Utpal Dutt gave his career’s milestone performance in Gol Maal Utpal Dutt in the character of Bhavani Shankar in Hrishikesh Mukherjee hilarious comedy film Gol Maal gave his career’s milestone performance. As a conservative man who values Indian tradition and regards moustache as the mirror of the human soul and mind, Utpal Dutt portrayed a commendable performance. What made the performance extraordinary was his sheer timing with his co-actor Amol Palekar, who responded fabulously hence the result was uproarious. The scene where Utpal Dutt takes the interview of Amol Palker made the audience go bananas. Utpal Dutt deservedly won the Filmfare Award Best comedian award. Interestingly Utpal Dutt out beat Indian cinema’s top three comedian that year who were in the race of Filmfare Award viz. Mehmood (Nauker); Asrani ( Sargam) and Deven Verma (Lok Parlok).
Utpal Dutt was attracted to Shakespearean drama from his school days Utpal Dutt hailed from an affluent family in Kolkata. He attended Kolkata’s prestigious St. Xavier’s Collegiate School and later he acquired degree in English literature from St. Xavier’s College, Calcutta. Since his school days young Utpal was interested in English and his love for the language increased when he started enacting Shakespearean drama in his school. Being fluent in English he would usually play the protagonist. During college his passion for drama became intense and he joined Shakespearean Theatre Company founded by British origin Geoffrey Kendal and Laura Kendal (parents of the actress Jennifer Kendal, who married actor Shashi Kapoor). In his debut play Utpal Dutt played Richard III so impressively that he became a permanent actor in the company and toured with the Kendals across the subcontinent for a couple of years. However when the Kendals left India, Utpal Dutt rechristened the theater company as Little Theatre Group. Utpal Dutt was also associated with many more theatre groups like IPTA (the Indian People’s Theatre Association) and Gananatya Sangha.
Utpal Dutt had a love marriage Utpal Dutt fell in love with his co-actress Shobha Sen who worked in theatre. The two came in contact when Shobha Sen joined Gananatya Sangstha and acted in the lead female role of Nabanna. The association continued and the two together founded Little Theatre Group in 1953-54 which later became Peoples’ Theatre Group. The two married in the year 1960. They have a daughter Dr. Bishnupriya Dutt, who works as a professor of theatre history in the School of Arts and Aesthetics at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.
Utpal Dutt began his career in films from Bengal cinema Bengal Cinema’s celebrated filmmaker Madhu Bose once happened to watch Utpal Dutt’s Shakespearean play Othello and was bowled by his dynamic performance. He immediately signed him to play the lead role Michael Madhusudan (1950), a biopic on the life of the revolutionary Indian poet Michael Madhusudan Dutt. After this he became a top actor in Bengali cinema and worked with great filmmakers like Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, Ritwik Ghatak, Gautam Ghose and Basu Chatterjee. He appeared in many of Satyajit Ray’s films like Agantuk’(1991), Joi Baba Felunath (1979), Hirak Rajar Deshe; Gautam Ghosh’s Paar, Padma Nadir Majhi(1993), Ritwik Ghatak’s Jukti Takko Aar Gappo, In Mrinal Sen’s 1969 film Bhuvan Shome, regarded as a milestone in Indian New Wave Cinema, Utpal Dutt won a National Film Award for Best Actor for his powerhouse performance. His other film Mrinal Sen were Ek Adhuri Kahani(1972), Chorus, Agantuk, Jana Aranya. He even did few English films of James Ivory like The Guru, and Shakespeare Wallah. Utpal Dutt was a versatile actor who became famous as comedian in Bollywood Utpal Dutt was discovered by K.A. Abbas in his film Saat Hindustani, which also introduced Amitabh Bachchan. Later Utpal did Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Guddi that incidentally introduced Mrs. Jaya Bachchan. Despite these two films Utpal Dutt did not get recognition until he did Gol Maal with Amol Palker. The hilarious comedy of errors became super hit and Utpal Dutt became a famous comedian in Bollywood. His other hit films are Gol Maal, Naram Garam, Rang Birangi, Kissi Se Na Kehna, Shaukeen. He received Filmfare Best Comedian Award for Gol Maal, Naram Garam and Rang Birangi. Besides comedy Utpal Dutt did a variety of roles like villain in films like Kotwal Saab, Amanush, Barsaat Ki Ek Raat, The Great Gambler, Inquilaab, Ram Balram, Kartavya etc. Utpal Dutt was also fantastic in emotion his role as the caring father Badri Prasad Sharma in Saaheeb won him a Filmfare nomination as supporting actor. His other sober roles were in films like Anand Ashram, Priyatama, Hamari Bahu Alka, Apne Paraye etc.
| # | Released Date | Type | Credited As | Movie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 Sep 2008 | Film | Story writer | The Last Lear |
| 2 | 08 Mar 1995 | Film | Actor | Mera Damad |
| 3 | 01 Jan 1995 | Film | Supporting Actor | Faisla Main Karungi |
| 4 | 07 Jan 1994 | Film | Supporting Actor | Pyara Sangam |
| 5 | 01 Jan 1993 | Film | Supporting Actor | Shuruaat |
| 6 | 20 Jul 1991 | Film | Supporting Actor | Jaan Pechaan |
| 7 | 17 Aug 1990 | Film | Supporting Actor | Jawani Zindabad |
| 8 | 20 Jul 1990 | Film | Supporting Actor | Mera Pati Sirf Mera Hai |
| 9 | 05 Jan 1990 | Film | Actor | Triyatri |
| 10 | 18 Dec 1989 | Film | Actor | Bahurani |
