Soumitra Chattopadhyay: An actor extraordinaire remembered by his five heroines

In his long six decades in the film industry, Soumitra Chatterjee stood tall and mighty like an enduring banyan tree. Under his shadow, there are many who found their true calling, excelled in their parts and showed what it takes to go from strength to strength. Despite the popular screen pairing of Uttam Kumar-Suchitra Sen during his time, and the many hits they delivered, Soumitra shined like a star in the Tollywood universe. No wonder, actresses across all age groups with whom he paired up as a lover, husband, father and friend, call him a one-man army. On the great actor's birth anniversary today, five heroines from Tollywood in an exclusive chat with ETimes shared their work experiences with the actor extraordinaire. What can be a perfect tribute than this!


How challenging is it to work with him? It is challenging in the way that one needs to be alert while working with him. But he is a great admirer of my work. He has always praised me and said how he loves my body language while delivering a line. ‘Sabu, tui je haat nere bolli etai onyo keu partona,’ he’d say. I am his favourite actress and he even said I am born in the wrong country. Even today, I agree to be part of short 30-minute films just to share the screen with Soumitra Chatterjee.
My best memory of him: I once did a play in his direction. Titled Rajkumar, it saw us as husband and wife. There, I saw how measured he was as an actor. I was told what to do when the music would play in the background and when to hug him et al. I also did Pratinidhi with him for Mrinal Sen when the latter was not getting much work. I produced the film and still remember how we were showered with praises. Though I feel I didn’t get great roles, I know he made the most of the offers that came his way.


How challenging is it to work with him? The thought of working with an actor of his stature would always make me nervous. But he has been a great teacher to me. I have learnt a lot from him.
My best memory of him: I still remember working in the play, Namjibon, with him; he was the hero and I, the heroine. First, we would sit and read out the lines and then, he would compose the scenes. All through the rehearsals, he was busy showing us how to go about our parts. Not for once did he rehearse his lines. But when he finally performed, no one could understand that he had not rehearsed extensively for his part. There’s yet another anecdote that I will like to share. During Namjibon, he had given strict instructions that I should not wear any makeup. During interval, I received a handwritten letter from him. It read: ‘I had asked you not to wear makeup, but you didn’t follow it’. I rushed to his makeup room and said, ‘But, I have not’. He asked me how did I look so fair in that case? Actually, in the muted light on stage, I was looking very fair, but had done nothing for it.


How challenging is it to work with him? I am not a film actress, but the three films I have done are all with him and I must say, they have all been challenging. When I started Belashuru, he said my role was very tough. I took his words very seriously and was all nerves at one point. But when I started shooting, he made things very easy. There’s a lot of action and reaction between co-actors and I don’t know how well I have performed, but a lot of credit goes to him. There’s a scene in the film where I have a lot of food in my mouth that I am unable to chew. He asks me why I had not eaten and I tell him something. To this, the reaction that he gave was outstanding. He brings a lot of truth to the character.
My best memory of him: Before Belaseshe, there was a press con, where I carried with me a DVD of Ghare Baire. There were too many memories. My mejdi (sister) was a big fan of his. When I did Ghare Baire, she told me, ‘I am a fan of his and you are doing a film with him!’ I come from a small town in Allahabad and if I have done anything little in my capacity, it’s largely because of him.
Indrani Haldar

How challenging is it to work with him? It’s not challenging. He’s the most flexible actor, who is also a great teacher. When I was first given the narration of Sanjhbatir Rupkathara by Anjan Das and Joy Goswami, I was very tense. It was an author-backed role and people had already visualised Sanjhbati in their minds. Also, the film was going to be very lyrical and I was bad with recitation. That’s when I sought Soumitra uncle’s help and he told me how to go about it. He said, ‘Tension korona’. Later on, I was in Silchar to perform an audio drama with him and again, I got a lot of help from him. I always looked up to him as a friend, someone who is just a few years elder to me.
My best memory of him: I was going through a bad phase in life some years back where not many good roles were coming my way. I was only doing television and the monotony of it took a toll on me. That’s when I bumped into him and told him about my mental state. He told me just because I had no good offers, I shouldn’t be eating and sleeping at home. “An actor has to be prepared always,” he said and that inspired me a great deal. I decided to hit the gym, read a lot, be involved socially and came out of the phase smiling. His words continue to play on my mind.
Gargee Roychowdhury

How challenging is it to work with him? The opening scene of Sudeshna Roy and Abhijit Guha’s Sraboner Dhara begins with the doctor asking me for my father’s X-Ray reports, to which I say, ‘He is not my father, but my husband’. Soumitrada and I will be seen as husband and wife in the film. Even though I was in Mayurakshi, I did not share the screen with him. About challenges, he never threw any at me ever. I always felt that he was the ink with whom I was writing my novel; he’s that cooperative.
My best memory of him: While mouthing a line, I had to look into his eyes in one scene. When I did that, he blinked, which, in a way, was appreciative of the way I delivered it. I could realise that I was closest to being perfect in that scene.