Kolkata: Kolkata’s Durga Puja pandals have turned into portals to Bengali cinema ’s golden age this year, with several organisers choosing Mahanayak Uttam Kumar as their theme to mark the matinee idol’s birth centenary .




From hand-painted film posters, lobby cards and vintage cinema-hall installations to iconic dialogues, evergreen songs and recreations of memorable scenes, puja committees across the city are paying tribute to a star whose screen presence continues to define Bengali popular culture.




At Samaj Sebi Sangha on Lake View Road in south Kolkata, the 81st edition of the puja is themed “Mahapujoy Mahanayok”. The pandal recreates the “Uttam era” through an immersive blend of 1960s and 1970s aesthetics, transporting visitors to the decades when Bengali cinema was shaped by Uttam Kumar’s charisma.




“Our pandal decoration upholds the iconic roles played by Uttam Kumar. Our installations, designed to bridge generations, introduce young visitors to a foundational cultural icon like him. At the same time, we offer his admirers a walk down memory lane at our pandal,” said Arijit Maitra, general secretary of Samaj Sebi Sangha.




In east Kolkata’s Kankurgachhi, Mitali Sangha has built its pandal in the form of a cinema hall from Uttam Kumar’s time. Posters, lobby cards, booklets and photographs from his films adorn the space, while songs rendered by Hemanta Mukherjee, Manna Dey and Kishore Kumar play in the background.




“In the 90th year of our puja, we are observing the birth centenary of Uttam Kumar and our theme is ‘Ekai Eksho’. From Harano Sur to Saptapadi , Antony Firingee to Agniswar, Sabyasachi to Bagh Bandi Khela, our pandal showcases various moods of the matinee idol,” said Siddhartha Biswas, a member of the club’s puja committee.




In Bhowanipore, an area closely associated with Uttam Kumar’s life and career, Rupchand Mukherjee Lane Sarbojanin Durgotsab has chosen the theme “Uttamayan”. The location is significant, being near Bijoli cinema, where several of his films were released, and not far from where the actor lived.




“Our puja is a cultural journey through memories and the legacy of Uttam Kumar. With the onslaught of time, the screen has changed; so has the language of cinema. But Uttam Kumar remains etched in the hearts of Bengalis, along with his smile and dialogues. We are showcasing his timeless legacy on screen,” said Dipan Chatterjee, a member of the puja committee.




Around two kilometres away, Panditiya Sandhya Sangha is marking its 74th year with the theme “Shatarupe Uttam”. The pandal has been designed as a 1960s-70s movie theatre. A retro motorcycle installation doubles as a selfie corner, recalling the celebrated Saptapadi sequence in which Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen ride a 1960 BMW motorcycle while the song “Ei Poth Jodi Na Shesh Hoy” plays.




“Inside the pandal, duet moments are portrayed with Suchitra Sen, Madhavi Mukherjee, Supriya Chowdhury and Sabitri Chatterjee, the four major actresses he worked with. A wall also exhibits posters and inlay cards of Uttam Kumar classics. There is an entire 3.1 audio experience, which provides visitors with an instrumental medley of 10 evergreen songs from Uttam Kumar’s 10 notable films,” said puja functionary Tiyas Bhanja.




In north Kolkata’s Tala, Sarkar Bagan Sammilita Sangha is celebrating its 109th year with the theme “Sabar Uporey”, named after the 1955 Uttam-Suchitra blockbuster. The pandal blends nostalgia for old Kolkata with memories of the characters that made Uttam Kumar a household name.




“Walking inside the pandal from the entrance lane, people are catching glimpses of the popular characters played by Mahanayak. We are showing old Kolkata and Uttam Kumar from the bygone era through our decorations. An installation made with radio sets of the past, with a photo of Uttam Kumar placed at the centre, welcomes the pandal hoppers,” said Animesh Nag, a member of the club.




At Rammohan Sammilani near Amherst Street, the puja traces Uttam Kumar’s transformation from the struggling actor once labelled a “flop master” to the Mahanayak of Bengali cinema. The pandal highlights his student life, his early association with theatre and his eventual rise in films.




“We are turning the spotlight on his student life, his brush with acting on stage and then his debut in the world of cinema. We have decorated the pandal with laser cuttings in which his famous dialogues and songs from his films are written,” said Anirban Sengupta, secretary of the puja.




Together, these pujas have turned the city’s festive circuit into a tribute to a screen legend whose appeal has outlived generations. As visitors move from one pandal to another, they encounter not only Durga Puja artistry but also the enduring memory of Uttam Kumar — his films, his songs, his romances, his dialogues and the unmistakable aura that made him Bengal’s Mahanayak.