Uttam Kumar, widely known as the Mahanayak, was an Indian film actor, producer, director, screenwriter, composer, and playback singer who predominantly worked in Bengali cinema. His career spanned three decades, from the late 1940s until his death in 1980. Kumar is regarded as one of the greatest actors in the history of Indian cinema and also the most popular and successful film star in Bengal.
Kumar and Suchitra Sen in Harano Sur
Morgan House, Kalimpong Testimonial of Uttam Kumar and Supriya Devi.
Uttam Kumar in 2009 stamp of India.
Cinema of West Bengal, also known as Tollywood or Bengali cinema, is an Indian film industry of Bengali-language motion pictures. It is based in the Tollygunge region of Kolkata, West Bengal, India. The origins of the nickname Tollywood, a portmanteau of the words Tollygunge and Hollywood, dates back to 1932. It was a historically important film industry, at one time the centre of Indian film production. The Bengali film industry is known for producing many of Indian cinema's most critically acclaimed global Parallel Cinema and art films, with several of its filmmakers gaining prominence at the Indian National Film Awards as well as international acclaim.
A scene from Dena Paona, 1931
A scene from Seeta (dir: Sisir Bhaduri), 1933. Sisir Bhaduri, Amalendu Lahiri.
Satyajit Ray
Suchitra Sen