Kolkata, Sep 3: The West Bengal government will observe the birth centenary of Uttam Kumar with a year-long calendar of events, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said on Thursday, paying tributes to the Bengali matinee idol.
Paying floral tributes at the superstar’s statue in Tollygunge alongside actors such as Ranjit Mallick, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Dev and Jeet, Adhikari said the commemoration would not be confined to token programmes over a few days, and the government would accord it the same importance as that to Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee’s 125th birth anniversary.
“People themselves have come forward to pay tribute to Uttam Kumar. I do not need to certify his legacy,” he said, pointing to the gathering on the 100th birth anniversary of the film legend.
He said renovation and reconstruction would be undertaken at institutions named after Uttam Kumar across the state as part of the celebrations.
“The Kolkata Municipal Corporation’s Uttam Mancha would be renovated. Photographs of Uttam Kumar’s statues across the state are being compiled with the help of actor Prosenjit Chatterjee,” he said.
“An institution named after Uttam Kumar will come up in Kolkata, with its foundation stone scheduled to be laid on Friday morning,” he said.
The Centre will also issue a commemorative coin bearing Uttam Kumar’s image and a postage stamp to mark his birth centenary, he added.
Adhikari noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about Uttam Kumar for around five minutes in his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ radio programme on August 30 and had also paid tribute to the actor in a social media post.
He said Bengal had once led the country on the cultural front, but other parts of India, including Mumbai, had since moved ahead.
He said the state government would not seek credit or politicise the birth centenary commemoration and would instead extend full cooperation to artistes and others involved in the celebrations.
Adhikari also invited common people to join a “disciplined and joyous” procession at 5 pm to Uttam Kumar’s residence.
In a social media post, the CM described Uttam Kumar as the “undisputed Mahanayak”, saying his “peerless acting prowess, timeless charm and effortless screen presence” had redefined cinema and set benchmarks for generations of artistes.
He said Uttam Kumar’s legacy as the “eternal Matinee Idol” would continue to illuminate the cultural sphere of Bengal and beyond.
