Natak Samagra 2 by Soumitra Chattopadhyay

Soumitra Chatterjee was born on January 19, 1935, in Krishnanagar. His father was Mohit Kumar Chatterjee and his mother was Ashalata Chatterjee. Due to his father's work, his childhood was spent in various places across West Bengal. His memories include the famine and independence. From a young age, he was interested in acting and strongly inclined towards books. During his college years, he became close to Shishir Kumar Bhaduri. In 1959, he made his film debut with Apu'r Sansar (The World of Apu). Subsequently, he acted in fourteen films directed by Satyajit Ray and numerous other films.

A legendary actor, Soumitra was honoured with several prestigious awards, including the Padma Bhushan, Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, and more recently, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award. He was equally active in the theatre, with his performance in the title role of King Lear being widely appreciated in recent times. A remarkable voice artist, he also excelled in reciting poetry. He started writing poetry in his adolescence and, in his youth, edited the literary magazine Ekkhon alongside Nirmalya Acharya. Amid his busy schedule, he continued to write poetry regularly.

Soumitra Chatterjee passed away on November 15, 2020.