‘His charisma, charm and skills remain untouchable.’
IMAGE: Amitabh Bachchan with Uttam Kumar. Photograph: Kind courtesy Imprints and Images of Indian Film Music/Facebook
Abir Chatterjee is a fan of Uttam Kumar, and speaks fondly of the legend on his 99th birth anniversary on September 3.
“Being an actor myself, I have slowly understood how avant garde and contemporary he was,” Abir tells Subhash K Jha. “Much ahead of his time.”
What does Uttam Kumar mean to you?
I consider him the ‘guru’.
Forty five years has passed, but his popularity has grown.
I don’t know if this has happened to anyone else in this world.
His charisma, charm and skills remain untouchable.
We, Bengalis, especially film lovers, will continue to show our deepest love and admiration for him.
What makes him who he is?
No point analysing this enigma.
We better immerse ourselves in this saga of love and adulation.
Being an actor myself, I have slowly understood how avant garde and contemporary he was. Much ahead of his time.
His hard work and his love and faith for the craft is something people should learn and practice.
He is magic.
He is part of our culture, our system.
He is the ultimate cinematic emotion.
When did you first see Uttam Kumar on screen?
I don’t remember actually. It was a family ritual for us to watch his films on television.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t meet him.
He died four months before I was born.
Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff
