Uma Dasgupta, Iconic Star of 'Pather Panchali', Dies at 84

Uma Dasgupta, Bengali actress who played the role of Durga in Pather Panchali, was 84 and dies an Indian cinema.

On Monday, the Bengali actress Uma Dasgupta, who was famed for playing the role of Durga in Satyajit Ray’s Pather Panchali (1955), breathed her last at 84 years of age. She battled cancer for many years and lost the battle in a private hospital located in Kolkata.

Durga, portrayed by Dasgupta, is a fearless sister in Indian cinema's iconic Apu Trilogy film series. The character influenced by Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay's novel marks a pivotal moment, as Durga and Apu watch trains pass in a scene before their lives take a tragic turn.

In stark contrast to most of her accolades for performing arts in Pather Panchali, Dasgupta shunned up market films and appeared only in a few other so called art films. Instead, she chose to teach which epitomized her taciturn character even more.

Confirming the news of Dasgupta’s death, her daughter, actor and politician Chiranjit Chakraborty said she had had Dasgupta under medical care for some time. In recent weeks her health had deteriorated to the point she was hospitalized.

The media and film industry mourned her death. Many people including Trinamool Congress MP Kunal Ghosh paid homage to her. Ghosh also wrote on his social platform that “Durga of Pather Panchali is no more.”

Even though she is not in the industry anymore, the work of Uma Dasgupta over the years, especially in cinema, is unforgettable and continues to motivate many filmmakers and viewers even today.