Agragami and Bengali films.

Agragami Film Sagarika.


Agragami and Bengali films.

In the 50s and 60s, in the list of eminent Bengali directors who had directed refined commercial films other than Ajoy Kar, Agradoot, the team of Agragami was the most prominent team of directors, led by the eminent personality Saroj Dey.
Saroj Dey was born in 1921. In 1956, Agragami directed Uttam Kumar Suchitra Sen’s super hit film Sagarika. The film again bolstered the bond of composer Robin Chatterjee, singer Sandhya Mukherjee and actress Suchitra Sen. All the songs in the film became super hit including Sandhya Mukherjee’s “sei to amar prothomo faguno bela”, “Alpona Banerjee’s “hridoy amar sundoro tobo paye”, Shyamal Mitra’s “amar sopne dekha rajkonya thake”, to name a few. In the same year, Agragami’s film Shilpi did excellent business. Uttam Kumar and Suchita Sen were outstanding in the film and the character artists Kamal Mitra, Asit Boron, and others amazed the viewers. Robin Chatterjee’s music was excellent with Dhananjoy Bhattacharya’s song “bondhu re” mesmerizing the audience.

From commercial films, Agragami started making realistic films in the mid-50s like Head Master and Dakharkora. In Head Master, legendary actor Chabi Biswas played the role of Head Master. He brought tears in the eyes of the viewers by depicting the life of a Head Master. Karuna Banerjee played the role of the wife of Chabi Biswas. Kali Banerjee in the film Dakharkora made the viewers spellbound with his rural performance. He played the role of a post-man in the film who travelled by bicycle and carried the postal documents to different destinations. Composer Sudhin Dasgupta was excellent in the film especially in Manna Dey’s song “ogo tomar shesh bicharer ashay” which was written by Tarashankar Banerjee. Sabitri Chatterjee did a great job in the film too.

After making successful films like Kanna, Nishithe in the mid-60s, Agragami again astonished the viewers with Uttam Kumar’s successful film Shankhabela. In the film the progress and decline of a high-earning personality played by Uttam Kumar was projected. His over-drinking habit led to separation with his wife Madhabi Mukherjee who lived with her small son alone. When the son fell ill, Bosonto Choudhury, the great doctor in the film treated him. Bosonto Choudhury helped in the re-union of Uttam Kumar with Madhabi Mukherjee over the recovery of their small child. The music of Sudhin Dasgupta was excellent once again with Manna Dey’s hit song “dekechi ke age ke diyeche sara”, “ami agantuk ami barta dilam” and Lata Mangeshkar’s brilliant song ‘aaj mon cheyeche ami hariye jabo”. Agragami’s film Bilombito Loy in 1970, with Uttam Kumar and Supriya Debi was also successful. Composer Nochiketa Ghosh’s music in the film was impressive.

Saroj Dey made the film Koni in the early 80s, in his own name by not using the banner of Agragami. There Soumitra Chatterjee played the role of trainer of swimming who groomed a female swimmer in Bengal. One article is too small to highlight the achievements of eminent director like Agragami. Articles after articles can be devoted to the genius director. His films and works should be preserved.

Sagarika was Agragami's masterpiece.

Sagarika was Agragami’s masterpiece.

Sagarika was one of the early films of Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen, which cemented their position in Tollygunge film industry and also displayed the directorial skills of Agragami. Agragami was mainly constituted by a number of directors, among whom Saroj Dey was the leading director.
The film was directed and released in 1956. In the film Uttam Kumar was a doctor who required the recommendation of Principal of Medical College played by Kamal Mitra to get scholarship to furnish post-graduate degree abroad. His poetry relating to Suchitra Sen, was copied by Namita Sinha. She showed it to Suchitra Sen who was also a medical student, who complained before Kamal Mitra and Uttam Kumar lost the recommendation.

He managed the passage money from Jahar Ganguly, who payed his uncle Pahari Sanyal the money and made arrangement to marry his daughter Jamuna Singha with Uttam Kumar after he returned back from abroad.

Namita Sinha later confessed to Suchitra Sen about her mischief and she repented about it. Jahar Ganguly brought Jamuna Singha to Suchitra Sen’s house to learn the city culture of Kolkata. Uttam Kumar while staying abroad, met with an accident and became partially blind before returning back to Kolkata.

His friend Jiben Bose who was a wealthy doctor gave him stay in his house during his treatment. Suchitra Sen treated him. At the end of the film when Uttam Kumar got his vision back through operation by an International doctor, Jamuna Singha was send to him. He recognized it was not Suchitra Sen and accepted Suchitra Sen as his wife.

The music composed by Robin Chatterjee played a great role in the success of the film. All the songs composed by Robin Chatterji in the film became super hit including Sandhya Mukherjee’s song “ei to amar prothomo faguna bela”, Shyamal Mitra’s song “amar sapne dekha rajkonya thake”, Alpona Banerjee’s song “hridoy amar sundoro tobo pay” to mention a few.

The film should be preserved and restored for the excellent direction of Agragami, and powerful performances of Uttam Kumar, Suchitra Sen, Jiben Bose, Jahar Ganguly, Pahari Sanyal and others.

Kali Banerjee was one of the most talented actors of golden age.

Kali Banerjee was one of the most talented actors of golden age.

Kali Banerjee was one of the most talented actors to grace the silver screen. Born in 1921, Kali Banerjee made his presence felt in Bengali films of the 50s, with impressive performance in the film Barjatri.

From that time he had acted in more than 200 films and every type of role possible at that time. He had been remembered for his epic performance in Agragami’s film Dakharkara in 1958. He was postman of a village and faced odds to convey letters, parcels telegrams to distant places. The last message he received was the message of death of his son who had joined the Indian armed forces , received a gold medal and died at the battle field. Tarashankar Banerjee’s classic literature was given adequate expression by Kali Banerjee.

He became the automatic choice of all the legendary directors of Bengal during the golden age. Hrithik Ghatak did cast him in his innovative film Ajantrik where he showed the abstract relationship of a man with a car. Mrinal Sen used him in his epic film Neel Akasher Neeche, where he played the role of a Chinese in Kolkata, who had left home to do business in the city. His emotional performances brought tears in the eyes of viewers. He was used by Satyajit Ray in his film Manihara and Parash Pathar, and he did a great job in both the films. He was used by Tapan Sinha in the film Arohi, where he played the role of a compounder who gave all his earnings for the higher education of the doctor’s son. The doctor was played by Bikash Roy and Kali Banerjee’s relationship with him amazed the viewers. The film was remade in hindi where Sanjeev Kumar played the role played by Kali Banerjee. He did a great job in Tarun Majumdar’s Dadar Kirti.

He also played significant roles in the commercial films dominated by superstar Uttam Kumar. He played the role of automobile engineer in Uttam Kumar’s film Sonar Harin. He played the role of a villain in Uttam Kumar’s film Kokhono Megh. He also played character roles in Uttam Kumar’s films Shilpi, Surjo Toron, etc.

The modern generation remembers him for his brilliant performance in Anjan Choudhury’s film Guru Dakhhina in 1986. He played the role of music teacher of hero Tapas Pal who took the Guru Dakkhina under pressure of not allowing him to sing. But he took it back at the end of the film when Tapas Pal sang. He acted in bollywood films as well, including Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s film Bawarchi, which was the hindi remake of Tapan Sinha’s film Golpo Holeo Satti.

He also acted in many plays which were hosted in landmark halls in Kolkata including Arogyo Niketan, Khuda, etc. Most of these plays were made into films, but Kali Banerjee’s performances did outcast of the performances of the actors in the films.

He had the same style of acting gharana which was there in bollywood actor Sanjeev Kumar. He was cast in multifarious roles and still remains one of the most versatile actors of all times. His films and other works should be preserved.

Bosonto Choudhury superseded Uttam Kumar in Shankhabela.

Bosonto Choudhury superseded Uttam Kumar in Shankhabela.

Bosonto Choudhury superseded Uttam Kumar in Agragami’s epic film Shankhobela. The film was released in the year 1966 and ended up being a blockbuster.

There was lot of history behind the film. Sudhin Dasgupta, the composer of music in the film for the first time used Manna Dey to sing for Bengali superstar Uttam Kumar. All the songs in the film sung by Manna Dey and Lata Mangeshkar became super hit. Some of them included “ke pratham kache esechi”, picturised in the romantic scenario of Maithon amidst river Damodar, “ami agantuk ami barta dilaam”, “aaj mon cheyeche ami hariye jabo”, to name a few.

As far as Bosonto Choudhury was concerned, he was one of the competitors of Uttam Kumar other than Bikash Roy and Astiboron, who had started their careers with Uttam Kumar. Bosonto Choudhury acted in lesser number of films, as he only signed those films which suited his culture, aristocracy and education. Therefore from his first film Mahaprashthaner Pothe, his performance in noted films used to depict aristocracy legacy of Bengal that was left behind by Chabi Biswas.

In Shonkhobela, he played the role of the doctor, who treated Uttam Kumar’s son, after Uttam Kumar left his Madhabi. Madhabi could not compromise with Uttam Kumar’s fast life, full of parties and hard drinks, which was necessary for the success of his marketing career. She left the house of Uttam Kumar and worked in a school to upbring her child.

Bosonto Choudhury showed compassion to Madhabi, and understood her social standing while treating the child. The story of her life was told to him by his assistant played by Mrinal. The child had to be treated and operation had to be carried out which the signing of bond by the guardian. Bosonto Choudhury compelled the father of the child Uttam Kumar to come and sign the bond.

He scolded Uttam Kumar for remaining carefree about his son who was terribly sick. Bosonto Choudhury’s astounding personality in the film brought back the marital peace of Uttam Kumar and Madhabi Muherjee who stayed separately after the differences were made.

The viewers appreciated Uttam Kumar’s brilliant performance in the role of a romantic husband which he depicted with highest amount of maturity. Uttam Kumar’s romantic style of performance had always created a benchmark in the world of romantic acting and that was the reason why Oscar Winning director Satyajit Ray had considered Uttam Kumar as the greatest matinee idol, fulfilling the aspirations of numerous middle-class Indians. But some way down the line, Bosonto Chouhdury superseded Uttam Kumar with his aristocrat performance and at the end of the film received higher accolades from the critics and educated section of the society. Both Uttam Kumar and Bosonto Choudhury had immense contribution in Bengali classic films, and their space had remained empty after 50 years of the completion of the films. For those reasons Shonkhobela should be preserved and restored.