Lucknow: ‘Not Nayak, but Mahanayak; not Uttam, but Oti Uttam’ — that is how many Bengalis describe the legendary actor Uttam Kumar, whose birth centenary began on Sept 3 this year and has transcended into a celebration of his cult.The commemoration that began in Kolkata has spilled over to several cities, including Lucknow, which holds the rare honour of hosting Uttam Kumar thrice – something that even the perennial and popular backdrop of Bengali cinema Varanasi cannot flaunt.Catching up with the trend, Bengali Club and Youngmen’s Association is building a Mahanayak’s centenary milestone themed pandal and gallery.“Uttam Kumar lives in the hearts of Bengalis. His birth centenary is set to double the joy of Durga Puja celebrations here,” president of Bengali Club Arun Banerjee said.“The celebration rests on the sentiment his admirers hold in their hearts for their Mahanayak,” said Manish Roychoudhury, an admirer. “For many families, Uttam Kumar is remembered like an illustrious ancestor, walking in whose footsteps is obligatory,” said DK Dey, a retired govt officer.UP tourism officer Anushree Banerjee said, “Uttam Kumar wasn’t a born superstar. His first eight films (1948-52) flopped for which he was called a flop master, but he didn’t give up. He thrived and survived despite having no connections or resources.”To many women, he epitomised romance. “Women loved his poppadom, pout, poise and pleasing demeanour,” said Priyanka Sarkar, a culture enthusiast.“He created a benchmark of romance by which heroes and men are judged even today,” said city-based surgeon Dr Shubhashish Munshi.Old-timers recall queuing outside Mayfair and Capitol to catch the Sunday morning shows of Uttam-Suchitra classics.“This cannot be said for any other regional cinema,” recalled Rajesh Tandon of the Novelty Cinema, who witnessed the trend.This was despite critics stating that Uttam Kumar did not fit the classical definition of being handsome. Bibliophile Rupali Chatterjee said, “Uttam Kumar achieved the cult status because of unbeatable screen presence and star appeal which he nurtured by leading a private life and working very hard on his craft.”Cinephile, author and member of the Censor Board, Yatindra Mishra called him a minimal actor with maximal reach.“He simplified complex plots and emotions to the extent that they appeared effortless on the screen. His demeanour also carried a deep philosophical element which maximised his impact and influence,” he said.While many are awed by his genius, many are in love with what he stands for even today.“He represents an honest and never-say-die spirit — motivated and enlightened enough to overcome barriers of poverty and prejudice — which has become a rarity today. And this gives him a greater iconic value,” senior journalist Suhrid Sankar Chattopadhyay said.“On screen, he lived like any other middle-class Bengali from a common walk of life — honest and honourable; educated, strong and idealistic, which eventually came from Bengali-ness and eventually became a standard template of it,” he added.Another dimension of his Bengali-ness reflects in the choice of films he took up. “A rough estimate shows that a quarter of all the 200 films he did in his lifetime were based on novels written by Bengali authors which acts as a cohesive connect,” said Amit Kumar Ghosh, senior IAS officer and connoisseur.Commercial success was also a pillar that held his cult status. “He was described as a one man hit machine that kept the Bengali industry thriving in nearly three decades,” said Ashish Agarwal, president, UP Cinema Exhibitors’ Federation.He added that love for Uttam Kumar could be gauged from the fact that even a film that presented him as a ghost (Oti Uttam) also became a box-office hit. “No wonder people say that he had a Midas touch,” he said, closing with Satyajit Ray’s famous line ‘There is no one like Uttam and there will be no one to ever replace him.’
