The phrase celebrity has a Western origin, courting again to its use for cinema icons within the Fifties and 60s. In India, the time period was first used within the mainstream media for Rajesh Khanna within the early 70s, throughout his manic five-year reign. However earlier than that, a variant of the time period had already been used for a display screen legend, albeit solely in a part of the nation. That is the story of the nation’s unique celebrity, or because the followers known as him, Mahanayak.
Indian cinema’s Mahanayak
Uttam Kumar, arguably the largest and most liked actor ever to emerge from Bengali cinema, was born 100 years in the past this week. On September 3, the person revered because the Mahanayak (Nice actor) celebrated his delivery centenary. Born Arun Kumar Chattopadhyay in Calcutta, Uttam Kumar’s movie journey started in 1947 as an additional within the Hindi movie Maya Dore. His first performing position in a movie was the youthful model of the central character, performed by Asit Baran, in Drishtidan (1948). He was credited as Arup Kumar or Uttam Chatterjee in his first few movies and solely took on the moniker Uttam Kumar for the 1951 movie Sahajatri. The next 12 months, he had his breakthrough with Basu Paribar, by which he labored reverse Supriya Devi, certainly one of his later frequent co-stars, for the primary time.
Within the 50s, Uttam Kumar established himself as one of the outstanding younger actors in Bengali cinema, delivering back-to-back blockbusters a number of occasions. But it surely was in 1960 that the time period Mahanayak started for use to seek advice from him. He appeared in 9 movies that 12 months, all of which succeeded on the field workplace.
The hit-and-miss with Bollywood
Bengali cinema was a drive in its personal proper within the Fifties and 60s, however many stars within the business usually used it as a stepping stone to Hindi films, which had a wider viewers attraction. However Uttam Kumar seldom did that. All through the 60s, on the peak of his profession, Uttam Kumar turned down a number of Hindi movies, together with notable big-budget ventures like Bees Saal Baad. In 1964, he famously turned down Raj Kapoor for Sangam. The position finally went to Rajendra Kumar. In 1968, Uttam Kumar made his Bollywood debut reverse Vyjayanthimala in Chhoti Si Mulaqat. He himself produced the movie. Over the subsequent few years, he appeared in a handful of Hindi movies, notably Amanush. However his coronary heart was all the time in Calcutta, the place he reigned supreme in Bengali movies.
However even there, the Mahanayak was selective. In 1956, a younger Satyajit Ray had supplied him Ghare Baire. However the star politely turned him down, saying a unfavourable position wouldn’t swimsuit a longtime star. The 2 would finally collaborate a decade later with the seminal hit, Nayak.
Greater than Bachchan
Uttam Kumar’s recognition continued into the Nineteen Seventies, when Rajesh Khanna gave strategy to Amitabh Bachchan as the highest celebrity in Hindi cinema. Bachchan’s recognition made him the highest draw throughout India. A lot of his movies would take priority over regional stars’ movies even of their territories. However in Bengal, Uttam Kumar was nonetheless the Mahanayak. His movies usually pushed Amitabh Bachchan’s Hindi movies decrease within the pecking order for screens in Bengali-speaking territories.
The ultimate years
After 1976, regardless of frequent successes, Uttam Kumar’s star started to wane. He was in his 50s by now, and his movies had begun to fail on the field workplace. He earned popularity of movies like Kitaab and Anand Ashram, however the box-office returns have been combined. In 1980, Dui Prithibi was launched, and have become profitable and critically acclaimed after a very long time. This was the final movie launched throughout his lifetime. The Mahanayak fell sick on the units of Ogo Badhu Sundori on July 23, 1980. The following day, he succumbed to a coronary heart assault. He was 53.
