Soumitra Chatterjee's demise: Movie roles that proved versatility of the legendary actor

As fans countrywide mourn the loss of the Dadasaheb Phalke award-winning actor Soumitra Chatterjee, many take a tour to the cultural icon’s unparalleled contribution to the world of art and cinema. Chatterjee, who died due to COVID-19 related health complications on November 15, donned the multifarious roles as screenplay artist, a dramatist, theatre performer, a poet, and a literary composer that his fanbase now cherishes going back to in his loving memory. Chatterjee shot to fame with his notable performance in Satyajit Ray’s Apu trilogy, Aparajito (The Unvanquished). The iconic actor, however, delivered unforgettable roles in other masterpieces that unfurled his subtlety earned him the distinction. 

Satyajit Ray’s Abhijan (‘The Expedition’) 

Chatterjee shot for this movie in the summer of 1962 in the scorching heat of 45-degree-celsius in Birbhum, West Bengal. The actor was cast as the lead character Narsingh with production manager Anil Chowdhury. In his 1993 memoir Manikdar Sange (‘Manik Da and I’), the legendary actor recalled that despite struck with exhaustion and fatigue and nearly fainting due to poor health, he still managed to continue shooting. The movie earned him a distinction of a ‘good actor’ as the late artist went on to become a cultural icon and a national treasure. 

Suman Ghosh’s Podokkhep (‘Footstep’)

Chatterjee grabbed his first National Award for Best Actor in 2006 for his mind-blowing role in the movie and was also honoured with few Special Jury Awards. The film premiered at the Vancouver International Film Festival and laid prospects for the notable actor to be honoured with Padma Shri which he consistently turned down. 

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Punascha (Over Again)

Chatterjee stood out in his performance in the movie Punascha (Over Again) which was a marital drama, that eventually landed him a role in Mrinal Sen’s Akash Kusum (Up in the Clouds). While the legendary artist's role was based on a young man’s struggles to move forward despite obstacles, much of the role suited Chatterjee’s own life ahead of casting for the movie. 

[Soumitra Chatterjee, Satyajit Ray doing movie together. Images Credit: Twitter/@sailendra]

Abhijan (The Expedition)

This Waheeda Rehman starrer with Satyajit Ray cast made a huge impression among the audience with Chatterjee playing as Narsingh, a gruff, bearded Rajput taxi driver who gets involved with drug smuggling and falls in love with prostitute Gulabi (Rehman). The late actor’s performance that constituted both Bengali with Hindi dialogues made an everlasting impact on the mind of people. 

Aparichita (The Stranger)

Chatterjee’s role in this Salil Dutta film portraying as a man with a mental disorder as he grappled in pool of emotion during the recovery throughout the movie truly stunned the audience. The melodrama with Aparna Sen as the actress and Uttam Kumar as a gangster gripped the audience as the late actor wooed his fans with his stunning performance that fetch him huge respect as an actor. 

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Read: Prosenjit Chatterjee's New Film 'Kakababu Protyobortan' To Release On Christmas 2020

(Image Credit: Twitter/ @sailendra)