Uttam Kumar

Who was Uttam Kumar?

Uttam Kumar Chatterjee was an Indian film actor in Bengali Cinema. Born Arun Kumar Chatterjee in 1926 at Ahiritola, North Calcutta he is widely known as Uttam Kumar and the honorific Mahanayak. He remains as much of a cultural icon. As actor, director, producer, singer and music director, his contribution earned him critical adulation.

Considered as one of the most popular film stars in the history of Indian cinema, Kumar managed to have a following, that mainly concentrated in the regions of Bengal and Bangladesh. In his lifetime, he was a recipient of many awards, including National Film Award for Best Actor. In his honour, a Metro Station was renamed in Kolkata.