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Eyi Path Jodi Na Shesh Hoy: The Immortal Songs of Uttam-Hemanta

September 3, 2021 | By and

Bengal’s matinee idol Uttam Kumar and its most popular male singer-composer Hemanta Mukherjee together created a massive repertoire of songs that are remembered till today for their melodious music, lyrical poetry and sterling performances. Silhouette pays a tribute to Uttam Kumar by revisiting the iconic Uttam-Hemanta partnership and some of their evergreen hits.

Uttam Kumar

Uttam Kumar’s smile used to melt a million hearts

It was 1948, and Nitin Bose was directing S. B. Productions’ first film Drishtidan, based on Tagore’s story by the same name. Asitbaran, the legendary singer-actor of the days, was acting and singing in the lead role – Avinash; and a young, handsome newcomer, in his early twenties, was playing the younger days of Avinash.

“The advertisement of Drishtidan was published in the newspaper. I hoped to see my name printed,” the newcomer wished to himself. But luck did not favour him. His name did not appear in the film’s credits, the role being a small one and him being an unknown  newcomer. The  film did not prove to be a big success either. However, the songs of the film were hits, and Asitbaran and the other playback singers of the film basked in the glory. The struggling period of the newcomer actor of Drishtidan, Arun Chatterjee, began. Arun’s entry went almost unnoticed. Who knew, it was only a matter of a few years that Arun Chatterjee would become the heartthrob of all – Uttam Kumar.

Around the same time, elsewhere in the Bengali music industry, another young man, nearing thirty, was gaining popularity as a singer and composer day by day. Hemanta Mukhopadhyay catapulted to the height of fame with Ganyer bodhu in 1949 – his epic association with poet-composer Salil Chowdhury.

Hemanta Kumar and Uttam Kumar

Hemanta Kumar’s deep, soulful music was the perfect playback voice for Uttam Kumar’s own rich baritone. (Pic courtesy: ‘Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen: Bengali Cinema’s First Couple’ by Maitreyee Bhattacharjee Chowdhury)

Uttam Kumar and Hemanta Mukherjee had known one another since their early days, as they lived in the same locality. Uttam was then a theatre actor and Hemant, senior in the industry by several years, was charting out successes in films and recorded music. Though the playback era had begun way back in the mid-thirties, singer-actors like Robin Majumdar and Asitbaran were still popular. But gradually the era of actor-singers was ebbing away. Since the newer generation of heroes were not singers, playback singers like Hemanta were coming into the limelight.

sahajatri booklet

Sahajatri booklet (Starring Uttam Kumar and Bharati Devi)

It was 1951. The director-quartet Agradoot was making Sahajatri under the banner of  M. P. Productions, with Bharati Devi and Asitbaran in the lead roles. Uttam was chosen for a character role in this film. Luck favoured him this time, and owing to other engagements, Asitbaran couldn’t sign the contract for Sahajatri. Uttam, still a struggler, was signed on as the hero. In the films he had done so far, either his name wasn’t mentioned in the credits or he was named Arup Kumar and sometimes Uttam Chatterjee. Sahajatri saw the ‘birth’ of the legend – the first film to have his name printed in the credits as Uttam Kumar.  The film booklet too featured his face on the cover. For the first time, Hemanta sang for Uttam on screen in no less than three songs composed by Robin Chatterjee – Phul hase aar cheye dekhi, Bhalobasar parashmani kothay tare pai and Gagane saghana ghata uraye ke megho jota (with Supriti Ghosh and others) . Sadly, neither the film nor the songs were successful.

This was the juncture in which Hemanta Mukherjee moved to Bombay to try his luck as Hemant Kumar, singing and composing for Hindi films. The struggling years for the singer-composer who was already established in Bengal began afresh in Bombay. Anandmath, Daaku Ki Ladki, Shart, Jagriti, Samrat came in quick succession to give Hemant Kumar the composer great opportunities to prove his excellence as a composer. But the stupendous success of Nagin pitchforked Hemanta into national limelight.

Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen

Shapmochan booklet (Starring Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen)

Some years passed by. It was around the time of Nagin, in the mid-fifties, that Sudhir Mukherjee planned to make Shapmochan under the banner of Production Syndicate Limited with Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen. From the hardly noticed, Uttam had now become the most sought after hero, and with Suchitra Sen as his lead, the success of the film was a foregone conclusion.

Uttam and Suchitra as a romantic pair had shot into fame with the multi-starrer rip-roaring comedy Sharey Chuattor (1953) and they had then cemented their position with the box-office trailblazer Agnipariksha (1954). Hemanta, who had by now got a firm foothold in Hindi film industry was longing to work as a music director in Bengali films. Sudhir Mukherjee thus invited Hemanta, who came to Calcutta to compose for Shapmochan, despite a hectic schedule in Bombay. Hemanta not only composed the songs of Shapmochan but also gave playback to the hero. The four songs he sang for Uttam – Bosey aachhi patho cheye, Surer akashe tumi je go shuktara, Jhar uthechhe baul batas and Shono bondhu shono became super hits. Wrote Hemanta, “I was amazed by the reception of Shapmochan. The songs breathed life into the film and were loved by all.”

Shapmochan marked the beginning of the glorious journey of the Uttam Kumar-Hemanta Mukherjee combination that gave Bengali cinema some of the best moments through song sequences. As Bela Mukherjee said, “Uttam Kumar and Hemanta Mukherjee thus became one. When one listened to Hemanta’s songs with closed eyes, the face of Uttam Kumar would rise in the mind, and while listening to Uttam Kumar’s dialogues, it would seem as if the singer Hemanta Mukherjee is speaking.”

Harano Sur (Uttam-Suchitra’s national award winning film)

Harano Sur had an interesting highlight. In the last scene, where the hero Alok Mukherjee having regained his lost memory, rushes back to his lady love Roma (Suchitra Sen), the director felt that the hero must call out her name. Hemanta who was around dubbed for Uttam calling out “Roma, Roma” but when the film released no one noticed it wasn’t Uttam’s voice.

After Shapmochan, the Uttam-Hemanta duo paired in films like Taser Ghar, Prithibi Amare Chaaye, Indrani, Joutuk, Bondhu, Mayamriga, Chaoa Paoa, Saptapadi, Marutirtha Hinglaj, Kuhak, Dui Bhai, Sudhu Ekti Bachhar, Mon Niye, Sonar Khancha, Bikele Bhorer Phool, and others, creating history through numerous songs that have etched a perpetual niche in the hearts of listeners.

Stylish Uttam Kumar

Stylish Uttam Kumar

Hemanta looked upon the Mahanayak as a younger brother “aamar chhoto bhai”. Not surprisingly, the two icons blended impeccably on screen as one voice. No other voice suited Uttam better than Hemanta. Tasher Ghar (1957) had the melodious Shunye dana mele pakhira ude gele (Bimalchandra Ghosh). Even when the song was used in the background, it was Hemanta singing it if Uttam was on the screen, sample Aaj dujonar duti poth (Harano Sur, 1957). When Uttam composed music himself in Kaal Tumi Aaleya, he asked Hemanta to listen to the tunes and correct them. Hemanta said, “Chamatkar shur korechho. Ete theek thaak korar ki aachhe?” (You have composed marvellous tunes. What is there to correct in it?)

Uttam Kumar, himself a good singer apart from being the matinee idol, was a great admirer of Hemanta’s songs, and in the words of Hemanta, “Had there not been Uttam, had he not lip-synced my songs on screen, I wouldn’t perhaps have been the Hemanta Mukherjee I am. I would have not gained this fame. We were a unique combination.”

Let’s enjoy some of their golden hits to remember Bengal’s most popular screen and music idols.

10 Superhit  Songs of Uttam Kumar-Hemanta Mukherjee

Gharer bandhon chherei jodi (Prithibi Amare Chaaye, 1955) Bimalchandra Ghosh/ Nachiketa Ghosh

Aaj dujonar duti poth (Harano Sur, 1957) Gouriprasanna Majumdar/ Hemanta Mukherjee

Neer chhoto kshoti neyi (Indrani, 1958) Gouriprasanna Majumdar / Nachiketa Ghosh/ with Geeta Dutt

Surjo dobaar pala (Indrani, 1958) Gouriprasanna Majumdar / Nachiketa Ghosh

Mou bone aaj mou jomechhe (Bandhu, 1958) Gouriprasanna Majumdar / Nachiketa Ghosh

Tumi to jano na (Surjotoran, 1958) Gouriprasanna Majumdar / Hemanta Mukherjee

Jodi bhabo eto khela noy (Chaoa Paoa, 1959) Gauriprasanna Majumdar/ Hemanta Mukherjee

Taare bole dio (Dui Bhai, 1961) Gouriprasanna Majumdar / Hemanta Mukherjee

Eyi poth jodi na shesh hoy (Saptapadi, 1961) Gouriprasanna Majumdar / Hemanta Mukherjee / with Sandhya Mukherjee

Ogo kajol noyona harini (Mon Niye, 1969) Pulak Banerjee / Hemanta Mukherjee

(Pictures are courtesy Sounak Gupta unless mentioned otherwise)

More to read

The Unforgettable Music of Hemant Kumar: In Conversation With Author Manek Premchand

Simple, Soulful, Sublime: The Music of Hemant Kumar

‘The Music Director Knows which Voice would do Full Justice to his Composition’ – In Conversation with Hemant Kumar

Making of Uttam Kumar: The Star, The ‘True’ Bhadralok

Mahanayak Uttam Kumar – the Most Enduring Matinee Idol

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Creative Writing

Whether you are new or veteran, you are important. Please contribute with your articles on cinema, we are looking forward for an association. Send your writings to amitava@silhouette-magazine.com

Sounak Gupta, Assistant Editor, LnC, is a passionate collector and archivist of Indian Music on Gramophone Records, often eager to share treasures from his collections with enthusiasts and researchers on various platforms. As a self-directed researcher on music, he specializes in the History of Bengali Music, and Bengali Music on Gramophone Records. His writings on music, and the lives, and works of musicians have appeared in several magazines and news dailies, both in India and overseas. His literary pursuits have also yielded contributions to notable volumes including Blue Pencil's The Unforgettable Music of Hemant Kumar, written by Manek Premchand – co-authoring Antara Nanda Mondal on a chapter on Hemant Kumar's Bengali music, and Deys Publishing's Prithibi Amare Chay, among others. Beyond his musical interests, Sounak devotes himself to reading and reflecting on Literature and Education, while continually seeking new avenues of exploration through brainstorming. Amidst a diverse range of academic pursuits and experiences, his interests continue to evolve, informed by the confluence of music, literature, and history.
All Posts of Sounak Gupta
Editor in Chief, Learning and Creativity; Consulting Editor, Silhouette Magazine. A former business journalist, Antara writes extensively on the changing trends of music, direction and filmmaking in cinema. Her articles aim to provide well-researched information on the legends of cinema for the movie and music enthusiast. She is also the Founder-Editor of Blue Pencil, a New Delhi-based publishing house. She edited and published Incomparable Sachin Dev Burman, the biography of SD Burman written by HQ Chowdhury. She has co-authored a chapter on Hemant Kumar's Bengali music in the acclaimed book The Unforgettable Music of Hemant Kumar, written by Manek Premchand. Her articles have also been published in Dearcinema.com and Du-kool.com. Antara is Editor-Creative Director of Wisitech InfoSolutions Pvt. Ltd.
All Posts of Antara Nanda Mondal

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2 thoughts on “Eyi Path Jodi Na Shesh Hoy: The Immortal Songs of Uttam-Hemanta

  • Sulekha das

    Th write up in your magazine is written so well that once you start reading you are addicted. Honestly, the flow of events. The journey into the past events.. gives u a feeling of as though you are living those moments.. it’s nostalgic and very gripping.. I look forward to your write up as it gives me an opportunity to relive the lives and events of legendary personalities.. celebrities of our youth days.. makes you feel good.. makes me feel refreshed and happy.. lots of praises to Antara the compiler and writer.. my neighbour and a girl I am proud to know .. wishing her more success n waiting to know more through her write ups… blessings n best wishes to u Antara

  • A Bharat

    A short introduction to a great combination of talents. Satyajit Ray had once called Hemanta’s voice as “the Voice of God”. It is indeed a spectacular mingling of gravity and softness. And when it dovetails with the personalities Uttam Kumar or Pradeep Kumar or Dev Anand the result is nothing short of miraculous. I love Uttam Kumar and the songs mentioned here take me back to those days when movie watching was a key to Enjoyment – not distress like it has become now. Thanks Antara.

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    Silhouette Magazine publishes articles, reviews, critiques and interviews and other cinema-related works, artworks, photographs and other publishable material contributed by writers and critics as a friendly gesture. The opinions shared by the writers and critics are their personal opinion and does not reflect the opinion of Silhouette Magazine. Images on Silhouette Magazine are posted for the sole purpose of academic interest and to illuminate the text. The images and screen shots are the copyright of their original owners. Silhouette Magazine strives to provide attribution wherever possible. Images used in the posts have been procured from the contributors themselves, public forums, social networking sites, publicity releases, YouTube, Pixabay and Creative Commons. Please inform us if any of the images used here are copyrighted, we will pull those images down.