Kolkata, Oct 19 (PTI) Several Durga Puja organisers in Kolkata have paid tribute to Bengali cinema legend Uttam Kumar on his birth centenary, with themed pandals, rare photographs and film memorabilia.
The Bhabanipur Mahapuja Samity, celebrating its 82nd year, has dedicated its pandal to the actor under the title ‘Mahapuja-e Mahanayak’, recalling his childhood and adolescence spent on the very ground where the puja is being organised.
The pandal features an exhibition of rare family photographs sourced from Uttam Kumar’s personal album, including some that are not available digitally on the internet, a committee spokesperson said.
The collection includes a photograph of the actor at the age of two in 1928, his first professional photograph with wife Gouri Devi, and a cherished moment of him holding his granddaughter, Nabamita.
Samaj Sebi Sangha on Lake View Road in Ballygunge is also commemorating the centenary of the actor, popularly known as the ‘Mahanayak’ of Bengali cinema.
The organisers have transformed the pandal into a cinema hall, recreating the atmosphere of the 1960s and 1970s, widely regarded as the golden era of Uttam Kumar’s cinematic career, puja committee office-bearer Arijit Moitra said.
Vintage film posters, lobby cards, popular songs and memorable dialogues from his movies form part of the installation, aimed at introducing younger generations to the actor’s enduring legacy.
The Karunamoyee F Block Sarbojanin Durgotsav committee has also dedicated its puja to the legendary actor.
The organisers spent nearly a year researching and developing the theme, designing the installation themselves without engaging an external theme artist.
The pandal features posters of 201 of Uttam Kumar’s 202 films, a committee spokesperson said.
Visitors enter through a corridor depicting the address of the actor’s ancestral home in Bhabanipur, with posters of his films arranged chronologically along the walls.
An opening in the corridor, corresponding to his films from the 1960s, is marked as 3 Moira Street, the residence of actress Supriya Devi, with whom the actor moved in during that decade, the organisers said.
At Naktala Nabapally Durga Puja, flex banners featuring the matinee idol, along with stills and scenes from his films, adorn both sides of the marquee leading to the pandal.
Puja committee cultural secretary Ruchira Chakraborty said a stage adaptation of Uttam Kumar’s superhit film ‘Mouchak’ would be presented, alongside a medley of popular songs from his films. PTI SUS SOM
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