Uttam Kumar at 100: How a Chameleon Became Bengal’s Icon

Uttam Kumar was one of Bengal’s most famous film actors.

He was born Arun Kumar Chattopadhyay in 1926 and first worked as a clerk while acting in theatre.

His early movies failed, and people even called him the “Flop Master General.”

Instead of quitting, he practiced and learned from theatre, music, sports and other actors.

He became a major star after films such as Sharey Chuattar and Agni Pariksha.

Many people knew him as a romantic hero, especially alongside Suchitra Sen.

But he also played comic, serious and troubled characters.

In Nayak, he showed the worries hidden behind a movie star’s public image.

His 2026 centenary honors an actor who kept changing while remaining loved by audiences.