
A Closer Look at Bengali Superstar Uttam Kumar
February 26, 2018
Film scholar Meheli Sen discusses the particular qualities that made Bengali actor Uttam Kumar a star and the perfect leading man for Satyajit Ray’s The Hero. Read more »
In this psychologically rich character study, written and directed by Satyajit Ray, Bengali film star Uttam Kumar draws on his real-world celebrity to play Arindam Mukherjee, a matinee idol on the brink of his first flop. When Mukherjee boards an overnight train to Delhi to accept an award, a journalist (Sharmila Tagore) approaches him seeking an exclusive interview, which initiates a conversation that sends the actor reeling down a path of self-examination. Seamlessly integrating rueful flashbacks and surreal dream sequences with the quietly revelatory stories of the train’s other passengers, The Hero is a graceful meditation on art, fame, and regret from one of world cinema’s most keenly perceptive filmmakers.
Arindam Mukherjee | Uttam Kumar |
Aditi Sengupta | Sharmila Tagore |
Mukunda Lahiri | Bireswar Sen |
Shankar | Somen Bose |
Jyoti, Arindam’s manager | Nirmal Ghosh |
Biresh | Premangshu Bose |
Promila Chatterjee | Sumita Sanyal |
Mr. Bose | Ranjit Sen |
Manorama, Bose’s wife | Bharati Devi |
Bulbul, the Boses’ daughter | Lali Chowdhury |
Pritish Sarkar | Kamu Mukherjee |
Molly, Sarkar’s wife | Susmita Mukherjee |
Mr. Ajoy | Subrata Sen Sharma |
Sefalika, Ajoy’s wife | Jamuna Sinha |
Hiralal, film producer | Kamal Misra |
Mr. Chatterjee, elderly journalist | Jogesh Chatterjee |
Swami | Satya Banerjee |
Conductor | Gopal Dey |
Director | Satyajit Ray |
Producers | R. D. Bansal and Sharankumari Bansal |
Screenplay | Satyajit Ray |
Cinematography | Subrata Mitra |
Editor | Dulal Dutta |
Art director | Bansi Chandragupta |
Music | Satyajit Ray |
Sound | Nripen Paul, Atul Chatterjee and Sujit Sarkar |
February 26, 2018
Film scholar Meheli Sen discusses the particular qualities that made Bengali actor Uttam Kumar a star and the perfect leading man for Satyajit Ray’s The Hero. Read more »
By
February 22, 2018Bengali cinema icon Uttam Kumar stars as a matinee idol on the brink of failure in this deeply introspective meditation on art and fame. Read more »
By
February 22, 2018Bengali cinema icon Uttam Kumar stars as a matinee idol on the brink of failure in this deeply introspective meditation on art and fame. Read more »
February 26, 2018
Film scholar Meheli Sen discusses the particular qualities that made Bengali actor Uttam Kumar a star and the perfect leading man for Satyajit Ray’s The Hero. Read more »
By
February 22, 2018Bengali cinema icon Uttam Kumar stars as a matinee idol on the brink of failure in this deeply introspective meditation on art and fame. Read more »