Dilip Kumar

Dilip Kumar – the greatest tragedian of golden age of bollywood films.

Yusuf Khan, better known as Dilip Kumar is one of the greatest legends who had glorified the golden age of bollywood films with his everlasting appeal as a tragedian. Being one of the most popular actors for the last last six decades both in India and Pakistan, much had been said about the grand icon of hindi cinema. What has not been said is that there are few personalities in the film world whose performances are so effortless and natural that it is a wonder how can real life characters be provided living identity with such ease, the way Dilip Kumar had done.

Born in December 11, 1922, in Peshawar, he had seen the transformation phase of hindi cinema during the pre-independence and post-independence period. His films in the 40s starting from Jowar Bhatta in 1944 and including Jugnu, Azaad, etc. showed that he possessed inherent acting skills which got immense exposure in the 1949 blockbuster of Mehboob Khan titled Andaz, where the other notable personality named Raj Kapoor faced Dilip Kumar. Dilip Kumar’s path of sacrifice in triangular affair-based films became a hall mark for other notable actors in the later years and at the end of the film he won all the sympathy of the audience who considered him as deserving Nargis equally like Raj Kapoor.



His films in the early 50s titled Aan (the first coloured film in India) opposite Nadira, Deedar, Babul, etc., had diverse subjects. But he formed a very successful pair with Madhubala, one of the most glamourous actresses in the golden age of hindi cinema, and the tragic-oriented roles in Tarana, 1950, Sangdil, 1951, Amar, 1954, provided him the title of tragedy king where the audience had identified themselves within the romantic characters of Dilip Kumar and Madhubala.

In the mean time, Dilip Kumar created a hat trick by winning filmfare awards one of the other in 1956, 57, 58, for the films Azaad, Devdas and Naya Daur. Devdas probably provided Dilip Kumar the everlasting identity of the tragic hero whose romance never blossoms into successful destinations and the failure haunts him throughout his life. Sarat Chandra Chatterji’s epic literature depicted him as the Bengali Brahmin who falls in love with Parbati a neighbouring girl, who could not cross the social barriers and were married to a wealthy family in the same village. Devdas accompanied Chunnilas played by Motilal and went to a Kotha where alcohol and the company of Chandramukhi acted as the sedative which could enable Devdas to forget his unsuccessful romance. The unfettered consumption of alcohol led to his death and he died in front of the house of Parbati. The feeling of a frustrated person, who is almost at the verge of death, who cannot breath due to failure of health is very difficult to portray which Dilip Kumar had done in an extraordinary manner. Talat Mehmood’s song titled “Mitwa” which was played when Dilip Kumar’s body was lying on the ground created pensive and sombre mood for all sections of the society. The film has been remade a number of times, but still Dilip Kumar’s appeal is everlasting even after 50 years of the release of the film.


His tragic oriented roles also include Daag, Footpath, Uran Khatola, Yahudi, had created an immortal appeal in the minds of numerous filmlovers across country where Talat’s song “Koi Nahi mera is duniya me”, Rafi’s song “woh dur ke musafir humko bhi saath lele re”, Mukesh’s song “yeh mera diwanapan hai” brought tears in the eyes of the audience. The tragic stories followed in Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Musafir, 1957, and Bimal Roy’s Madhumati, 1958. Dilip Kumar almost penetrated the soul of the characters he used to display and the doctor advised him to stop acting in these types of films as his health was getting affected due to them.

Dilip Kumar switched over to comedy based films and music oriented films and his performance in Kohinoor opposite Meena Kumari, 1960, and Mughal –i-azam opposite Madhubala, received critics acclamation. His lips in Rafi’s songs “Madhuban me radhika nache re”, “do sitaron ka zameen par hai Milan aaj ki raat” showed the other dimension that he had extraordinary command over classical music.

He started his production in 1961, with the film Gunga Jumna, opposite Vaijayantimala and there too he mesmerised the audience in a role of a dacoit and acting with Bhojpuri accent. The following years provided Dilip Kumar’s epic performances in coloured films with strong musical background like Leader, 1964, and films opposite Wahida Rehman including Ram Aur Shyam, 1966, Dil Diya Dard Liya, 1966, and Aadmi, 1967. the combination of Rafi, Naushad and Dilip Kumar was bolstered in all these films with songs like “teri husn ka kya tareef karoon”, “aaj ki raat mere dilki salami lele”,“ koi sagar dil ko behlata nahi”, “ aaj purani raho se koi mujhe awaaz na de”. The double role of Dilip Kumar in Ram Aur Shyam, showed all the elements of a successful matinee idol including innocence in the role of Ram, fighting skills in the role of Shyam, choreographic skills and romantic skills. The success stories of jubileekumar Rajender Kumar in that decade and other young actors did not create any impact on Dilip Kumar’s domination in hindi films as he became a legendary star.

Dilip Kumar was admired by Bengali Directors during an age when Bengali Film industry in Tollygunge also reached its zenith in the 50s and 60s. His performance as a jailor in the film Paari and a trade union leader in Tapan Sinha’s “Sagina Mahato” opposite Saira Banu, which was remade in hindi, requires special mention because he spoke in broken Bengali the way the tribal and hilly people speak in the hilly regions of West Bengal.

In the 80s when Amitabh Bachhan dominated Bollywood with his angry young man image, Dilip Kumar’s exhibition of personality in films like Shakti, 1982, Mashal, 1984, Karma, 1986, etc, with his soft style of dialogue delivery showed the audience of the new generation that his style is unparallel in different ages. His running with a private car in the film Mashal, when Wahida Rehman died with the dialogue “koi hai” is a performance which neither can be learnt, nor can be imitated. He received 8 filmfare awards as best actor, Dada Saheb Falke Award for his life time contribution to hindi films and “Nishan-i-imtiaz”, the greatest civilian award of Pakistan after Morarji Desai, India’s Ex-Prime Minister. He did not learn acting from Pune Institute or Delhi School of Drama from where modern giants of bollywood like Om Puri, Nasiruddin Shah have come. One of the great aspect of Dilip Kumar lies in his understanding of the characters which he depicted which led to natural performances. An archive should be created where the immortal works of Dilip Kumar can be restored for future generations to cherish for generations and generations.

Tapan Sinha

Tapan Sinha – the Creative Genius of Bengali Classical Cinema.

Tapan Sinha can be considered as the most dynamic creator of Bengali films after Satyajit Ray, who had glorified the Bengali golden age of Classical cinema with his outstanding vision. Being a legendary figure of the 50s, 60s and 70s, much have been written about the maestro whose significant films can be considered as masterpieces. What has not been written is that the standard of excellence he had created in those films cannot be replicated in hindi or any other regional films.

Firstly Tapan Sinha was fond of Classical literature and as such in his films the characters from the popular novels and short stories became lively in blood and flesh in celluloid. He made Kabuliwala based on Tagore’s epic short story, in 1957, which was astonishing for the viewers. Chabi Biswas, the greatest actor ever, to grace Bengali screen, mesmerised the audience with his dynamic performance of an Afghan character Rahmat. Chabi Biswas met few Afghans who sell mewa, peshta in the streets in Kolkata, personally to personify their characteristics in the role. Tinku Thakur, who played the role of the little girl Mini, was the best child artist ever to appear in Bengali films and the entire credit goes to Tapan Sinha for choosing her. Radha Mohan Bhattacharya was a grand scholar and his literary skills were synchronised with the role of Mini’s father who was a novelist in Tagore’s story. Manju Dey, the mother of Mini, was probably the most powerful character artist in the 50s, and she never looked like acting, every gesture of her seemed natural. Tapan Sinha’s script was outstanding by every standard. The film got national and international awards.



Tapan Sinha continued with his picturisation of classical literature in the following years. His brilliant film Louha Kapat was based on Jorasondho’s epic novel, which dealt with his experiences of different prisoners which he witnessed as a Jailor. The central character was played brilliantly by Nirmal Kumar whose poetic eyes showed the expression of observer. Chabi Biswas was again majestic in his notable role. Kali Banerjee’s performance as was one of the prisoners who was convicted for murder charge requires special mention. There were so many characters, out of which, Tapan Sinha picked up few and did not change the flow of literature in the novel. The other film Khoniker Atithi speaking about a handicapped boy who was cured by Nirmal Kumar, a doctor, who was compassionate about the mother of the child who was widow (played by Ruma Guha Thakurada), in the entire film, merged the pathos of the story with the elegance of camerawork.

In 1961, Tapan Sinha, came up with Bengali version of Hollywood film Prisoner of Zenda, titled Jhinder Bandi, it was related to a story of two twin brothers, with one of them, Shankar Narayan Singh, the king of Jhind, being kidnapped by his other brother and later freed by the twin brother. Uttamkumar, the dynamic personality of Bengali films, played a double role in the film, exhibiting the royal andaz of the historical character in the film, including sword fighting with anti-hero Soumitra Chatterji. The shooting of the film in the mountains and the lake palace required extraordinary skill. Radhamohan Bhattacharya showed the dignified personality of a Diwan who was the protector of the state and Tapan’s Sinha’s faith in his casting was bolstered by his brilliant display of royal character. Tapan Sinha’s wife Arundhuti Debi, was aristocrat in real life with her Rabindrik education of Shantiniketan and it helped her to display the role of the queen in the film who previously gave a life time performance in Tapan Sinha’s Khudito Pashan based on Tagore’s classic literature.

In 1963, Tapan Sinha, created Nirjan Saikate, a film showing the tragic story of 5 widows who came on a pilgrimage to the holy place at Puri. Anil Chatterjee, one of the other dynamic actors of Bengali cinema, played the role of the observer who went to Puri, and by acknowledging the rich sculptures of Sun Temple in Konark, convinced Sharmila Tagore, that the work of art of the unknown artists depict the fact, life is precious and human beings are expected to utilise their life for some immortal work by rising above their personal sorrow, sniffles, etc. The film received President’s gold medal, and significantly all the widows, five of them, Chaya Devi, Renuka Devi, Bharati Devi, Sharmila Tagore and Ruma Guha Thakurta received national award in that year, which has happened only once in the history of Indian cinema.

In 1964, Uttamkumar produced Jatugriha, based on the story of Subodh Ghose which was directed by Tapan Sinha. The film displayed the complexity of a rich couple living in Kolkata who did not have children with Arundhuti Debi playing the role of the wife who could not bear a child in her life. Significantly both Uttamkumar and Arundhuti Debi loved children a lot and the incapability led to domestic unhappiness which ultimately led to separation. The ending of the film was significant as both Uttamkumar and Arundhuti Debi rode on two trains which crossed each other in opposite directions. In their separation also both the husband and wife had mutual respect for each other. It can be classified as one of the most thoughtful cinema made by Tapan Sinha. In the following year Tapan Sinha made Atithi, based on Tagore’s story talking about the life of a bohemian character who travelled from one village to another whose mind never settled in one place.

Tapan Sinha also made Hate Bajare, where Ashok Kumar (Dadamoni) played the role of a village doctor who witnessed the tragic conditions of villagers who were subject to backwardness and oppression by the middlemen. Dilip Kumar gave a life time performance in Tapan Sinha’s Sagina Mahato, where a trade union leader was utilised for own benefit by the political forces of the region and exploited to the fullest extent. Anil Chatterji, the political activist countered Dilip Kumar in the tassel of muscle power in the film.

Tapan Sinha was a source of inspiration for film directors in Bombay to make realistic films. His film Kabuliwala was remade in hindi by Bimal Roy, with Balraj Sahani playing the role of Kabuliwala. His film Golpo holey Satti, 1966, was made in hindi by Rishikesh Mukherjee tilled Bawarchi in 1972. Tapan Sinha made a hindi version of Sagina in 1974, with Dilip Kumar playing the same role. Tapan Sinha’s Arohi, was picturised in hindi with the title Arjun Pandit, where Sanjeev Kumar played the central character which was played by Kali Banerjee in the Bengali film.

Tapan Sinha even depicted the naxalite movement in the films Ekhoni, Aponjon, in the 1970s and local unrest in the late 80s in films like Atonko, Antardhan, etc. The distinctive feature of Tapan Sinha’s films include, strong script, powerful story telling and superlative use of theme music. He chose locations which were romantic, picturesque and were colourful even during the black and white era which justified the depiction of the story. It is difficult to describe the immortal work of Tapan Sinha in a small article as he made around 35 films in a span of 40 years and each of the works can be scanned for cinematic, poetic and musical value. An archive should be created to preserve the works of Tapan Sinha for the film makers of present generation to learn to use classic literature to reach the message of the literary giants to the people at large.

Ajoy Kar

Ajoy Kar – The genius of camera, lighting and path-breaker in Bengali Cine-classics.

Ajoy Kar emerged in the Bengali film arena at a period when celluloid was at the stage of transformation from talkies era to studio based feature films. Studios were not developed to that extent and there was hardly any evidence of outdoor shootings taking place in the mid-40s. Ajoy Kar initially relied on popular stories like Bhraman Kanya, Bamuner Meye, etc., in the 40s with Shahar Theke Durey, with Jahar Ganguly making a mark in the minds film lovers of Bengal. His adapatation of Sarat Chandra Chatterjee’s tragic story Mejdidi, in 1950, showed the skills of powerful script and elegant story-telling with Kanon Devi showing her depth of acting and understanding the leading character termed mejdidi with her compassionate andaz.



But the critics in Bengal were shaken up with Ajoy Kar’s dynamic crime thriller Jighansa, in 1951. The story was based on Arthur Conan Doyle’s Suspense thriller, The Hound of Baskervilles where Sherlock Holmes and Watson were involved in solving a murder mystery. The role of the detective was played by Sishir Battobyal with Manju Dey playing a ghostly character with her eloquent skills and natural splendour. Bikash Roy, was given a different dimension as one of the relatives of the princely estate, who was deprived of real property of the royal family and took revenge by killing each of the new predecessors of the royal family. He stayed in the neighbourhood in the disguise of a Botanist and was ultimately killed by the detective in the story before he could commit another murder. Ajoy Kar’s casting of the leading characters was as outstanding as the supporting casts, example being Metro Cinema’s gatekeeper (tall, lanky and fearsome) who was employed to kill the prince ( Biren Chatterjee) in the film. The hindi version of the film Bees Saal Bad, made in 1961 could not create the same fearsome impact as that of Jighansa.

After creating Darpachurna, Grihaprabesh with Uttamkumar and Suchitra Sen, Ajoy Kar took up the challenge of picturising Shyamali in 1956. Shyamali was the story of a deaf and dumb girl who was married to Uttamkumar, and was not accepted by his mother Malina Devi. At the end of the film Uttamkumar becomes successful to convince her mother that as he was lawfully married to the deaf and dumb girl and the marriage was solemnised according toHindu religious rites and ceremonies, she has to accept her as his wife and fill up her disability with love and compassion. As Shyamali was played in Star Theatre in Kolkata for five years with Sabitri Chatterjee, providing an outstanding performance in the role of Shyamali in stage, it was a big risk in picturising the story in a film. Ajoy Kar’s story-telling and a different casting (Kaberi Bose played the role of Shyamali in the film), had been successful to receive critic’s acclamation. Sarat Chandra Chatterji’s Bardidi was also picturised by Ajoy Kar with Uttam Kumar and Sandharani adjusting themselves to the rural characters and showing the softness of mind of villagers of Bengal in that era.

Ajoy Kar’ grand blockbuster came in 1957 with Harano Sur. If any director had made the best use of Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen, the legendary pair who had ruled the golden age of Bengali Cinema, then it was Ajoy Kar himself. Uttam Kumar launched himself as producer with story depicting the lost memory of an industrialist in Kolkata who suffered a railway accident, who was treated by a Doctor in Palaspur, and was married to the Doctor, but another accident brought back his old memory leaving aside the events that happened in between. Suchitra Sen had to work in the house of Uttamkumar as a governess of his nephew and through the missing note sung a number of times brought back his memory. Firstly, such an innovative type of idea was not presented in Bengali films before Ajoy Kar. Secondly just like Franz Beckenbauer was called the Kaiser, emperor in German football, Ajoy Kar could be termed as Kaiser of camera, as his naming of the film starts with words floating on the ripples and waves of water. Besides his presentation of Suchitra Sen, was classic in the film, because nobody in Uttamkumar’s family knew about Suchitra Sen’s (his character was Rama in the film) relation with Uttamkumar and as such rebuked her at different times, and she inspite of being a doctor was submissive at every moment of the film, digesting the insulting words hurled at her with calmness and composure. Besides, her glamour was utilised by Ajoy Kar to his fullest capability in the film.

After being successful with Khelaghar in 1959, Ajoy Kar, made his next masterpiece Suno Boro Nari, in 1960. The film depicting Subodh Ghosh’s literature was based on the tragic tale of a Professor of Bengali University (played by Uttam Kumar) who loved a rich student who defied him and led him to leave the place where he started his new life as a homeopathy doctor who used to reach women from one part of the country to the other in trains for security and other reasons. The daughter of Charu Ray (majestic barrister played by Chabi Biswas) fell in love with this person while he reached her to Patna from Giridih. At the end of the film this girl rejects the relation with a rich materialist person and embraced the middleclass professor against the wishes of her parents. Most of the film was depicted through train journey and at the end of the film when Chabi Biswas asked Uttamkumar to leave Giridih, he was in the train when Supriya Debi, the daughter of Chabi Biswas meets him in the train after leaving her house, property, pomp, grandier, etc. The literary value of Subodh Ghosh was matched by Ajoy Kar’s strong script and Uttam Kumar’s superlative performance.

Ajoy Kar was in the march for excelling himself and made the greatest blockbuster in Bengali film history with Saptapadi, in 1961. It was Uttam Kumar production again. The story written by Tarashankar Bandhopadhay depicted a medical student played by Uttam Kumar falling in love with an Anglo girl Rina Brown (played by Suchitra Sen). Uttam Kumar’s father Chabi Biswas, being an orthodox Hindu Brahmin could not accept a Hindu marrying a Christian and begged his son before Rina Brown. Rina Brown sacrificed her love and Uttam Kumar after converting himself into a Christian dedicated his life as a doctor who helped the victims of second world war which took place at that time. At the end of the film, Chabi Biswas realised that human attachment cannot be obstructed with the barriers of religion and glorified the sacrifice of Rina Brown. Uttam Kumar treated Rina Brown after she was severely injured by bomb blast. Romance was given a different dimension by Ajoy Kar in Saptabadi which can be categorised as one of the most refined cine-classic created during the golden age. The Shakespearean play Othello picturised in the film acted out by Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen and the playback provided by Utpal Dutta and Jennifer Kapoor was another grand creation in the same film. Uttam Kumar’s make up with beard in the role of the Christian doctor who had renounced desires, is probably the best make up ever given to Uttam Kumar in his life. Suchitra Sen’s performance and Chabi Biswas’s acting was as majestic as the dynamic camera work in the film.

After making Atol Jaler Aohan, Ajoy Kar created Sat Pake Bandha, in 1963, showing the adjustments of Suchitra Sen as a daughter of a rich family, whose marital life was ruined by the undue interference of her mother in the affairs of his middle class husband who was an academician. The personality of the husband (played by Soumitra Chatterjee) was shaken up with the insulting demeanour of his mother-in-law played by Chaya Debi and Suchitra Sen’s struggle for persuading her mother and convincing her husband failed as her husband never tried to show any adjustment. Suchitra Sen received best actress award in Moscow film festival and created an everlasting impact in the minds of film lovers across the country. The hindi version of the same film Kora Kagaz could not create the same impact where Jaya Bacchan played Suchitra Sen’s role.

The other notable films of Ajoy Kar include Kach Kata Hire, Dutta, Kayahiner Kahini, Parineeta, etc. Ajoy Kar trained a number of film –makers in the Film Institute of Pune in early 70s. As the neo-realistic film movement initiated by Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak diverted the focus of critics towards parallel cinema during the golden age, Ajoy Kar did not receive the recognition he deserved. He is the most unsung, unlamented, unrecognised director ever to grace Bengali cinema inspite of providing a new expression to plutonic affairs and nurturing the talents of Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen who had brought colour in the black and white classics which have become immortal with passage of time. Ajoy Kar’s works should be preserved in an archive where new generation of film makers can learn how to develop a story base with powerful screenplay, excellent camera work, accurate casting and stylish effects.