Kolkata to host grand exhibition on Mahanayak Uttam Kumar

KOLKATA: Kolkata is set to celebrate the centenary of Bengal’s greatest matinee idol, Uttam Kumar, with a rare exhibition retracing the life and legacy of the screen legend. Titled Shudhui Uttam, the exhibition will open at Nehru Children’s Museum on 3 September and run till 7 September 2025, organised by Kolkata Kathokata.

The show will be inaugurated by veteran actress Sabitri Chattopadhyay, joined by Lily Chakraborty, Chirajit Chakraborty, and several artists who once worked with the Mahanayak. On the opening evening, Chattopadhyay will share memories of her many on-screen collaborations with Uttam Kumar, followed by a special screening of Har Mana Har, one of their enduring films together.The exhibition promises an intimate look at the actor’s journey, featuring costumes, personal belongings, film scripts, handwritten notes, theatre playbills, and autographed photographs from family collections and private archives.

Among the highlights are his first acting contract for Drishtidan (1948), his diaries, spectacles, and letters—objects rarely shown to the public.“This exhibition will also showcase rare international coverage of Uttam Kumar, from his 1967 visit to Russia to his appearances in global publications. A particularly treasured item is a 1959 photograph from the Metro Cinema premiere of The Perfect Gentleman,” said Chandranath Chattopadhyay of Kolkata Kathokata.

The display will also recall the actor’s presence at the Commonwealth Arts Festival in London in 1965, where he became the first Indian film star to represent the country on a global stage. Memorabilia from the 1980 Senet House exhibition in his memory will also be revisited.Posters, lobby cards, and stills from his most celebrated films—Saptapadi, Chowringhee, Anthony Firingee, Nayak, Chiriakhana, Amanush, Sanyasi Raja, and Indrani among them—will showcase the breadth of his career.

Candid photographs with Suchitra Sen, Supriya Devi, Sabitri Chattopadhyay, Anjana Bhowmick, and Aparna Sen will highlight the golden era of Bengali cinema.The exhibition is being shaped with contributions from families of filmmakers Haran Chattopadhyay, Manju Dey Ray, Sushil Mukhopadhyay, Ashim Kumar, Mrinal Mukherjee, and collectors Subir Mukhopadhyay, Shibnath Mukhopadhyay, Jyotirmoy Bhattacharya, and Soumitra Bhattacharya.

Archival support has also come from Bangladesh’s Mahanagar Sangbad, the India-Bangladesh Sammilita Sangskritik Parishad, and photographs by Satyanarayan Ray.For cinephiles and historians alike, Shudhui Uttam will be more than an exhibition—it will be a cultural homage to a star whose rise mirrored the aspirations of post-Independence Bengal and whose charisma continues to inspire audiences across generations.