Nirmal Kumar – the sophisticated actor of Bengali cinema, should have won more BFJA awards.
Nirmal Kumar had acted in landmark Bengali films during the 50s and 60s. But inspite of his effortless performance in sometimes thoughtful and sometimes complex characters did not earn him many BFJA awards. He acted in the role of literary educated character in the film Sesher Kobita in the early 50s. Then he got a landmark role in Tapan Sinha’s Louha Kapat. He played the role of a jailor who witnessed the stories of different prisoners in his prison. He almost portrayed the observation of Jorasondho, the author of the epic novel.
He played the role of a compassionate doctor in Tapan Sinha’s film Khaniker Atithi. He treated a small boy who was suffering from infirmity in the legs. Later on he came to know that the boy was the child of Ruma Guha Thakurta, the woman he was supposed to marry but could not marry due to different reasons. He even took the child to Kolkata to show him to his senior doctor played by Radha Mohan Bhattacharya who ultimately cured him. His ability to interact with the little child had created a lasting impact in the minds of cinematic audience. He did not win BFJA award for it.
He received the BFJA award for best performance in the film Kamal Lata. He played the role of a muslim poet depicted by writer Sarat Chandra Chatterji who had stayed in Baishnov Ashram and composed devotional songs. His association with one of the devotees played by Suchitra Sen compelled the other members from boycotting her from society. Uttam Kumar played the role of (Srikanto) Sarat Chandra Chatterij and he took Kamallata ( Suchitra Sen) from the place. Nirmal Kumar died at the end of then film. His lips in the song “o mo kokhon shuru” sung by Shaymal Mitra and composed by Robin Chatterji had touched the souls of the viewers of classic films. That was the only time Nirmal Kumar won a BFJA award.
His performance in the film Chaya Shurjo requires special mention. He played the role of the uncle of Sharmila Tagore who was disliked by all the family members and who lost his husband also due to illness. Nirmal Kumar was the poet in the film who was the silent observer of the ill-treatment towards the unfortunate girl in Partho Pratim Choudhury’s epic film. He did not win any award for the landmark performance. His other successful films include Upahaar, Kono Ekdin, Lal Pathor, Bishkonya, etc. In Kono Ekdin, he played the role of a wealthy person, who drove his own taxi in Kolkata and gathered diversified experiences of different persons who drove in his taxi. The role of a thoughtful observer did not earn him any award.
His soft style of performance in majority of films had touched the viewers and for those reasons his films should be preserved and restored.
Nirmal Kumar had acted in landmark Bengali films during the 50s and 60s. But inspite of his effortless performance in sometimes thoughtful and sometimes complex characters did not earn him many BFJA awards. He acted in the role of literary educated character in the film Sesher Kobita in the early 50s. Then he got a landmark role in Tapan Sinha’s Louha Kapat. He played the role of a jailor who witnessed the stories of different prisoners in his prison. He almost portrayed the observation of Jorasondho, the author of the epic novel.
He played the role of a compassionate doctor in Tapan Sinha’s film Khaniker Atithi. He treated a small boy who was suffering from infirmity in the legs. Later on he came to know that the boy was the child of Ruma Guha Thakurta, the woman he was supposed to marry but could not marry due to different reasons. He even took the child to Kolkata to show him to his senior doctor played by Radha Mohan Bhattacharya who ultimately cured him. His ability to interact with the little child had created a lasting impact in the minds of cinematic audience. He did not win BFJA award for it.
He received the BFJA award for best performance in the film Kamal Lata. He played the role of a muslim poet depicted by writer Sarat Chandra Chatterji who had stayed in Baishnov Ashram and composed devotional songs. His association with one of the devotees played by Suchitra Sen compelled the other members from boycotting her from society. Uttam Kumar played the role of (Srikanto) Sarat Chandra Chatterij and he took Kamallata ( Suchitra Sen) from the place. Nirmal Kumar died at the end of then film. His lips in the song “o mo kokhon shuru” sung by Shaymal Mitra and composed by Robin Chatterji had touched the souls of the viewers of classic films. That was the only time Nirmal Kumar won a BFJA award.
His performance in the film Chaya Shurjo requires special mention. He played the role of the uncle of Sharmila Tagore who was disliked by all the family members and who lost his husband also due to illness. Nirmal Kumar was the poet in the film who was the silent observer of the ill-treatment towards the unfortunate girl in Partho Pratim Choudhury’s epic film. He did not win any award for the landmark performance. His other successful films include Upahaar, Kono Ekdin, Lal Pathor, Bishkonya, etc. In Kono Ekdin, he played the role of a wealthy person, who drove his own taxi in Kolkata and gathered diversified experiences of different persons who drove in his taxi. The role of a thoughtful observer did not earn him any award.
His soft style of performance in majority of films had touched the viewers and for those reasons his films should be preserved and restored.
