Soumitra Chatterjee is one of the most famous Bengali film actors, who have contributed to Bengali Cinema for a period of more than three decades. He was introduced into films by the world famous director Satyajit Ray. Soumitra first played the part of Apu in Ray's film Apur Sansar after which he became a major asset of Satyajit Ray. Since then his journey began and is now regarded as one of the most coveted actors of Bengali cinema.
Early Days of Soumitra Chatterjee
Soumitra Chatterjee was born on 19th January 1935, in the small town of Krishnanagar, which is around 100 kilometers from the city of Kolkata in India. From a very young age he was interested in poetry and acting. As he was from a family that ran a theater group, he participated in several plays, one of them being Mukut, written by Rabindranath Tagore. At the age of ten, Soumitra shifted with his family to Calcutta. He matriculated from Howrah Jilla School but at the same time was becoming distinctly known for his acting talent both inside and outside the school. He was admired for elegantly playing the part of a British General in Mahendra Gupta’s Maharaja Nandakumar, a play produced by his school. After studying at the City College, Amherst street, Soumitra graduated with English honors from Calcutta University.
Soumitra Chatterjee’s Film Career
Soumitra’s film career began with Apur Sansar( The world of Apu) in the year 1959. During the 70's, Soumitra gained immense popularity by playing the part of Feluda in Ray's Sonar Kella. Out of 35 films made by Satyajit Ray, Soumitra has acted in15 of them including Samapti, Charulata and Ghare Baire, the three famous films based on Tagore's stories. Besides, he has also worked with other great directors like Tapan Sinha and Mrinal Sen.
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Soumitra has excelled both in art as well as commercial movies.
Soumitra Chatterjee's versatality
Besides films, Soumitra is also a theater personality. He has been involved in writing, acting and directing plays. In his youth, he has been performing on stage with legendary theater artists like Sisir Kumar Bhaduri. He has been reciting Bengali poetry in various occasions. At present he appears in a few television serials and performs folk dramas also known as “Jatra” in Bengali.
Popular Films of Soumitra Chatterjee
- Apur Sangsar (Satyajit Ray) - 1959
- Teen Kanya (Satyajit Ray) - 1961
- Saat Paake Badha (Ajay Kar) - 1963
- Kapurush (Satyajit Ray ) - 1965
- Chena Achena - 1969
- Pratham Kadam Phool - 1970
- Sonar Kella (Satyajit Ray) - 1974
- Joy Baba Felunath (Satyajit Ray) - 1979
- Indira - 1983
- Ghare Baire (Satyajit Ray) - 1985
- Sakha Prosakha (Satyajit Ray) - 1992
- Uttaran (Sandip Ray) - 1994
- Paramitar Ekdin (Aparna Sen) - 2000
- Abar Aranye (Gautam Ghosh) - 2003
Awards of Soumitra Chatterjee
Soumitra has been awarded with The Officier des Arts et Metiers', Italy's most prestigious lifetime achievement award. He has also been awarded with the title of Padma Bhusan from the Indian President. He is a presently the chairman of the Film Festival Committee in Kolkata. He has also received the Bangla Live Legendary Award recently.
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