New Delhi, Oct. 3 -- Bengal's 'Mahanayak' Uttam Kumar will have his birthdays marked with music and festivity, and his death anniversaries will be days of solemn remembrance, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced on Saturday. Addressing a programme organised to mark Uttam Kumar's birth centenary, Adhikari said the state government had decided to observe the two occasions differently to honour the actor's enduring cultural legacy and his iconic status as the 'Mahanayak'.
"As chief minister, I have decided that the death anniversary will be observed with tributes. The birth anniversary will be celebrated with joy and music, with utmost respect," he said. Born on September 3, 1926, Uttam Kumar is regarded as one of the most influential figures in Bengali cinema. He died on July 24, 1980, but remains closely associated with the golden era of Bengali films. His screen partnership with Suchitra Sen continues to hold a special place in Bengali popular culture. The October 3 event, organised by cultural organisation Banichakra at the EZCC Auditorium in Salt Lake, was held a month after the state-level centenary celebrations.
"There is only one Mahanayak in the cultural field, and he is Uttam Kumar," Adhikari said. Praising the artists and organisers involved, he said the celebrations reflected Bengal's rich cultural tradition and talent. He acknowledged the contributions of Mithun Chakraborty, Sandip Ray, Haradhan Bandopadhyay, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Jeet and Rituparna Sengupta, among others.
"From Mithun-da to Sandip Ray, Har-da, Prosenjit-da, Jeet and Rituparna, everyone performed their responsibilities beautifully. Many people participated," he said. Adhikari also suggested that Banichakra and the Information and Cultural Affairs Department could work together on future cultural initiatives.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.