Soumitra Chatterjee

Soumitra Chatterjee was an Indian actor, poet, and playwright who worked predominantly in the Bengali film industry. He had one of the longest careers as an artist. He worked closely with the legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray. He received several awards, including the Padma Bhushan.

Soumitra Chatterjee Biography

Name	Soumitra Chatterjee
Date of Birth	19 January 1935
Place of Birth	Kolkata, West Bengal, India
Date of Death	15 November 2020 (aged 85)
Place of Death	Kolkata, West Bengal, India
Mother	Sitalakshmi Devi
Father	Sasthi Charan Chattopadhyay
Siblings	2
Spouse	Deepa Chatterjee (m. 1960)​
Education	City College, Kolkata
Occupation	Actor, poet, and playwright
Awards	Padma Bhushan (2004), Padma Vibhushan (2021), Dadasaheb Phalke Award (2012)

Early life and education

Soumitra Chatterjee was born on 19 January 1935 in Krishnanagar, Nadia district, in West Bengal. His father was a lawyer, and his mother was a homemaker. He grew up in Krishnanagar, where he studied in C.M.S. St. John’s High School.

The town he grew up in had the influence of playwright Dwijendralal Ray, and theatre was quite popular; his grandfather was the president of an acting group, and his father was an amateur actor. Just like his family, he developed an interest towards acting and performing in theatre.

His family shifted to Howrah, where he attended Howrah Zilla School and graduated from City College, Kolkata, with honours in Bengali literature. He went on to complete his M.A. in Bengali from the University of Calcutta.

He learnt acting while being a student under the direction of Bengali theatre Ahindra Choudhury. Sisir Bhaduri was one of his mentors as well. He made up his mind to become an actor after watching his play.

Debut and Career

In 1959, he made his debut in Satyajit Ray's Apur Sansar, playing the iconic role of Apu. One of the iconic Bengali films that remains the standard film of Indian cinema.

He worked in 14 films directed and written by Satyajit Ray, including Charulata, Devi, Abhijan, Sonar Kella, Joi Baba Felunath, Hirak Rajar Deshe, and Ghare Baire.

His career spanned six decades, and he became one of the most popular actors of his time. He not only focused on his acting in films but also continued with his foundation, which was theatres. His production "Naam Jiban" performed across the state. Soumitra chatterjee wrote many poems and dedicated his life to art.

Death

Soumitra Chatterjee died on 15 November 2020 in Kolkata, due to COVID-19, after being hospitalised for several weeks.

Awards

His contribution to Indian cinema and art earned him prestigious awards.

• Padma Bhushan (2004)
• Padma Vibhushan (2021, posthumous)
• Dadasaheb Phalke Award (2012) – India’s highest award in cinema
• National Film Awards (multiple)
• Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (France)