Soumitra Chatterjee (also spelt as Chattopadhyay; ; 19 January 193515 November 2020) was an
Indian film actor, play-director, playwright, writer, thespian and poet. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most influential actors in the history of
Indian cinema
The cinema of India, consisting of motion pictures made by the Indian film industry, has had a large effect on world cinema since the second half of the 20th century. Indian cinema is made up of various film industries, each focused on p ...
. He is best known for his collaborations with director
Satyajit Ray
Satyajit Ray (; 2 May 1921 – 23 April 1992) was an Indian film director, screenwriter, author, lyricist, magazine editor, illustrator, calligraphy, calligrapher, and composer. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest and most influ ...
, with whom he worked in fourteen films.
Starting with his debut film, ''
Apur Sansar'' (The World of Apu, 1959), the third part of ''
The Apu Trilogy
''The Apu Trilogy'' is a celebrated series of three Indian Bengali-language drama films directed by Satyajit Ray: ''Pather Panchali'' (1955), ''Aparajito'' (1956) and ''The World of Apu'' (1959). The trilogy's evocative score was composed by Rav ...
'', as adult
Apu, he went on to work in several films with Ray, including ''
Abhijan'' (The Expedition, 1962), ''
Charulata'' (1964), ''
Kapurush'' (1965), ''
Aranyer Din Ratri'' (Days and Nights in the Forest, 1969), ''
Ashani Sanket'' (Distant Thunder, 1973), ''
Sonar Kella'' (The Fortress of Gold, 1974) and ''
Joi Baba Felunath'' (The Elephant God, 1978) as
Feluda
Feluda is a fictional detective, private investigator created by Indian director and writer Satyajit Ray. Feluda resides at 21 Rajani Sen Road, Ballygunge, Calcutta, West Bengal, India. Feluda first made his appearance in a Bengali childre ...
, ''
Hirak Rajar Deshe'' (1980), ''
Ghare Baire'' (The Home and The World, 1984),
Shakha Proshakha (1990) and ''
Ganashatru'' (Enemy of the People, 1989).
He also worked with other noted directors of
Bengali cinema, such as
Mrinal Sen
Mrinal Sen ( ; 14 May 1923 – 30 December 2018) was a Bengali film director and screenwriter known for his work primarily in Cinema of West Bengal, Bengali, and a few Hindi cinema, Hindi and Telugu cinema, Telugu language films. Regarded as on ...
in ''
Akash Kusum'' (Up in the Clouds, 1965);
Tapan Sinha in
Kshudhita Pashan (Hungry Stones, 1960), ''
Jhinder Bandi'' (1961);
Asit Sen in ''Swaralipi'' (1961),
Ajoy Kar in ''
Parineeta'' (1969), and
Tarun Mazumdar in ''
Ganadevata'' (1978). He acted in more than 210 films in his career. He also received critical acclaim for his directorial debut ''Stree Ki Patra'' (1986) which was based on the
Bengali short story ''Streer Patra'' by
Rabindranath
Soumitra was the recipient of multiple honours and awards. Soumitra was the first Indian film personality who was conferred with France's highest award for artists '
''Commandeur of, ''Ordre des Arts et des Lettres'' (1999). He was also awarded the
Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan (IAST: ''Padma Bhūṣaṇa'', lit. 'Lotus Decoration') is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 Januar ...
(2004) and France's highest civilian award Commandeur de la Légion d' Honneur (Commander of
Legion of Honour
The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...
) (2017). He received two
National Film Awards
The National Film Awards are awards for artistic and technical merit given for "Excellence within the Cinema of India, Indian film industry". Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India ...
as an actor and the
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (IAST: Saṅgīta Nāṭaka Akādamī Puraskāra), also known as the Akademi Puraskar, is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama. It is the highest Indian recogni ...
for his work in theatre. In 2012, he received the
Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India's highest award in cinema given by the
government of India
The Government of India (ISO 15919, ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of States and union t ...
for lifetime achievement. In 2013,
IBN Live named him as one of "The men who changed the face of the Indian Cinema".
Early life and background
Soumitra Chatterjee was born in Mirjapur Street (now Surya Sen Street) near
Sealdah railway station
Sealdah railway station (station code: SDAH) is an NSG–1 category Indian railway station in Sealdah railway division of Eastern Railway zone. It is one of the five terminal railway stations serving the Kolkata metropolitan area, the o ...
, in
Calcutta
Kolkata, also known as Calcutta (List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern ba ...
in 1935. The first ten years of his early life were spent in
Krishnanagar in
West Bengal
West Bengal (; Bengali language, Bengali: , , abbr. WB) is a States and union territories of India, state in the East India, eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabi ...
. The town under the influence of playwright
Dwijendralal Ray, also from Krishnanagar, had a flourishing theatre culture, with numerous small theatre groups. His grandfather was the president of one such group while his father, though lawyer by profession and later a government worker, also worked as an amateur actor. Encouraged by the praise he received for his acting in school plays, gradually his interest in theatre grew with passing years.
He was a very close friend of famous theatre personality,
Mrityunjay Sil who is often regarded as a key influence on his career.
Soumitra and his family moved to
Howrah
Howrah (; ; alternatively spelled as Haora) is a city in the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal. Howrah is located on the western bank of the Hooghly River, opposite to its twin city of Kolkata. Administratively ...
where he studied at the
Howrah Zilla School and Calcutta during his early years. Soumitra graduated from the
City College, Kolkata with honours in Bengali literature, as a graduating student of the
University of Calcutta
The University of Calcutta, informally known as Calcutta University (), is a Public university, public State university (India), state university located in Kolkata, Calcutta (Kolkata), West Bengal, India. It has 151 affiliated undergraduate c ...
.
He lived for a few years in Calcutta in
Satyajit Ray
Satyajit Ray (; 2 May 1921 – 23 April 1992) was an Indian film director, screenwriter, author, lyricist, magazine editor, illustrator, calligraphy, calligrapher, and composer. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest and most influ ...
's old apartment at 3-lake temple road. He studied for his
M.A. in Bengali from the
University of Calcutta
The University of Calcutta, informally known as Calcutta University (), is a Public university, public State university (India), state university located in Kolkata, Calcutta (Kolkata), West Bengal, India. It has 151 affiliated undergraduate c ...
. While still a student, he learnt acting under noted actor-director of
Bengali theatre Ahindra Choudhury.
[ However a turning point came when in the final year of college he saw a play by Sisir Bhaduri, theatre director and the doyen of Bengali theatre. The play not only set a standard for acting for him, but also helped make up his mind to become an actor. He managed to meet Bhaduri, through his friend's mother, actress Shefalika Putul. Though, he met Bhaduri, towards the end of his career, when his theatre had closed, nevertheless over the next three years, till Bhaduri's death in 1959, Chatterjee made him a mentor, and learnt the craft of acting through their regular interactions.][ He even appeared in a small role in one of Bhaduri's productions.
Subsequently, he started his career working in ]All India Radio
All India Radio (AIR), also known as Akashvani (), is India's state-owned public broadcasting, public radio broadcaster. Founded in 1936, it operates under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India), Ministry of Information and Broa ...
as an announcer, While he was there he started pursuing a career in films. He came in touch with Ray during the casting for '' Aparajito'' (1956), who was looking for new faces. Ray thought he had the right look, however found him, age 20, and just out of college, too old for the role of adolescent Apu. Ray remembered him and offered him the role of adult Apu two years later. Meanwhile, he was rejected in his screen test for Bengali film, '' Nilachale Mahaprabhu'' (1957) directed by Kartik Chattopadhyay.
Career
Work with Satyajit Ray: 1959–1990
Chatterjee had gone on the sets of Ray's fourth film, '' Jalsaghar'' (1958) to watch the shoot. He was unaware that he had already been selected for the title role in the Apu trilogy. That day, while he was leaving the sets, Ray called him over and introduced him to actor Chhabi Biswas as "This is Soumitra Chattopadhyay; he's playing Apu in my next film ''Apur Sansar''" leaving him much surprised. Despite being selected, as a debutant actor, Chatterjee was nevertheless unsure of his career choice and especially his looks, as he didn't consider himself photogenic. However, on 9 August 1958, when the first shooting of the film was accepted in a single take, he realized that he had found his vocation.[ Thus Soumitra's film debut came in 1959 in ]Satyajit Ray
Satyajit Ray (; 2 May 1921 – 23 April 1992) was an Indian film director, screenwriter, author, lyricist, magazine editor, illustrator, calligraphy, calligrapher, and composer. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest and most influ ...
's '' The World of Apu'' (Apur Sansar). In fact Ray believed with a beard Chatterjee looked like young poet laureate Tagore
Rabindranath Thakur (; anglicised as Rabindranath Tagore ; 7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941) was a Bengalis, Bengali polymath who worked as a poet, writer, playwright, composer, philosopher, social reformer, and painter of the Bengal Renai ...
.
Soumitra would go on to collaborate with Ray in fourteen films. His centrality to Ray's work is akin to other key collaborations in the history of cinema — Toshiro Mifune
was a Japanese actor and producer. The recipient of numerous awards and accolades over a lengthy career, he is widely considered one of the greatest actors of all time. He often played hypermasculine characters and was noted for his commandin ...
and Akira Kurosawa
was a Japanese filmmaker who List of works by Akira Kurosawa, directed 30 feature films in a career spanning six decades. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers in the History of film, history of cinema ...
, Marcello Mastroianni
Marcello Vincenzo Domenico Mastroianni (26 September 1924Come da lui stesso dichiarato a 1'10" dquesta intervista/ref> – 19 December 1996) was an Italian actor. He is generally regarded as one of Italy's most iconic male performers of the 20t ...
and Federico Fellini
Federico Fellini (; 20 January 1920 – 31 October 1993) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He is known for his distinctive style, which blends fantasy and baroque images with earthiness. He is recognized as one of the greatest and ...
, De Niro and Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November17, 1942) is an American filmmaker. One of the major figures of the New Hollywood era, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Martin Scorsese, many accolades, including an Academ ...
, Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio (; ; born November 11, 1974) is an American actor and film producer. Known for Leonardo DiCaprio filmography, his work in biographical and period films, he is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received ...
and Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November17, 1942) is an American filmmaker. One of the major figures of the New Hollywood era, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Martin Scorsese, many accolades, including an Academ ...
, Max von Sydow
Max von Sydow (; born Carl Adolf von Sydow; 10 April 1929 – 8 March 2020) was a Swedish and French actor. He had a 70-year career in European and American cinema, television, and theatre, appearing in more than 150 films and several television ...
and Ingmar Bergman
Ernst Ingmar Bergman (14 July 1918 – 30 July 2007) was a Swedish film and theatre director and screenwriter. Widely considered one of the greatest and most influential film directors of all time, his films have been described as "profoun ...
, Jerzy Stuhr and Krzysztof Kieślowski
Krzysztof Kieślowski (, 27 June 1941 – 14 March 1996) was a Polish film director and screenwriter. He is known internationally for ''Dekalog'' (1989), ''The Double Life of Veronique'' (1991), and the Three Colours trilogy, ''Three Colours'' ...
, Klaus Kinski
Klaus Kinski (, born Klaus Günter Karl Nakszynski 18 October 1926 – 23 November 1991) was a German actor. Equally renowned for his intense performance style and notorious for his volatile personality, he appeared in over 130 film roles in a ...
and Werner Herzog
Werner Herzog (; né Stipetić; born 5 September 1942) is a German filmmaker, actor, opera director, and author. Regarded as a pioneer of New German Cinema, his films often feature ambitious protagonists with impossible dreams, people with unusu ...
. After ''Apur Sansar'', he also worked with Sharmila Tagore
Sharmila Tagore (; born 8 December 1944) also known by her married name Begum Ayesha Sultana, is an Indian actress primarily known for her work in Hindi cinema, Hindi and Cinema of West Bengal, Bengali films. Widely recognized as one of the gre ...
in a number of Ray's films, apart from working with leading star actor of the period, Uttam Kumar, with whom he has often been compared, in eight films.
Chatterjee was cast in diverse roles by Ray and some of the stories and screenplays that Ray wrote were said to be written with him in mind. Soumitra featured as ''Feluda
Feluda is a fictional detective, private investigator created by Indian director and writer Satyajit Ray. Feluda resides at 21 Rajani Sen Road, Ballygunge, Calcutta, West Bengal, India. Feluda first made his appearance in a Bengali childre ...
/ Pradosh Chandra Mitter'', the famous private investigator from Calcutta in Ray's ''Feluda'' series of books, in two films in the 1970s '' Sonar Kella'' (1974) and '' Joi Baba Felunath'' (1979). These two films were the first film series
A film series or movie series is a collection of related films in succession that share the same fictional universe, or are marketed as a series. It is a type of series fiction.
This article explains what film series are and gives brief examples ...
made for Feluda
Feluda is a fictional detective, private investigator created by Indian director and writer Satyajit Ray. Feluda resides at 21 Rajani Sen Road, Ballygunge, Calcutta, West Bengal, India. Feluda first made his appearance in a Bengali childre ...
and are considered as the Feluda original film series. He was the first person who portrayed the iconic Bengali sleuth Feluda
Feluda is a fictional detective, private investigator created by Indian director and writer Satyajit Ray. Feluda resides at 21 Rajani Sen Road, Ballygunge, Calcutta, West Bengal, India. Feluda first made his appearance in a Bengali childre ...
. Satyajit Ray
Satyajit Ray (; 2 May 1921 – 23 April 1992) was an Indian film director, screenwriter, author, lyricist, magazine editor, illustrator, calligraphy, calligrapher, and composer. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest and most influ ...
made some illustrations of Feluda
Feluda is a fictional detective, private investigator created by Indian director and writer Satyajit Ray. Feluda resides at 21 Rajani Sen Road, Ballygunge, Calcutta, West Bengal, India. Feluda first made his appearance in a Bengali childre ...
based on Soumitra's body figure and look in the 1970s Feluda books. After him Sabyasachi Chakrabarty took the role of the iconic Bengali hero Feluda
Feluda is a fictional detective, private investigator created by Indian director and writer Satyajit Ray. Feluda resides at 21 Rajani Sen Road, Ballygunge, Calcutta, West Bengal, India. Feluda first made his appearance in a Bengali childre ...
in the mid-1990s.
Soumitra had approached Satyajit Ray to suggest a name for a little magazine founded by Soumitra and Nirmalya Acharya in 1961. Satyajit Ray
Satyajit Ray (; 2 May 1921 – 23 April 1992) was an Indian film director, screenwriter, author, lyricist, magazine editor, illustrator, calligraphy, calligrapher, and composer. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest and most influ ...
had named the magazine ''Ekkhon'' (Now), he designed the inaugural cover page and illustrated the cover pages regularly even after Soumitra had stopped editing the magazine. Nirmalya continued editing the magazine, and several of Ray's scripts were published in the magazine.
Other works
Besides working with Ray, Soumitra excelled in collaborations with other well-known Bengali directors such as Mrinal Sen
Mrinal Sen ( ; 14 May 1923 – 30 December 2018) was a Bengali film director and screenwriter known for his work primarily in Cinema of West Bengal, Bengali, and a few Hindi cinema, Hindi and Telugu cinema, Telugu language films. Regarded as on ...
and Tapan Sinha. He earned critical acclaim for his role of an impostor in Mrinal Sen
Mrinal Sen ( ; 14 May 1923 – 30 December 2018) was a Bengali film director and screenwriter known for his work primarily in Cinema of West Bengal, Bengali, and a few Hindi cinema, Hindi and Telugu cinema, Telugu language films. Regarded as on ...
's '' Akash Kusum'' (1965). He was equally confident in playing the swashbuckling horse-riding villain in Tapan Sinha's '' Jhinder Bandi'' (1961) giving the legendary Uttam Kumar a tough challenge. In the romantic film '' Teen Bhubaner Pare'' (1969), he shared the screen with actress Tanuja, the film was noted for his "flamboyant" style of acting. Besides films, Chatterjee continued acting in Kolkata-based Bengali theatre, and also published over 12 poetry books.[
Entering the 1980s and 1990s, he started working with contemporary directors, like ]Goutam Ghose
Goutam Ghose (also spelled Gautam Ghosh; born 24 July 1950) is an Indian film director, actor, music director and cinematographer who works primarily in Cinema of West Bengal, Bengali cinema. He is the only Indian to have received the "Vittorio ...
, Aparna Sen, Anjan Das and Rituparno Ghosh
Rituparno Ghosh (; 31 August 1963 – 30 May 2013) was an Indian film director, actor, writer and lyricist. After pursuing a degree in economics, he started his career as a creative artist at an advertising agency. He received recognition for h ...
, and even acted on television. In 1986, he played the role of a swimming coach, Khitish Singh(Khidda) in film '' Kony'' (1986) directed by Saroj Dey, who was part of the film collective Agragami. The film is about a young girl from a slum, who wants to become a swimmer.[ At the 32nd National Film Awards, the film won the National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment.] Later in a 2012 interview, he called Kony one of the best films of his career. He even recalled using film's catch-phrase "Fight-Koni-fight" in hard times, as a chant to himself to lift his "aging spirits". The phrase had become popular with middle-class Bengalis at the time.[ He also starred in his biopic ''Abhijaan'' directed by Parambrata Chatterjee, an artist himself. The movie was released in April 2022 posthumously as a tribute to Soumitra featuring Jisshu Sengupta who portrayed the younger self of the late artist.
]
Theatre
He replaced Mrityunjay Sil as the lead artist in 1958. Mrityunjay Sil was at the peak of his theatre career at that time. But due to personal issues he suggested his friend, Soumitra's name. Mrityunjay Sil is often credited with being one of the few people to have helped Soumitra. But he soon left his job.[
After a two-decade long busy career as a leading man of Bengali cinema, he returned to theatre in 1978, with his production ''Naam Jiban'', staged at Biswarupa Theatre in Kolkata. This led to other plays like ''Rajkumar'' (1982), ''Phera'' (1987), ''Nilkantha'' (1988), ''Ghatak Biday'' (1990) and ''Nyaymurti'' (1996), beside notable plays like ''Tiktiki'' (1995), an adaptation of '' Sleuth'' and ''Homapakhi'' (2006). Besides acting, he has written and directed several plays, translated a few and also branched out to poetry reading in recent decades.][
Since 14 November 2010, he regularly performed in the title role of the play ''Raja Lear'' directed by Suman Mukhopadhyay and produced by Minerva Repertory Theatre, a play based on ]King Lear
''The Tragedy of King Lear'', often shortened to ''King Lear'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is loosely based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his ...
by William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
. Soumitra received widespread critical and popular accolades for his acting in the play.[
]
Awards and recognition
Chatterjee received the '''Commandeur Officier des Arts et Metiers, the highest award for arts given by the French government in 1999, and the Lifetime Award at the Naples Film Festival, Italy. He turned down the Padma Shri
The Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī'', lit. 'Lotus Honour'), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. In ...
award from the Indian government in the 1970s. In 2004, he accepted the prestigious Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan (IAST: ''Padma Bhūṣaṇa'', lit. 'Lotus Decoration') is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 Januar ...
award from the President of India
The president of India (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the head of state of the Republic of India. The president is the nominal head of the executive, the first citizen of the country, and the commander-in-chief, supreme commander of the Indian Armed ...
. He has been the subject of a full-length documentary named ''Gaach'' by French film director Catherine Berge. In 1998, he was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (IAST: Saṅgīta Nāṭaka Akādamī Puraskāra), also known as the Akademi Puraskar, is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama. It is the highest Indian recogni ...
given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi
Sangeet Natak Akademi (The National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama in English language, English) is the national level academy for performing arts set up by the Government of India. It is an autonomous body of the Ministry of Culture (India) ...
, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama.
Incidentally, besides receiving eight awards from the Bengal Film Journalists' Association for the best actor and international recognition for his acting prowess, Chatterjee never won a National Film Award for acting in the early part of his career, which established his reputation as an actor, working with directors like Satyajit Ray, Tapan Sinha and Mrinal Sen. Thus, over the years, he has been vocal about his feelings of disappointment and alleging bias in the National Film Awards
The National Film Awards are awards for artistic and technical merit given for "Excellence within the Cinema of India, Indian film industry". Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India ...
committee
A committee or commission is a body of one or more persons subordinate to a deliberative assembly or other form of organization. A committee may not itself be considered to be a form of assembly or a decision-making body. Usually, an assembly o ...
towards awarding popular and mainstream cinema.[ Thus, in a gesture of protest against, he turned down the ]2001
The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
Special Jury Award for '' Dekha'' directed by Goutam Ghose
Goutam Ghose (also spelled Gautam Ghosh; born 24 July 1950) is an Indian film director, actor, music director and cinematographer who works primarily in Cinema of West Bengal, Bengali cinema. He is the only Indian to have received the "Vittorio ...
. Later in an interview he stated "the National Film Awards, overlooked my performances in several powerful roles. When I did '' Kony'', Shashi Kapoor was adjudged the best actor. Anil Kapoor
Anil Kapoor (born 24 December 1956) is an Indian actor and producer who works primarily in Hindi cinema, Hindi films, in addition to Indian television and international films. In a career spanning over 40 years as an actor and since 2005 as a ...
was feted (Best Actor) for '' Pukar'' while ''Dekha'' was awarded a 'consolation' prize".
However, after receiving the Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan (IAST: ''Padma Bhūṣaṇa'', lit. 'Lotus Decoration') is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 Januar ...
, the third highest civilian honour given by Government of India in 2004, he changed his viewpoint towards awards, and stated "Now (after Padma Bhushan) I feel I don't have the right to hurt my viewers by rejecting an award."[ A few years later, on 9 June 2008, he was awarded the 2007 National Film Award for Best Actor for '' Podokkhep'' (Footsteps) (2006),] which he accepted though stating "after decades of acting, I do not attach too much value to it".
In 2010, he won Best Supporting Actor at 54th Asia-Pacific Film Festival for his role in Angshumaner Chhobi (2009).
In 2012, he was awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India's highest award in cinema given annually by the Government of India for lifetime contribution to Indian cinema
The cinema of India, consisting of motion pictures made by the Indian film industry, has had a large effect on world cinema since the second half of the 20th century. Indian cinema is made up of various film industries, each focused on p ...
. In 2014, he received the introductory Filmfare Awards East for Best Male Actor (Critics) for his role in '' Rupkatha Noy'' and also he won Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award – South (1994).
;Civilian awards
Source(s):
*1998 Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (IAST: Saṅgīta Nāṭaka Akādamī Puraskāra), also known as the Akademi Puraskar, is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama. It is the highest Indian recogni ...
by Sangeet Natak Akademi
Sangeet Natak Akademi (The National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama in English language, English) is the national level academy for performing arts set up by the Government of India. It is an autonomous body of the Ministry of Culture (India) ...
* 1999: Commandeur de l' Ordre des Arts et des Lettres the Government of France
The Government of France (, ), officially the Government of the French Republic (, ), exercises Executive (government), executive power in France. It is composed of the Prime Minister of France, prime minister, who is the head of government, ...
*2000: Hony. D.Litt. from Rabindra Bharati University,. Kolkata.
*2004: Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan (IAST: ''Padma Bhūṣaṇa'', lit. 'Lotus Decoration') is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 Januar ...
by the Government of India
The Government of India (ISO 15919, ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of States and union t ...
* 2012: Sangeet Natak Akademi Tagore Ratna by Sangeet Natak Akademi
* 2016: ''Kazi Sabyasachi Memorial Award'' by the Government of Bangladesh
The government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh () is the central government of Bangladesh. The government was constituted by the Constitution of Bangladesh comprising the executive (the president, prime minister and cabinet), the ...
* 2017: ''Commandeur'' of Legion d'Honneur
The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and civil. Currently consisting of five classes, it was ...
by the Government of France
;National Film Awards
* 1991: National Film Award – Special Jury Award for '' Antardhan''
* 2000: National Film Award – Special Jury Award for ''Dekha''
* 2006: National Film Award
The National Film Awards are awards for artistic and technical merit given for "Excellence within the Cinema of India, Indian film industry". Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India ...
– Best Actor for '' Podokkhep''
* 2012: Dadasaheb Phalke Award
;Bengal Film Journalists' Association Awards
Source(s):
* B.F.J.A. Best Actor Award for ''Teen Kanya'' (1961)
* B.F.J.A. Best Actor Award for ''Abhijan'' (1963)
* B.F.J.A. Best Actor Award for ''Baghini'' (1969)
* B.F.J.A. Best Actor Award for ''Ashani Sanket'' (1974)
* B.F.J.A. Best Actor Award for ''Sansar Simanthey'' (1976)
* B.F.J.A. Best Actor Award for ''Kony'' (1987)
* B.F.J.A. Best Actor Award for ''Agnisanket'' (1989)
* B.F.J.A. Best Actor Award for ''Krantikaal'' (2006)
;Filmfare Awards East
Source(s):
* Filmfare Awards East – Best Male Actor (Critics) for '' Rupkatha Noy'' (2013)
* Best Male Actor (Critics) for '' Mayurakshi'' (2017)
* Best Actor (Male) for ''Sansar Simante'' (1975)
* Best Actor (Male) for ''Babu Moshai'' (1977)
* Best Actor (Male) for '' Ganadevata'' (1979)
* Best Actor (Male) for '' Agradani'' (1983)
;Filmfare Awards South
The Filmfare Awards South are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Telugu cinema, Tamil cinema, Malayalam cinema and Kannada cinema. They are presented by ''Filmfare'' magazine of The Times Group. When it was intr ...
* Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award – South (1994)
Filmography
Works
Chatterjee has multiple works to his credit in Bengali, including:
;Books
*''Charitrer Sandhane'' ("Search of Character"; 2004). Kolkata: Saptarshi Prakashan.
*''Pratidin Taba Gatha'' ("You Sing Everyday"; 2009). Kolkata: Aajkaal Publishers Pvt Ltd. About Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Thakur (; anglicised as Rabindranath Tagore ; 7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941) was a Bengalis, Bengali polymath who worked as a poet, writer, playwright, composer, philosopher, social reformer, and painter of the Bengal Renai ...
in many aspects of his life.
*''Agrapathikera'' ("Pioneers"; 2010). Kolkata: Aajkaal Publishers Pvt Ltd''.'' A memoir of his seniors and friends who are no more.
*''Porichoy'': ("Introduction"; 2013). Prakash Bhaban.
*''Manikdar Sange'' ("With Manik Da"; 2014). Kolkata: Aajkaal Publishers Pvt Ltd. Translated as "The Master and I: Soumitra on Satyajit" by Arunava Sinha. Depicts the journey with his master Satyajit Ray
Satyajit Ray (; 2 May 1921 – 23 April 1992) was an Indian film director, screenwriter, author, lyricist, magazine editor, illustrator, calligraphy, calligrapher, and composer. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest and most influ ...
(1959-1992).
;Poetry collections
*''Śreshṭha Kabitā'' ("Best Poem", poetry collection; 1993). Calcutta: Dey's Publication.
*''Madhyarater Sangket'': ("Midnight Signal"; 2012). Kolkata: Signet Press. .
*''Kabita Samagra'': ("Poetry Collection"; 2014). Kolkata: Ananda Publishers Pvt Ltd. .
*''Shabdora Aamar Bagane'' ("Words in My Garden")
;Dramas
*''Natak Samagra 1'': ("Drama Collection 1"; 2015). Kolkata: Ananda Publishers Pvt Ltd. .
*''Natak Samagra 2'': ("Drama Collection 2"; 2017). Kolkata: Ananda Publishers Pvt Ltd. .
*''Natak Samagra 3'': ("Drama Collection 3"). Kolkata: Ananda Publishers Pvt Ltd. .
;In translation
''The Master and I: Soumitra on Satyajit'', Soumitra Chatterjee, tr. by Arunava Sinha. Supernova Publishers, 2014. . Translation of Chatterjee's ''Manikdar Sange''.
;Works about
* ''Soumitra Chatterjee: A Life in Cinema, Theatre, Poetry & Painting.'' Arjun Sengupta & Partha Mukherjee. Niyogi Books, 2021.
* ''Beyond Apu - 20 Favourite film roles of Soumitra Chatterjee''. Amitava Nag. Harper Collins India, 2016. .
* ''Soumitra'' edited by Alok Chattopadhyay and Manas Chakraborty. .
*''Gaach'' (1998), a documentary film by Catherine Berge; produced by Merchant Ivory Productions.
*''Palu: A film on Soumitra Chatterjee'' (2018), a Bengali documentary film by Partha Mukherjee and Arunendra Mookherjee; produced by Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre, Kolkata.
Illness and death
On 5 October 2020, Chatterjee tested positive for COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
and was admitted on 6 October in Belle Vue Clinic, Kolkata. However, he tested negative to the second COVID-19 test conducted on 14 October. In the meantime, his complications (urinary tract infection, fluctuations in sodium potassium levels, etc.) made the condition critical and he had to be admitted to ICU. From 13 October, his condition started to improve marginally and on 14 October, he was transferred from a Covid unit to a non-Covid unit. He was kept on BiPAP support and invasive ventilation for in the critical times; after his improvement in health, the treatment mechanisms were changed. He was under the supervision of a medical team of 16 physicians. On 25 October, his condition further deteriorated. On 15 November 2020, Chatterjee died due to COVID-19 induced encephalopathy
Encephalopathy (; ) means any disorder or disease of the brain, especially chronic degenerative conditions. In modern usage, encephalopathy does not refer to a single disease, but rather to a syndrome of overall brain dysfunction; this syndrome ...
at Bellevue hospital in Kolkata at 12.15 p.m.
-
"প্রয়াত সৌমিত্র চট্টোপাধ্যায় । জীবনের মঞ্চ ছেড়ে মহাকালের গ্রিনরুমে বাঙালির প্রিয় নায়ক"
Nagarik News . 15 November 2020
See also
* Parallel cinema
Parallel cinema, or New Indian Cinema, is a film movement in Cinema of India, Indian cinema that originated in the state of West Bengal in the 1950s as an alternative to the mainstream commercial Indian cinema.
Inspired by Italian Neorealism, ...
References
Bibliography
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External links
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Soumitra Chatterjee's Poem
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Chatterjee, Soumitra
20th-century Indian male actors
1935 births
Bengali Hindus
Bengali male actors
People from Krishnagar
Male actors in Bengali cinema
City College, Kolkata alumni
University of Calcutta alumni
Indian male stage actors
Bengali theatre personalities
Bengali-language poets
Bengal Film Journalists' Association Award winners
Best Actor National Film Award winners
Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in arts
Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Special Jury Award (feature film) National Film Award winners
Dadasaheb Phalke Award recipients
Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in India
2020 deaths
Filmfare Awards East winners