Pandal at Mitali Sangha Kakurgachhi on Tuesday photo by Sayantan Chakraborty
There is an entire 3.1 audio experience, which provides visitors with an instrumental medley of 10 evergreen songs from Uttam Kumar’s 10 notable films,” said puja functionary Tiyas Bhanja. The location is significant, being near Bijoli cinema, where several of his films were released, and not far from where the actor lived.
In Bhowanipore, an area closely associated with Uttam Kumar’s life and career, Rupchand Mukherjee Lane Sarbojanin Durgotsab has chosen the theme “Uttamayan”. We are showcasing his timeless legacy on screen,” said Dipan Chatterjee, a member of the puja committee. Around two kilometres away, Panditiya Sandhya Sangha is marking its 74th year with the theme “Shatarupe Uttam”. A retro motorcycle installation doubles as a selfie corner, recalling the celebrated Saptapadi sequence in which Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen ride a 1960 BMW motorcycle while the song “Ei Poth Jodi Na Shesh Hoy” plays. We have decorated the pandal with laser cuttings in which his famous dialogues and songs from his films are written,” said Anirban Sengupta, secretary of the puja.
“Our puja is a cultural journey through memories and the legacy of Uttam Kumar. With the onslaught of time, the screen has changed; so has the language of cinema. But Uttam Kumar remains etched in the hearts of Bengalis, along with his smile and dialogues. The pandal has been designed as a 1960s-70s movie theatre. “Inside the pandal, duet moments are portrayed with Suchitra Sen, Madhavi Mukherjee, Supriya Chowdhury and Sabitri Chatterjee, the four major actresses he worked with. A wall also exhibits posters and inlay cards of Uttam Kumar classics. “We are turning the spotlight on his student life, his brush with acting on stage and then his debut in the world of cinema.
At the same time, we offer his admirers a walk down memory lane at our pandal,” said Arijit Maitra, general secretary of Samaj Sebi Sangha. From Harano Sur to Saptapadi, Antony Firingee to Agniswar, Sabyasachi to Bagh Bandi Khela, our pandal showcases various moods of the matinee idol,” said Siddhartha Biswas, a member of the club’s puja committee. From hand-painted film posters, lobby cards and vintage cinema-hall installations to iconic dialogues, evergreen songs and recreations of memorable scenes, puja committees across the city are paying tribute to a star whose screen presence continues to define Bengali popular culture. “Our pandal decoration upholds the iconic roles played by Uttam Kumar. Our installations, designed to bridge generations, introduce young visitors to a foundational cultural icon like him. “In the 90th year of our puja, we are observing the birth centenary of Uttam Kumar and our theme is ‘Ekai Eksho’.