Apu leaves Sansar

Bengali cinema’s colossal actor Soumitra Chatterjee died today at the age of 86. After a prolonged fight against COVID-19, the veteran superstar of Bengali films, actor, playwright, elocutionist, poet and painter breathed his last at 12:15 PM at Bellevue Nursing Home in central Kolkata.

Soumitra was admitted to Bellevue in September after contracting the novel coronavirus. He had cancer at one point, which did not spare him completely either. His condition, therefore, swung between extremes at the nursing home. In addition, he was suffering from multiple co-morbidities. Doctors tried to save the actor by attempting even plasma therapy and respiratory surgery, but no treatment helped him leave the hospital hale and hearty.

On Friday, Soumitra’s condition worsened. Heart and kidney complications ensued. His limbs gave up. Doctors said it was impossible for Soumitra to recover without a miracle. A shadow of anxiety descended on the fans.

Soumitra’s family members reached the hospital in the morning after spending a tense night. After a while, they left the hospital. But soon they were called back.

Soumitra’s daughter Paulomi refused to comment on her father’s condition as reporters approached her. When contacted by phone later, she said, “There will be an official announcement about father’s health. We will comment only after that. The doctors told us to stay put.”

Shortly afterwards, the hospital authorities informed that the 86-year-old actor had died. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reached Bellevue. She spoke to reporters, as did Paulomi now. “I’ll take Dad to our house at Golf Green first at 2 PM,” the daughter said, “After that, I will take him to Rabindra Sadan Technicians’ Studio. From there, we will leave for Keoratala crematorium. We are grateful to Didi (the chief minister) and the Government of West Bengal. Everyone took care of my father with so much care, love and respect. Dad will always be with us.”

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was heard standing in Bellevue lamenting that she was unable to save Soumitra despite her best efforts. “Feluda’ is no more. ‘Apu’ said goodbye. Farewell, Soumitra (Da) Chatterjee. He has been a legend in his lifetime. International, Indian and Bengali cinema has lost a giant. We will miss him dearly. The film world in Bengal has been orphaned.”

“Best known for his films with Satyajit Ray, Soumitra Da was conferred with Legion of Honor, Dadasaheb Phalke Award, Banga Bibhushan, Padma Bhushan & several National Awards. A great loss. Saddened. Condolences to his family, the film fraternity & his admirers across the world,” Banerjee wrote on Twitter.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences on Twitter in three languages (English, Bangla and Hindi) on the death of Soumitra Chatterjee. He wrote, “Shri Soumitra Chatterjee’s death is a colossal loss to the world of cinema, cultural life of West Bengal and India. Through his works, he came to embody Bengali sensibilities, emotions and ethos. Anguished by his demise. Condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti.”

Soumitra Chatterjee was compared to Uttam Kumar till the 1980s

As engrossing as the competition between Amitabh Bachchan and Vinod Khanna before the latter left for Rajneesh’s ashram, Bengali film aficionados would always who was better of Uttam Kumar and Soumitra Chatterjee. While the former was ‘hero’ material, thanks to his charm, the latter won hearts with stunning portrayal of the loser. Until in ripe age, Soumitra rarely played a happy man. Flamboyance was never his signature mark. But that was precisely what another legend, filmmaker Satyajit Ray, was looking for to cast as the protagonist in Apur Sansar.

While it took Ray more than two decades since his debut with Pather Panchali to cast Uttam Kumar in Nayak, Soumitra almost always grabbed the lead role in the parallel cinema of India’s first Academy Awards (Oscar) winner.

Filmography

7 February 2020 Sraboner Dhara

But cinema was not all that there was to Soumitra Chatterjee. He was equally at home in one-act plays and other acts before a live audience. Possessing a steady baritone, he was arguably the second most popular abritti (elocution) performer in Bengal after Kazi Sabyasachi.

Soumitra was a playwright for several dramas that went on and on in theatres of Calcutta (now Kolkata). He was fond of painting too.