The day I met Uttam Kumar
Yes, I ACTUALLY met the guy!
Only my height was then about 3 feet, barely reached his waist.
And I was all of 8 years old!
In all of my 55-plus years I never talked about this, because, number one: This is a very, very personal experience for me that I never wanted to share. Until now.
And number two: I am sharing this today as the memory of it has been growing big, huge, GIANT inside me so much that I felt myself screaming from within, “Oh shi*! I ACTUALLY met this guy?”
The year was 1975, and the gigantic “UK” was shooting for his film, ‘Bonhishikha’, in my dad’s office. That’s right. My dad’s a Chartered Accountant and was the the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in Kankaria Jute Mills headquarters in Dalhousie, Kolkata, where Mr Uttam Kumar was shooting for this particular scene below. I obviously don’t remember why this venue was chosen; probably because Mr Kankaria was one of the film’s producers.
My mom, in all obviousness, was his huge fan, and had coerced my dad to be at his office to see the filming. I was picked up from school, and was in my school uniform, had some snacks, (maybe patties, which was the ultimate fast food then for kids) and lying flat on my dad’s giant office desk with my shoes and socks on, munching on the patty, toggling, knees bent, and staring alternately at the white lovely ceiling, and the two land phones on the desk: one white “hot line” and one red. We never had phones at home, and I was extremely excited to see two different colored phones on my dad’s office desk! There were no files on the desk, I remember. Obviously, no one was working that day.
But I had been given a huge undertaking, the significance of which I had no clue of. I was assigned to take that GREAT MAN’s autograph on behalf of my mom, since she was too shy, and too “married” to do so. And she also was the CFO’s wife!
Those were the times!
So, with a pen and a sheet of paper I approached this plump, extremely fair man, sitting on a chair, as a make-up man was sticking a false beard on his face. I disliked HIM right away. As soon as the crew spotted me, they rushed in, “No no, Dada is in the mood, please don’t come near him!” They led me away.
I felt relieved and went back to toggling on the desk. Until the great moment arrived and THE MAN was now getting ready for his shot. My mom pulled me off the desk and whispered, “Go ! Go!” Diligently picking up the pen and paper, I was shocked to see the fat MAN now was holding a gun in his hand!
Standing about a meter from where Uttam Kumar stood, and realizing that the camera was almost ready to roll and that there won’t be another chance, my Mom pushed me hard towards HIM, and I found myself stumbling on to right beside HIS long legs. I looked up at him and mouthed the much-rehearsed words mechanically, “Autograph please”.
The MAN looked down at me with a stoic face. What I didn’t realize then is that HE had already seeped into his character of a villain, and he didn’t change his expression when looking at this small, cute girl. He scratched HIS coveted signature on my paper, barely with one hand, and then threw the same villainous glance at my mom, not altering one muscle of his expression! And she recoiled visibly.
My memory fades from here.
And justifiedly. I just remember climbing back onto my father’s desk, and enjoying the innovative freedom of lying down on an office desk with no elders around to scold me. I think they were just standing there and watching the above scene getting filmed, while I, cosily, fell off to sleep on the desk.
Noteworthy to mention in the end: My mom lost that prestigious autograph over the years.
She is no more, and I hope she got to meet him at least once more — on the other side.
Uttam Kumar as a villain in Bonhishikha, shooting at my dad’s office.
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