Loss of a Veteran

Lights, Sound, Rolling and Action - The array of these words has faced a sudden downfall by the demise of the veteran of Bengali Film Industry Soumitra Chatterjee. He was an actor, director, writer, and a poet and is best known for his performances with the legendary director Satyajit Ray, with whom he worked in fourteen films, starting with the debut film Apur Sangsar, the third part of Apu Trilogy, Abhijan, Charulata, Aranyer Dinratri, Ashani Sanket, Sonar Kella, Jai Baba Felunath, Hirak Rajar Deshe, Ghare Baire, Shakha Proshakha and Ganasatru. 

Soumitra Chatterjee, born in 19th January, 1935 and died on 15th November, 2020, aged 85 years also worked with other noted directors of Bengali cinema such as Mrinal Sen, Tapan Sinha, Asit Sen, Ajoy Kar and Tarun Mazumdar and thus his oeuvre comprised more than 250 films through the course of his long career. The actor was born in Mirzapur Street, close to Sealdah Station in Kolkata, West Bengal. He was a student of Bengali literature and graduated from the City College with an Honours degree. 

Apart from being a talented Actor, Chatterjee was also known as a poet, painter and theatre director. He received the Dadasaheb Phalke award in 2011 and was also a recipient of the coveted Legion d' Honneur - France's highest civilian honour. During the final year of college, the actor saw a play by the doyen of Bengali theatre, Sisir Bhaduri. The play helped him make up his mind to become an actor. He returned to the theatre with his production 'Naam Jiban' in 1978 after a journey of 20 years in Tollywood. Since 2010, he has been playing the lead role in 'Raja Lear', a popular play based on King Lear by William Shakespeare for which he has received critical and popular accolades. 

 

Director Satyajit Ray had written many diverse roles keeping in mind Soumitra's looks and attitude. He went on to become the lead as Feluda in two films - 'Sonar Kella' (1974) and 'Jai Baba Felunath' (1979). Feluda was a private investigator from Kolkata. Ray even made some illustrations of Feluda based on Soumitra's physique. Soumitra Chatterjee became an artist of such a stature that no awards could define him anymore. He was a legend in Bengali cinema. 

Soumitra Chatterjee was admitted on October 6, 2020 in Hospital and shifted to the intensive care unit and was undergoing treatment for COVID-19. The fact that he was born in the year 1935 is not important and when you place that date against 1st October, 2020, when he last reported for a shoot before showing symptoms, you will realise that he was not an ordinary actor but the one who was professionally so much active even on his age nearing 86. He was not only active but very much sought-after. In 2019, he had as many as 15 releases and in the pandemic hit 2020, almost as many of his films either released or lined up for release. Soumitra Chatterjee was a person who loved the Bengali culture more than anything and his passing is akin to the falling of an ancient tree but while the tree is gone, it's shade remains. The legend, the veteran will always remain in our hearts.

-Swagato Chatterjee