Uttam Kumar

Indian actor, director and producer

Born: September 3, 1926 · Died: July 24, 1980

Famous Persons

Uttam Kumar — Image via Wikimedia Commons or Wikipedia.

Overview

Legacy

He first gained popularity with Sharey Chuattor (1953), in which he starred opposite his frequent co-star Suchitra Sen.

Who was Uttam Kumar?

Arun Kumar Chattopadhyay (3 September 1926 – 24 July 1980), known professionally as Uttam Kumar (Bengali pronunciation: [ut̪ːɔm kumar]), was an Indian actor, director, producer, screenwriter, composer, and playback singer who predominantly worked in Bengali cinema. His accolades include five National Awards and four Filmfare Awards. In a career spanning over five decades, Kumar worked in 211 films till his death in 1980. After a few years of acting in plays, he made his film debut in the 1948 film Drishtidan in a supporting role, produced by M. P. Productions.

Morgan House, Kalimpong Testimonial of Uttam Kumar and Supriya Devi.

Historical significance

Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most successful actors in the history of Indian cinema, Kumar dominated Bengali cinema from the 1950s throughout the 1970s, being referred to as "Mahanayak" (Bengali for "The Great Hero"). By the early 1950s, he had graduated to lead roles and had his first box office hit with Basu Paribar (1952), following a series of unsuccessful ventures. He first gained popularity with Sharey Chuattor (1953), in which he starred opposite his frequent co-star Suchitra Sen. Arun Kumar Chattopadhyay, known professionally as Uttam Kumar, was an Indian actor, director, producer, screenwriter, composer, and playback singer who predominantly worked in Bengali cinema. Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most successful actors in the history of Indian cinema, Kumar dominated Bengali cinema from the 1950s throughout the 1970s, being referred to as "Mahanayak".

Sources and further reading

Use the dated article for the day-specific account; use these references to check the event record and explore its wider historical context.

Wikipedia source

Cite this page

MLA

“Uttam Kumar.” thisDay, thisday.info/people/uttam-kumar/. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

APA

Uttam Kumar. (n.d.). thisDay. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://thisday.info/people/uttam-kumar/

Chicago

“Uttam Kumar.” thisDay. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://thisday.info/people/uttam-kumar/.

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