Birthday special: Five iconic films of Soumitra Chatterjee

Soumitra Chatterjee, a name which needs no introduction, was born on this day (19 January) in the year 1935. The legendary actor, who is an institution in himself, is best known for his collaborations with film director Satyajit Ray. He played a variety of roles in Ray’s films. On his birth anniversary, we decided to take a stroll down memory lane and recall the legend’s few of best presentation.    

Apur Sansar:

Chatterjee made his debut with Ray’s Apur Sansar, the last film in the Apu Trilogy. The film focuses on the childhood and early adulthood of a young man named Apu. Chatterjee played the title role of Apu. It was his debut film but back then the actor had declared by his acting prowess that he is the ‘lambi race ka ghora’.  

Charulata:

Charulata is Ray’s another masterpiece, based on the 1901 novella Nastanirh by Rabindranath Tagore, where he essayed the role of a writer. The depth with which he essayed his role still charms the audiences. He was highly applauded for his performance of a romantic hero.

Joi Baba Felunath:

Ray’s mystery thriller based on the famous Feluda novel of the same name written by Ray himself featured Chatterjee in the role of the fictitious sleuth Feluda. He not only pulled off the character brilliantly but also left a permanent mark in the hearts of Feluda series lovers. There are people who cannot imagine any other actor in the role of Feluda but Chatterjee.   

Kony:

Not only his die-hard fans but Chatterjee himself considers Kony as one of his best films. The National Award winning film featured him in the role of a swimming coach who picks Kony (Sriparna Banerjee) from a slum of Calcutta and motivates her to fight all odds to achieve her dreams. The way he portrayed his character taught us how a coach should act to motivate his students. His confident body language and impeccable dialogue delivery made him a true guru, who went on to convince Kony to believe in her dreams. In fact, his catch-phrase "fight-Kony-fight" in the film had become popular with the Bengalis at that time.   

Belasheshe:

Belasheshe, directed by Shibaprasad Mukhopdhyay and Nandita Ray, is one of his recent films. The film follows an emotional re-discovery of the institution of marriage. Chatterjee played the role of a man who after 49 years of marriage announces his decision to divorce his wife. The enthusiasm and dedication with which the actor works even at this age is a lesson for the young generation.       

Though every single film the veteran actor has worked on is nothing less than a classic, we have listed these five as he showed versatility of his skills through these performances.