An artiste who hid behind his characters, an indomitable spirit and one who sought the ultimate connect - that was Soumitra Chatterjee to theatre actor Debshankar Haldar. The latter was speaking about his senior colleague and inspiration at a tribute organised at the seventh New Town Book Fair on March 3.

The two versatile actors had shared stage and screen space on a number of occasions including Phera, a play directed by Chatterjee’s daughter Poulomi Bose, that completed 100 shows in 2019.

Haldar spoke of the Chatterjee he knew ‑ a tireless actor and poet who, despite being into his 80s, would teach and share experiences with even the junior-most artistes backstage and in between shots.

“His knowledge was as rich and varied as his book shelves,” said the actor at the New Town fair ground, behind which stood Snehodiya, the senior citizens’ home whose brand ambassador was Chatterjee himself.

The anecdotes that Haldar shared were mostly about the aging Chatterjee who would never let his bad back and knees deter him. “We have worked in several films together, but with Phera we shared stage space for the first time. Chatterjee was then over 80. Before that we had played the same part in many plays but never together,” said Haldar, who is currently essaying the role of Ashwatthama in Bose’s play Andha Yug, which had earlier been played by Chatterjee.

“I learnt a lot from him in happiness, sadness, during crisis and also in the green room where our clothes would often hang together. Just as his costumes would touch ours as they hung together from the same string, Soumitra da would always manage to touch our lives in every situation,” said Haldar. What he remembered the most was Chatterjee’s resilience even when Phera - based on Friedrich Durandmand’s The Visit ‑ crossed its century mark.

“It was no mean feat for an 85-year-old to travel to different venues and project the same energy for so many days. But he would keep trying to form a special connection both with his audience and his co-workers,” added Haldar.

Soumitra Chatterjee Sourced by the correspondent

connection that Chatterjee sought with the audience had the depth of “a blind man’s touch”. Even when he had to portray a complex character with myriad shades, Chatterjee did not believe in exaggerated gestures, loud pitch and mannerisms. Subtlety was his trump card.

“Which words do we utter from the innermost core of our hearts?” Chatterjee had once asked Haldar during a conversation.

“I was left flummoxed. I wanted to pass the test but was not sure what to say,” laughed Haldar.

The answer was “Ma” and “I love you”. “Soumitrada told me how both ‘Ma’ and ‘I love you’ usually come out muffled though the speaker may be feeling a whirlwind of emotions inside. Likewise, the best connect on stage is often achieved through silence and subtlety. A good actor needs to know how much to reveal and when to let the audience draw their own inferences. This was an important lesson that I learnt from him,” said Haldar.

While Chatterjee the actor was subtle and liked to hide behind his characters, Chatterjee the poet wanted his voice heard. His favourite critic, at one point, was poet Shakti Chattopadhyay. “During their youth, the two would often carry their poetry in their pockets, sometimes comparing notes right in the middle of a busy Esplanade. Shakti Chattopadhyay was mild in his criticism but he did help Soumitrada find his own voice,” said Haldar.

Chatterjee knew how to use different genres of art to their advantage. “As he aged, he felt more conscious of his duties and responsibilities as an artiste. He was always ready to break shackles. And, he focused only on the art, never letting audience reaction bog him down,” he summed up.