Uttam Kumar debuted as Arun Kumar Chatterjee, in the 1948 film Drishtidaan directed by Nitin Bose. The next year he appeared as a leading hero Uttam Chatterjee in the film Kamona 1949 which was also unsuccessful. In 1951 film Sahajatri he kept his name permanently as Uttam Kumar. But he gave back to back seven flop films and was stated as flop master general.
His first success was the 1952 film Basu Paribar directed by Nirmal Dey. Next year along with ttsame director, he worked with Suchitra Sen for the first time in Sharey Chuattor. The film became blockbuster and established him. He got his break in the 1954 film Agnipariksha of Agradoot's direction. He also playbacked in his film Nabajanma (1956). He produced six very successful Bengali films from where he received four National Film Award. He also got success as director and composer. He directed three hit films like Sudhu Ekti Bachor, Bon Polashir Padabali and Kalankini Kankabati and composed superhit Kal Tumi Aleya.
In 1966, he collaborated with the Oscar-winning director Satyajit Ray on Nayak, which contributed to his wider recognition. The film is regarded as one of the notable works of his career and of Bengali cinema. He appeared in 203 released films. His final leading role was in Plot No. 5 (1981), released posthumously, in which he portrayed a serial killer confined to a wheelchair. The film also featured actors including Amjad Khan, Amol Palekar, Vidya Sinha, and Sriram Lagoo. He received the BFJA Best Actor Award eight times. He was also among the early recipients of the National Film Award for Best Actor, which he won for his performances in Antony Firingee and Chiriyakhana (1967).
Films YearTitleRoleNotes1948Drishtidanyoung AvinashActing debut; credited as Arun Kumar Chattopadhyay1949KamonaAjayFirst film in a leading role; credited as Uttam Chattopadhyay1950MaryadaNaruCredited as Arup Kumar1951Ore JatriSahajatriCredited as Uttam KumarNastaneerAmal1952SanjibaniRaviBasu ParibarSukhen BasuKar PapeShankar1953Sharey ChuattorRampreetiFirst film opposite Suchitra SenLakh TakaFakkaram (Fakka)Nabin JatraBou Thakuranir HaatUday1954Moner MayurVinayOra Thake OdhareChanchalChampadangar BouMahatapKalyaniMaraner PareDr. AshokSadanander MelaAjitAnnapurnar MandirVishweshwarAgni ParikshaKiriti Mukherjee (Bulu)BakulGrihapraveshPrithwishMantra ShaktiAmbarnath1955Saajher PradipSumantAnupamaAvni25th filmRaikamalRanjanDebatraArunShap MochanMahendraBidhilipiSatikantHradBanibratBFJA Award for Best ActorKankabatir GhatPrabirUpaharAshok SarkarBratachariniVijayRaat BhorePrabhatSabar UpareyShankar Chatterjee1956SagarikaArunSaheb Bibi GolamAtulya Chakraborty (Bhootnath)Laksha-HiraSubhadraChirakumar SabhaPurnaEkti RaatSushobhan DuttShankar Narayan BankShyamaliAnilTrijamaKushalPutrabadhuDilipShilpiDhimanNabajanmaGaurang1957Haar JeetRajatBardidiSurenJatra Holo ShuruAsitPrithibi Amare ChaayTapas50th filmTasher GharAjay Mitra & Vinay DuttFirst film in dual rolesSurer ParasheyPunarmilanRameshHarano SurAloke MukherjeeAbhayer BiyeAbhayChandranathChandranathPathey Holo DeriJayantJiban TrishnaRajnath Samanta1958BandhuSudipRajlakshmi O ShrikantShrikantManmoyee Girls' SchoolManasDaktar BabuShikarIndraniSudarshan DuttJoutukUpen GangulySurya ToranSomnath Mukherjee1959Marutirtha HinglajThirumalChaowa PaowaRajat SenBicharakGyanendra GhoshalPushpadhanuShantanuGali Thekey RajpathRajen (Raja)KhelagharShantanu / GoutamSonar HarinJayant ChowdhuryAbak PrithibiArjun Bhattacharya75th film1960Maya MrigaMahimRaja SajaRajatKuhakSunand ChowdhuryUttar MeghAlokHaat Baralei BandhuPratapKhokababur PratyabartanRaicharanSakher ChorIndranathShaharer ItikathaNikhileshShuno BaranariHimadri1961Sathi HaraKundanAgni SanskarRajatJhinder BondiKali Shankar Rai, Shankar Singh & Gauri Shankar RaiTriple roleNecklaceAshokDui BhaiUtpalSaptapadiKrishnendu MukherjeeBFJA Award for Best Actor1962BipashaDivyendu ChatterjeeShiulibariBijan (Biju)KannaAmar DeshSatyabrataShort film1963Shes AnkoShudhangshu GuptaNisitheDakshina RanjanUttarayanPrabir Chatterjee & Ratneshwar Bhattacharya (Rattan)Double roleBhranti BilasChiranjiv Chowdhury & Chiranjit ChowdhuryDouble roleDeya NeyaPrashant Kumar Roy alias Abhijit Chowdhury alias Hriday Haran Roy100th filmSurya SikhaDipto Roy1964BibhasBibhasJatugrihaShatadal DuttNatun TirthaAyanMomer AloDr. Surjit SenLal PathoreHemadakanta Rai alias Kumar Bahadur1965Thana Theke AaschhiTinkari HalderRajkanyaJayantSurya TapaDeependra1966RajodrohiPratapShudhu Ekti BachharSanjayNayakArindam MukherjeeBFJA Award for Best ActorShankha BelaSunilKal Tumi AleyaDhirupad Chakraborty1967Chhoti Si MulaqatAshokHindi film debutNayika SangbadAlokJiban MrityuAshok Mukherjee / Shanta Prasad SinghGrihadahaMahimBFJA Award for Best ActorChiriyakhanaByomkesh BakshiNational Film Award for Best ActorAntony FiringeeHansman Anthony alias Antony FiringeeNational Film Award for Best Actor1968ChowringheeSatya Sundar Bose (Satta)Teen AdhyayBanibrataGar NasimpurMir Jumla IIKokhono MeghAshok Mukherjee alias Narayan Chowdhury (fake)1969SabarmatiShankar125th filmChirodinerTapasShuk ShariNaniKamallataShrikantMon NiyeAmitabhAparichitaRanjan1970Kalankita NayakIndrajitBilambita LoyMrigankDuti MonTapas, RudraRajkumariNirmal Chowdhury / IndrajitNishi PadmaAnang DuttManjari OperaGora1971Ekhane PinjarAmal BoseBFJA Award for Best ActorNabaraagVipulDhanyee MeyeKaligati DuttaJay JayantiSanjay RoyJiban JigyashaIndanilChhadmabeshiAvanish Mitra alias Gourhari Basu alias Pundarikaksha Purakayasta1972Biraj BouNilambarAlo Amar AloNilendra MitraAndha AtitNirmalenduStreeMadhav DuttBFJA Award for Best ActorMem SahebAmitChhinnapatraAshish / PradeepHar Mana HarVinay (Vinu)1973Nakal SonaHimselfCameo appearanceBon Palashir PadabaliUdas150th filmKayahiner KahiniShantanu Roy & Prabir MajumderDouble roleRaater RajanigandhaRaja BanerjeeSonar KhanchaJayantRoudro ChhayaRaja / Pyarelal / Ustad1974Alor ThikanaRawkto TilakACP R. D. ChowdhuryJadi JantemP. K. BasuJadu BanshaGanpatiRodon Bhora BasantaSomnath BoseBikele Bhorer PhoolAnish MitraAmanushMadhusudan Roy Chowdhury (Madhu)Simultaneously shot in Hindi under the same title Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor; Also Filmfare Awards East for Best Actor; Filmfare Special Award and BFJA Award for Best Actor1975MouchakNitish RoyAmi, Shey O ShakhaAdhir Roy & Sudhir RoyDouble roleAgnishwarDr. Agnishwar MukherjeeNagar DarparneAnupamKajallataPriyo BandhabiJaharSanyasi RajaRaja Suryak Kishore Nag Chowdhury (Sanyasi)Bagh Bondi KhelaBhavesh Banerjee1976Hotel Snow FoxK. K.AnandamelaSharad Charan BanerjeeMombatiSwaroopSei ChokhNavkrishnaNidhiram SardarRamprasad Sinha / Nidhiram Sardar175th filmBanhishikhaBilash Ghosh / Mr. SinhaBFJA Award for Best ActorChander KachhakaachhiChandanath1977RajbanshaBhairav Narayan Sinha alias Raja Bahadur & Pratap Narayan Sinha alias Kumar BahadurSabyasachiSabyasachi Mallick / Girish MahapatraDouble roleAsadharanJagabandhuBhola MoiraBhola MoyraSisterMajorGuest appearanceJaal SannyasiAnanda AshramAmaresh Roy ChowdhuryBilingual film; Simultaneously shot in Hindi as Anand AshramKitaabNikhil GuptaHindi film1978Dui PurushNutul Bihari MukherjeeBandieBhola & Yuvraj Uday B. SinghDouble role; Bilingual film; Simultaneously shot in HindiNishanVikram & VijayDouble role; Bilingual film; Simultaneously shot in HindiDhanraj TamangDhanraj TamangFilmfare Awards East for Best Actor1979BrojobuliBrojoraj Karforma (Brojo)DevdasChunnilal (Chunni)DooriyaanKailashHindi filmSunayaniNaba DigantaShrikanter WillShrikant MahalonobisSamadhanAjay1980PankhirajGeorge D' SouzaRajnandiniGyanendraAro EkjanDilip SinhaDarpachurna200th filmDui PrithibiMrinal DuttRaja SahebRaja Saheb1981Plot No. 5Sanjay MehraHindi filmOgo Bodhu ShundoriGagan SenPosthumous releaseKhana BarahaVarāhamihiraPosthumous releasePratishodhHaren ChatterjeePosthumous releaseSurya SakkhiPosthumous releaseKalankini KankabatiRaj Shekhar RaiPosthumous release1982Desh PremeeGhoshHindi film; Posthumous releaseIman KalyanPosthumous release1987Mera Karam Mera DharamDevi PrasadHindi film; Posthumous release2024Oti UttamHimself212th film; appearances through archived footages from his films
As producer No Year Movie Director Co-stars Music Director Banner Role1 1957 Harano Sur Ajoy Kar Suchitra Sen, Utpal Dutta Hemanta Mukherjee Alochaya Productions Private Limited Alok Mukherjee2 1961 Saptapadi Ajoy Kar Suchitra Sen, Chabi Biswas, Tarun Kumar, Tulsi Chakraborty Hemanta Mukherjee Alochaya Productions Private Limited Krishnendu3 1963 Bhranti Bilash Manu Sen Bhanu Banerjee, Sabitri Chatterjee, Sandhya Ray Shyamal Mitra Uttam Kumar Films Private Limited Chiranjit and Chiranjiv (Double role)4 Uttar Falguni Asit Sen Suchitra Sen, Bikash Roy Robin Chatterjee Uttam Kumar Films Private Limited Uttam Kumar Films Private Limited Only as producer5 1964 Jatugriha Tapan Sinha Arudhati Devi, Anil Chatterjee Ashish Khan Uttam Kumar Films Private Limited Shatadal6 1967 Chhoti Si Mulaqat Alo Sarkar Vyjainthimala, Rajendranath Shankar-Jaikishan Our Movies Ashok7 Grihadaha Subodh Mitra Suchitra Sen, Pradeep Kumar, Sabitri Chatterjee Robin Chatterjee Uttam Kumar Films Private Limited Mahim8 1973 Bon Palashir Padabali Uttam Kumar Supriya Devi, Madhabi Mukherjee, Bikash Roy, Basabi Nandi, Jahar Ganguly Shyamal Mitra Shilpi Sangshad Udashi 9 1980 Dui Prithibi Pijush Bose Supriya Devi, Victor Banerjee, Ranjit Mallick Ananda Shankar Shilpi Sangshad Mrinal Dutta
As director and screenwriter No Year Movie Director Co-stars Music Director Banner Role1 1966 Shudhu Ekti Bachhar Uttam Kumar Supriya Devi, Tarun Kumar Robin Chatterjee Chayachabi Pratisthan Sanjoy2 1973 Bon Palashir Padabali Uttam Kumar Supriya Devi, Madhabi Mukherjee, Bikash Roy, Basabi Nandi, Jahar Ganguly Shyamal Mitra Shilpi Sangshad Udashi (As background scorer also)3 1981 Kalankini Kankabati Uttam Kumar, Pijush Bose Sharmila Tagore, Mithun Chakraborty, Supriya Devi R.D Barman Subrato Mukhopadhyay Raj Shekhar Rai
As playback singer and composer No Year Movie Director Co-stars Music Director Banner Role1 1956 Nabajanma Debaki Bose Sabitri Chatterjee, Kanu Banerjee, Arundhati Devi Nachiketa Ghosh Deluxe Films Gouranga (as playback singer 2 1966 Kal Tumi Aleya Sachin Mukherjee Supriya Devi, Tarun Kumar, Sabitri Chatterjee, Sumita Sanyal, Kamal Mitra Uttam Kumar Sree Loknath Chitram Dhirapada Chakraborty (As composer)3 1977 Sabyasachi Pijush Bose Supriya Devi, Anil Chatterjee Uttam Kumar, Rabindranath Tagore, Kaji Najrul Islam, Dwijendralal Ray Usha Films Sabyasachi (As composer)
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