Bengali cinema mourns loss of uma dasgupta , durga of " Pather Panchali " dies

Uma Dasgupta renowned for her iconic portrayal of Durga's character in Satyajit Ray's cinematic masterpiece 'Pather Panchali'(1995), had passed away on November 18 , at 8.15 AM, at a private hospital of Kolkata. As per the reports, the legendary actress was suffering from cancer and was courageously fighting the battle of her life, since many years, but unfortunately she passes away at the age of 84 on Monday morning. Throughout her entire life, she acted, in only one flim , which was both her first and last, that is Satyajit Ray's masterpiece ' Pather Panchali '.Despite being acting only in one iconic film, her spectacular performance as Durga ,left an indelible mark on world cinema .

Uma Dasgupta's father Paltu Dasgupta was an orthodox and never granted her permission to pursue acting as a career.
Therefore , she used to participate in her school plays. At that time, Satyajit Ray was searching for a young girl ,who will be able to beautifully portray the character of Durga for his masterpiece 'Pather Panchali'. Then one day, his assistant Ashish Barman, informed him that he spotted a girl from ' Beltala High school' , who is suitable for playing the character of Durga , as he himself witnessed her amazing and exceptional acting skills during her school plays. One thing was certain about Satyajit Ray, that he was renowned for his perfectionism. Whenever he started a new project, he was determined to make it a masterpiece. So he wouldn't start the project until or unless he founds an ideal face for each role. So when he met Uma Dasgupta for the first time, he was initially uncertain ,that whether she would be able to deliver the desirable performance or not. Satyajit Ray's wife Bijoya, took the charge of getting Uma ready, for the look test of the iconic character of Durga. She dressed Uma in a traditional gaachkomor sari and styled her hair into a neat bun. Once Uma was ready, Bijoya noticed that she looked perfect for the role. Uma's gorgeous large eyes and her glowing face resembled the innocence of Durga's character. When Satyajit Ray took the audition of Uma, he immediately chooses her for playing the iconic character of Durga. Her exceptional screen presence, intelligence and her each and every facial expression made her character relatable and realistic. Even she was so talented that She required only minimal retakes for the scenes, which showcased her mastery on the craft. Despite of being talented actress, after doing this movie, she chooses not to pursue her acting career and lead a celebrity lifestyle . Rather, she dedicated her life in teaching students and choses teaching as a profession for rest of her life , despite of getting offers of many new big projects.

Actor subir Bandyopadhyay, who played the role of iconic character of Apu in Pather Panchali , expressed his grief by saying that, when he met Uma Dasgupta in the movie set, he was just 9 years old and she was just 14. He fondly recalled his favourite scenes from the iconic movie, that is when Apu and Durga sees train for the first time in palsit. He also recalls about the heart- breaking death scene in Pather Panchali. He mentioned that in the real life also they too had sibling- like bond. He shares that they would often used to meet at several award functions and cherished those memories . He praised her timeless , breath taking permonance in Pather Panchali and says that it will always remains in audience heart. Lastly, he says that , he struggled hard to accept her passing . Ending his tribute he wished for Uma's soul to rest in peace.

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