Death Anniversary Special! Remembering the ‘thinking man’s actor Utpal Dutt

Today marks the 26^th death anniversary of Utpal Dutt (29 March 1929–19 August 1993), a successful actor, director, writer-playwright, and theatre-activist who remained a radical figure in Bengali theatre and Indian cinema for more than 40 years. On the acting legends death anniversary we take a look at some of the interesting facts about Utpal Dutt.

His entry into cinema was more by chance than a deliberate choice. When Shakespearana International Theatre Company decided to leave India, Utpal Dutt’s troupe was still performing English plays. When they were performing Othello, the noted filmmaker Madhu Bose came to watch the performance. He was then looking for a male lead for his film based on the life of Michael Madhusudan Dutt. Impressed by Utpal Dutt’s interpretation of Othello, Bose then offered him the role. Dutt was also looking for an opportunity to widen his acting canvas then seeking fresh pastures so he happily accepted the offer. This was the start of a long career enriched with a thick portfolio of films in both Hindi and Bengali.

Mrinal Sen roped in Utpal Dutt to play the male lead opposite Suhasini Mulay (television actress and interestingly Aamir Khan’s mother in ‘Lagaan’) in his national award-winning film ‘Bhuvan Shom’. The 1969 film is regarded as the trend-setter of New Wave Cinema. It was based on a story by noted Bengali writer Banaphool. Dutt played the role of a high ranking officer of Indian Railway who falls for his subordinate staff.

Utpal Dutt’s debut Hindi film was not ‘Guddi’ but ‘Saat Hindusthani’ directed by K. A. Abbas. Only a few people know it was also Amitabh Bachchan's first film (made in 1969). Utpal Dutt was seen as a Punjabi Sikh military person while Amitabh played an untouchable mystery man. The film was based on Goa Liberation. The seven Hindusthanis stood in a body iconizing national integration and they held the common goal. The seven ethnic classes grouped together also symbolized the Nation as a whole.

Utpal Dutt stepped into the world of English theatre when he was a student at St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata. He joined Geoffrey Kendal’s Shakespeareana Company and went on to tour extensively from 1947 to 195353. The common man’s thinking actor then founded the Little Theatre Group initially producing English plays. Later, he started to stage Bengali plays like Kollol, Angar and Tiner Talwar without which the annals of Indian Theatre will always remain incomplete. Not only Bengali and English, but Utpal Dutt also used to speak German, Spanish and Latin at home as well.

The black and white film was entirely shot in the desert area of Rajasthan and K. K. Mahajan’s camera-work was unmatchable. Utpal Dutt was also unparalleled in his stereo-comic avatar, particularly, when he is in a hunting trip and ends up with no hunt. But, ironically the explorer Shom shaheb(Utpal Dutt) manages to explore the wretched life suffered by his subordinate whom he had suspended once. Shom also unearths the virtue of humanity, neither diminished nor cloyed by the struggles for existence. The Mrinal Sen film is no doubt a document of true humanity.