, among others.
Carlo Lizzani’s Luchino Visconti: Life as in a romance, Chidananda Dasgupta’s Amodini, Mani Kaul’s Uski Roti, Luchino Visconti’s The Innocent and The Leopard will be screened in the Homage section.
Ritwik Ghatak’s Komal Gandhar and...
Joram Lürsen’s The Magicians will be the opening film of the festival.
In a Special Tribute to Uttam Kumar—Nayak directed by Satyajit Ray and documentary Mahanayak—a Superstar’s Journey directed by Swapan Das will be screened.
A Retrospective of Japanese director Shohei Imamura will showcase films like Stolen Desire, Black Rain and Vengeance is Mine, among others.
Carlo Lizzani’s Luchino Visconti: Life as in a romance, Chidananda Dasgupta’s Amodini, Mani Kaul’s Uski Roti, Luchino Visconti’s The Innocent and The Leopard will be screened in the Homage section.
Ritwik Ghatak’s Komal Gandhar and...
- 11/7/2011
- by NewsDesk
- DearCinema.com
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