'Even After 100 Years, Uttam Kumar Will Be Mohanayak'

'I was blessed that I had seen him very closely. There was a time when he was trying to direct a film with me when I was a teenager.'

IMAGE: Uttam Kumar. Photograph: Kind courtesy Film History Pics/X

Forty five years after he passed into the ages, Uttam Kumar still lives in the hearts of his biggest fans.

Prosenjit Chatterjee remembers the legend on his 99th birth anniversary and tells Subhash K Jha, "His birthday, his death anniversary... Bengalis everywhere in the world celebrate and remember him."

How much does Uttam Kumar mean to you?

Uttam Kumar is very close to my heart. I have grown up watching his films.

He is my idol and I used to call him Uttam jethu (uncle).

I am very close to his family.

I was blessed that I could do a character, which was like a younger version of Uttam Kumar in the television series Mahanayak.

He was like a mentor.

It was a big loss when he passed away.

IMAGE: Uttam Kumar with Suchitra Sen. They acted in 30 films together. Photograph: Kind courtesy Film History Pics/X

Where would you place Uttam Kumar in Bengali cinema?

Even today, after so many years, this man is celebrated as a legend.

His birthday, his death anniversary... Bengalis everywhere in the world celebrate and remember him.

That doesn't happen to too many of us, it happens to very few actors.

He passed away around 45 years ago but his aura is around us.

I believe you were once going to do a film with Uttam Kumar.

I was blessed that I had seen him very closely. There was a time when he was trying to direct a film with me when I was a teenager.

Unfortunately, he left us.

I did a live event once, called Mohanayak Ke Shraddhanjali.

I was so happy to get all his heroines on stage, from Mala Sinha, Savitri Chatterjee, Supriya Devi, Madhabi Mukherjee... I dedicated the event to him.