Kolkata, Sept. 3 -- As he turns 100, Uttam Kumar remains more than a legendary actor for Bengal; he is a lasting part of its collective memory and cultural identity.
Born Arun Kumar Chattopadhyay on September 3, 1926, at his maternal home on Ahiritola Street in north Kolkata, he went on to become one of the most celebrated actors in the history of Bengali cinema.
In 1947, Kumar made his debut in cinema by appearing as an extra in the Hindi film "Maya Dore"; his first proper acting role was in "Drishtidan" (1948), in which he used his birth name.
He then employed a number of other names, such as Uttam Chatterjee and Arup Kumar, before finally taking on the name Uttam Kumar in "Sahajatri" (1951) as suggested by actor Pahari Sanyal.
Kumar'...