A tribute to the Mahanayak

Uttam Kumar, a popular matinee idol, actor extraordinaire and the first megastar of Bengali film industry has left an indelible mark in the history of the Bengali film industry, especially the period which is regarded by critics as its ‘golden age’. To pay tribute to the legendary actor, fondly called Mahanayak, or the Great Hero, the Government of West Bengal organized a retrospective of his films at Muktadhara Auditorium on Friday.

The festival was inaugurated by Atanu Purkayastha, Additional Chief Secretary, Government of West Bengal and RD Meena, Principal Resident Commissioner, Government of West Bengal.

The two films screened at the retrospective were Jhinder Bondi (1961), a classic tale of royalty, power and greed directed by Dadasaheb Phalke Awardee filmmaker Tapan Sinha and Nayak (1966), one of the most powerful works of movie maestro Satyajit Ray which deals with the life of a film star, delving into his innermost secrets and bringing out the man behind the façade of a matinee idol.

The West Bengal Information and Cultural Centre, under the Office of the Resident Commissioner, West Bengal, regularly holds special screening of critically acclaimed movies for the connoisseurs of the national capital.