Forty-four years after he breathed his last, Uttam Kumar still means a lot to the Bengali film industry. Mahanayak means Uttam Kumar to each generation. Hence, July 24 is a nostalgic day for the Bengali people. When CM Mamata Banerjee remembered the icon on July 24, she also reflected that sentiment. She said, “I watched his movies in my childhood with my mother. I heard the songs of his films. He stays in our hearts. He is involved with Bengali culture.” 

She also said that, till 2023, her government conferred the Mahanayak Samman to 23 actors and actresses, yearly awards to 141, special film awards to 141, and special honors to 21 persons for their contribution to cinema. 

Prosenjit Chatterjee was honored with the Special Film Award for his four decades of work. Ambarish Bhattacharya, Subhasish Mukherjee, and Rukmini Moitra were given special awards. Rachana Banerjee and Nachiketa Chakraborty received the Mahanayak Samman.

Each year, the award is conferred by the Ministry of Information & Cultural Affairs of West Bengal. Ankush Hazra, Koel Mallick, Subhasree Ganguly, Srabanti Chatterjee, and Sayantika Banerjee were among last year’s awardees. 

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