Bengali actress Rituparna Sengupta has expressed happiness over the year-long celebrations marking the birth centenary of legendary actor Uttam Kumar, praising both West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for honouring the iconic star.
Speaking to the media, Rituparna described Uttam Kumar as an actor who transcended regional boundaries and earned recognition at the national and international level.
She particularly welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tribute to Uttam Kumar on social media, saying the legendary actor belonged not only to Bengal but to the entire nation.
“Today, I am very happy to celebrate Uttam Kumar’s centenary. Our Chief Minister has given such a grand inauguration. I am very happy. I am very happy to think that our Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, tweeted about Uttam Kumar early in the morning. Uttam Kumar is not only ours; he belongs to the nation. He is a national figure, an international personality,” Rituparna said.
She added, “We have always celebrated Uttam Kumar. Our Chief Minister has given such a grand inauguration. I am very happy. We are all celebrating Uttam Kumar throughout the year.”
Prime Minister Modi also paid tribute to Uttam Kumar, remembering him as a timeless figure whose performances continue to connect with audiences across generations. He shared a clip from his Mann Ki Baat address aired the previous Sunday, in which he spoke about the actor’s enduring contribution to Indian cinema.
In his post on X, the Prime Minister described Uttam Kumar as a legend whose timeless performances continue to resonate across generations.
In the clip, Modi highlighted the actor’s perseverance, saying, “His life offers another great lesson: never give up.” He noted that although Uttam Kumar’s early films did not perform well, he remained focused on his work, and his dedication eventually helped him reach great heights.
Uttam Kumar was born on September 3, 1926, as Arun Kumar Chattopadhyay. He died on July 24, 1980, aged 53.