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Behala Archive Preserves Uttam Kumar’s Rare Cinematic What-Ifs
Paramananda has built an archive in Behala dedicated to Uttam Kumar and Bengali cinema.
It contains posters, film booklets, lobby cards and advertisements.
Some posters are for films that were planned but never made.
One unrealised project could have brought Uttam Kumar and Raj Kapoor together.
Another was planned as a new Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen film.
Two films first intended for Uttam Kumar were eventually released with other actors.
The collection also includes material from the play Shyamali.
Paramananda’s family connection to music helped inspire his interest in collecting.
He hopes the archive will protect these memories for future generations.
A Behala archive preserves rare posters and promotional material from unrealised Uttam Kumar projects.
Planned films include a proposed Uttam Kumar–Raj Kapoor collaboration and another project with Suchitra Sen.
Nyaydanda and Haspatal were initially planned with Uttam Kumar but were released with Asitbaran and Ashok Kumar.
The collection includes advertisements for Aroma Oil and Koley Biscuits, five Shyamali booklets, more than 40 lobby cards and nearly 250 film booklets.
Collector Paramananda began preserving the archive about three years ago as Uttam Kumar’s centenary approached.
- Who
- Collector Paramananda and the archive’s materials concerning actor Uttam Kumar and Bengali cinema.
- What
- A Behala archive preserves rare memorabilia and records unrealised or altered Uttam Kumar film projects.
- Where
- Behala, Kolkata, with family connections to Bhowanipore also described.
- When
- Paramananda began focusing on preserving the collection about three years ago; the article also cites Uttam Kumar’s 1948 marriage and a 1957 film appearance.
- Why
- To safeguard rare booklets, lobby cards, photographic stills, advertisements and other memorabilia from deterioration and preserve them for posterity.
Key facts
- Archive location
- Behala
- Collector
- Paramananda
- Unrealised collaboration
- Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Ananda Sangbad was planned to bring Uttam Kumar and Raj Kapoor together.
- Another planned collaboration
- Dipak Basu’s Indradhanu was planned as an Uttam Kumar–Suchitra Sen film.
- Lobby cards
- More than 40
- Film booklets
- Nearly 250
- Other materials
- Five Shyamali booklets and lifetime advertisements for Aroma Oil and Koley Biscuits
Quotes
Paramananda
A 49-year-old Behala resident and collector who created the Uttam Kumar archive.
“In 1945, my jyathamoshai, Satya Chaudhury, recorded the Puja song Prithibi Amare Chay, Rekho Na Bendhe Amay, which became a hit. The song was also one of Uttam Kumar’s favourites. A passionate lover of music and a fine singer himself, Uttam would regularly sing at his home with the harmonium.”
telegraphindia.com
“My objective was to safeguard rare booklets, lobby cards, photographic stills, advertisements and other memorabilia from the passage of time.”
telegraphindia.com
Sources
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