Remembering Great Actor Utpal Dutt 1929-93

Utpal Dutt, a talented and versatile actor who was equally comfortable acting on stage and in front of the camera, was born on 29 March 1929 in Calcutta (now Kolkata). Dutt, whose roles made him a popular name in both Hindi and Bengali cinema, studied in St. Edmunds School (Shillong) and Calcutta’s St. Xavier’s Collegiate School before securing a degree in literature from St. Xavier’s College, Calcutta.

As a young man, he founded the Little Theatre Group and acted in many English plays. Later, his interests turned to more radical and political theatre.He played the role of Richard III as part of the Shakespeareana Theatre Company, which had been set up by Geoffrey Kendal and Laura Kendal. He toured with the Kendals across the subcontinent for a couple of years. Later he continued acting and producing plays as part of the Little Theatre Group.

Eventually, the group started staging Bengali plays and later, Bengali films. Dutt was also associated with the Gananatya Sangha, which took theatre to rural West Bengal, and the Indian People’s Theatre Association. He made several Shakespearean plays in Bengali. Among the well-known plays he directed in Bengali in the 1950s was Maxim Gorky’s Lower Depths.

Dutt’s first role in a film was in Michael Madhusudan (1950), directed by Madhu Bose.Over the next four decades he went on to act in scores of Hindi and Bengali films, both commercial and art.In Hindi films, in particular, he came to be regarded as a very good comic actor.His notable Hindi films include Guddi, Naram Garam, Gol Maal, and Shaukeen.

His well-regarded Bengali films include Bhuvan Shome, Agantuk, Jana Aranya and Hirak Rajar Deshe. He worked with internationally renowned directors like Satyajit Ray and Mrinal Sen.

However, to look at Dutt as merely a comic Hindi film actor is to overlook most of his creative and intellectual output. Dutt’s work for commercial Hindi and Bengali cinema was only a small part of his oeuvre, and to him probably the least important.

Dutt, who was jailed in 1965 for a supposedly anti-establishment play, was a lifelong Communist sympathiser. He frequently spoke and wrote not just about art and cinema, but society and politics as well.

Utpal Dutt suffered a heart attack and died on 19 August 1993.

Awards and recognition

National Film Award for Best Actor – Won-1970 Bhuvan Shome – Bhuvan Shome

Filmfare Best Comedian Award – Won-1980 Gol Maal – Bhawani Shankar

1982 Naram Garam – Bhavani Shankar,1987 Rang Birangi – Police Inspector Dhurandhar Bhatawdekar

Bengal Film Journalists' Association Award:Best Actor Award – Won

1993 Agantuk – Manomohan Mitra

Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award – Nominated

1975 Amanush – Mahim Ghoshal

1980 Gol Maal – Bhawani Shankar

1986 Saaheb – Badri Prasad Sharma