Iconic Pather Panchali actress Uma Dasgupta, who portrayed Durga, passes away

Kolkata: Uma Dasgupta, who immortalised the character of ‘Durga’ in Satyajit Ray’s iconic film Pather Panchali, passed away at the age of 84 at a private hospital here on Monday, family sources confirmed. She had been battling cancer for a long time and is survived by her daughter.

Dasgupta was just 14 when she portrayed Durga, a role that garnered her worldwide acclaim. The film, based on Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay’s novel, featured Dasgupta in memorable scenes such as picking mangoes in an orchard with her younger brother, Apu, after a nor’wester rain. Her portrayal of Durga in the 1955 classic left an indelible mark on audiences.

Discovery by Satyajit Ray

Ray discovered Dasgupta during a school performance, where she acted as a child artist. Impressed by her natural talent, he reached out to her school and family to cast her in Pather Panchali. Despite the global recognition she received for her performance, Dasgupta chose to retreat from the limelight and never acted in another film.

A Life Away from the Spotlight

In later life, she pursued a career as a teacher. Despite the fame her performance brought her, she remained out of the public eye, with no further film roles following Pather Panchali.

Sandip Ray, Satyajit Ray’s son, recalled how his father had spoken highly of Uma’s acting. “I was told by father how instinctive and natural she was before the camera. She gave the perfect shot in a single take,” he said. Sandip mentioned that Uma grasped the nuances of the character so quickly that no further prompting was necessary.

While Sandip, only a child during the film’s production, did not have personal memories of the filming process, he met Uma on a few occasions at events related to Pather Panchali. “We last met at a function related to the film. It’s unclear why she did not act in any more films,” he added.

With PTI inputs