Books
Beyond Apu – 20 Favourite Film Roles of Soumitra Chatterjee
₹ 350

Soumitra Chatterjee’s debut in Satyajit Ray’s Apur Sansar as the eponymous, gentle hero won him international fame. The decades-long Ray–Chatterjee collaboration, in fact, ranks right up there with the best-known actor–director duos: Akira Kurosawa and Toshiro Mifune, Alfred Hitchcock and James Stewart, Werner Herzog and Klaus Kinski. In the superstar Uttam Kumar era, Chatterjee carved a comfortable niche for himself, a natural favourite of the student intellectuals and the bhadralok. Over time, he emerged as a giant of Indian cinema. Unusually, for a star of his stature, Chatterjee’s vibrant cultural engagement extended beyond the movies, most notably in the theatre, where he wrote and acted in his own plays, and to great critical acclaim. He has also made a fair name for himself as a poet, author, literary editor and painter.

Beyond Apu studies an extraordinary cinematic life through twenty of his most iconic characters, chosen by the actor himself. Within these pages, you will encounter the rakish villain in Jhinder Bandi, the charming roadside Romeo in Teen Bhuvaner Paare, the two-bit thief in Sansar Simante, the inspirational coach in Kony, the paraplegic neurologist in Wheel Chair and others – each character infused with the life that Chatterjee breathed into it. Packed with anecdotes and insights into the actor’s mind and method – how he learnt a new style of writing for Charulata, or how he studied the gait and mannerisms of Brahmins in Bengal villages for his role in Ashani Sanket – this is a reader on the master at work.

Including insightful essays on his theatre and other artistic achievements, this first-ever English-language book on Soumitra Chatterjee not only introduces the reader to an icon of Indian cinema but also offers a unique insight into the mind of a genius.

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In the Media
REVIEWS   |   LAUNCH COVERAGE
By Sathya Saran
A valuable insight into the technique and work of a consummate artiste
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By SAIBAL CHATTERJEE
Shyam Benegal likens Soumitra Chatterjee’s measured performance as a standoffish, socially awkward suitor in Satyajit Ray’s Samapti (1961) to “a fine Persian carpet, subtle and exquisite”.
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By Aseem Chhabra
One of India's greatest actors -- someone who acted in 14 Satyajit Ray films -- doesn't get good movie roles anymore.
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By Shoma A Chatterji
Is it not one of the most surprising things about Indian cinema in general and Bengali cinema in particular that no one bothered to write any book in English on one of the greatest actors in Indian cinema – Soumitra Chatterjee?
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By Abhijit Bhaduri
Soumitra Chatterjee’s association with Satyajit Ray started with Apur Sansar (1959) – the last film in the Apu Trilogy.
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Tagore and the influence of Guru-Vani kirtan
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By শিলাদিত্য সেন
আবাল্য খেলাধুলার সুবাদে নানা খেলার কোচ কিংবা ট্রেনার দেখে বড় হয়েছেন সৌমিত্র। তবু যখন ‘কোনি’তে ক্ষিদ্দার চরিত্রটি পেলেন, নিয়ম করে উত্তর আর মধ্য কলকাতার সাঁতারের ক্লাবে যেতেন। দেখতেন সাঁতারুদের কী ভাবে শেখাচ্ছেন কোচরা, তাঁরা কী ভাবে হাঁটেন, কথা বলেন, ছাত্রছাত্রীদের সঙ্গে তাঁদের বোঝাপড়ার ধরনটাই বা কী— সবই খুঁটিয়ে খেয়াল করতেন।
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Launch Coverage
India Blooms News Service | Feb 18, 2016
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