From Ray's Alter Ego to Cultural Icon

The writing traces the life and career of Soumitra Chatterjee, one of Bengal's greatest actors.

- By Shevlin Sebastian

But it was not always an idyllic life. He saw some tragedies firsthand. During the Bengal Famine of 1943, in which 30 lakh people died, Soumitra recalled the unbearable stench of dead bodies piling up on the streets in Krishnanagar.

As he grew up and got a job at All India Radio, he was always keen to embark on an acting career. His life changed when, one day, while recuperating at home from chickenpox, Satyajit Ray's assistant Subir Hazra told him the maestro wanted to meet him. When Soumitra stepped into Ray's house, the latter said, 'There you are; please come in. But everything seems fine. I don't see any marks on your face. Someone was saying you had developed pockmarks. This is nothing. It should be fine.'

The result: Soumitra was cast as the lead in Apur Sansar.