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Ten Bengali films featuring Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen that are a must watch

Ten Bengali films featuring Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen that are a must watch
In the history of Bengali cinema, the '50s to the '70s witnessed the rise of an iconic celluloid pair, which literally revolutionized how people would talk about Bengali cinematic romance forever. If you want to give romance a face, the palette would no doubt be filled with Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen’s romantic escapades on celluloid. They used to churn out hits after hits. Here is a list of 10 Bengali films featuring Uttam-Suchitra you should not miss out on:

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2/11'Agni Pariksha' (1954)
Romance literally starts and ends with the legendary Uttam Kumar-Suchitra Sen pair in Bengali film history. The actors first shared screen space in the comedy flick ‘Sharey Chuattar’ (1953), and this classic romantic drama 'Agni Pariksha' in 1954 cemented their immortal status in the hearts of Bengal. Directed by Agradoot, a team of film technicians who made Uttam Kumar’s earliest hits, ‘Agni Pariksha’ is the story of Tapasi (Suchitra Sen), a singer who has been married (forcefully) as a child to a corrupted village zamindar’s son Bulu, and the adorable relationship between her and Kiriti (Uttam Kumar).
3/11'Sharey Chuattar' (1953)
It was the second movie of Suchitra Sen and the first one of Uttam and Suchitra together, which made them the most successful and loved screen pair ever. 'Sharey Chuattar' is believed to be one of the best Bengali old comedy movies which is still a must-watch. Just imagine the chaotic situation when a beautiful young lady steps into a hostel full of bachelors! Director Nirmal Dey opted for the most romantic pair of Bengali cinema- Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen at their best and to some extent an even better on-screen chemistry between Molina Devi and Tulsi Chakraborty.
4/11'Saptapadi' (1961)
The iconic bike sequence of this Bengali classic turned out to be a template for many Bengali romantic tracks. Coming to celluloid during the peak of the Uttam-Suchitra wave, ‘Saptapadi’ is all about the doomed romance of a Bengali Brahmin boy and a Christian girl. The movie was packed with all the elements a romantic Bengali film of 1960 would have. The outstanding camera work, brilliant script and heart-touching music, makes ‘Saptapadi’ a near perfect movie experience for cine lovers.
5/11'Indrani' (1958)
‘Indrani’, directed by Niren Lahiri, is a regular Uttam Kumar-Suchitra Sen love story with some added twists different from the typical on-screen romance of any film featuring the pair. It’s a film much ahead of its time breaking the stereotypes at that time. It’s one of the very few early films in Indian cinema that dealt with the ramifications of a husband-wife relationship where the wife becomes successful and the husband fails to succeed in life.
6/11'Shap Mochan' (1955)
'Shap Mochan' is another Uttam-Suchitra classic directed by Falguni Mukherjee. The entire film sees Suchitra Sen in her amazing portrayal of Madhuri and her desperation to eliminate a family curse and inspire Uttam Kumar (the character Mahendra) to pursue his musical career. A strong storyline and superb acting by some of the stalwarts of the Bengali films, make this 1955 classic one of the elite films Uttam and Suchitra have ever acted in.
7/11'Pathey Holo Deri' (1957)
With their sheer charisma and chemistry, Uttam-Suchitra used to beat any other on-screen couple hollow. Their classic romantic films together are a treat to watch even today and ‘Pathey Holo Deri’ seems to be no exception. The story of the film revolves around an MBBS doctor (Uttam) who falls in love with the granddaughter (Suchitra) of a wealthy man. The young lady helps him to pursue his dream to complete higher studies by giving him her mother’s jewellery. After the return of the doctor, the fate of the couple takes a twisting turn as the grandfather of the girl goes for a sinister move.
8/11'Harano Sur' (1957)
The legendary Suchitra Sen and Uttam Kumar– that’s what this movie is all about. It’s simply their charisma, their chemistry, their presence which will captivate you throughout. As per the narrative, Uttam Kumar becomes an amnesiac following a train accident and meets a doctor played by Suchitra Sen. They fall in love and eventually tie the knot, but soon Uttam recovers his lost memory after another accident. He then returns to his old life, leaving Suchitra but she visits Calcutta in search of her husband. Uttam fails to recognize her. Isn’t it an intriguing storyline? The climax is even better!
9/11'Sabar Uparey' (1955)
Bengal has no doubt gifted so many great names in acting and entertainment, some far more talented than the duo. Still, time hasn’t worn down the sweet memory of Uttam-Suchitra. The why’s and how’s of their chemistry mystified a generation that saw the pairing as romantic legends. ‘Sabar Uparey’ was a film of that calibre. The story followed a poor lawyer who suddenly hears that his father served a jail sentence for a woman's murder he didn't even commit. To establish his father's innocence, the protagonist (Uttam Kumar) leaves his home to start his own probe and when everything is against him, he fights back.
10/11'Sagarika' (1956)
The all-time favourite on-screen couple of the Bengali cinema not just created many memorable romantic moments but also shattered many taboos around romance, just like in the 1956 classic ‘Sagarika’. Made by the directorial group Agragami, its story follows a young talented lad Arun (Uttam Kumar) with a big dream of studying medicine abroad and the women he comes across. Arun, after being blind for a period, finally reunites with his love and life becomes all good.
11/11'Ora Thake Odhare' (1954)
The 1954 Bengali classic directed by Sukumar Dasgupta shows the age-old battle between a West Bengali ‘ghoti’ family and a ‘bangal’ family from East Bengal. It deals with the friction between two communities that exists since almost eternity. But then, as the narrative moves on, this comedy flick becomes a kaleidoscope of emotions that is synonymous with the Bengal of yore. ‘Ora Thake Odhare’ paired Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen romantically but this is one of the rare films where the jori attracts the least attention.