Uma Dasgupta, beloved for her role as Durga Roy in Satyajit Ray’s timeless classic ‘Pather Panchali’, passed away on Monday at the age of 84. She had been battling cancer and breathed her last at a private hospital in Kolkata. Her daughter, Srimayee Sen Ram, confirmed the news, and actor Chiranjit Chakraborty shared it publicly.
Dasgupta’s portrayal of Durga as a free-spirited young girl in Ray’s 1955 masterpiece left an indelible mark on Indian cinema. Cast at just 12 years old while studying in eighth grade, she was discovered by Ray with the help of her school’s assistant headmaster, Ashish Burman.
Her debut in ‘Pather Panchali’, based on Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay’s novel, was her only venture into cinema, as she chose not to pursue mainstream acting thereafter.
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The film, part of Ray’s ‘Apu Trilogy’, featured a talented cast, including Kanu Banerjee, Karuna Banerjee, and Subir Banerjee, and remains a landmark in Indian and global cinema for its realistic portrayal of rural life.
Beyond her brief but iconic stint on the silver screen, Uma Dasgupta led a life rooted in academics and community service. A graduate of Jogamaya Devi College, affiliated with the University of Calcutta, she dedicated her career to teaching.
From 1984 to 2000, she worked as a nursery and primary school teacher at Jadavpur Vidyapith, nurturing young minds with the same passion she brought to her acting.
Dasgupta’s passing marks the end of an era, as she represented the golden age of Indian cinema that brought global acclaim to Bengali storytelling. The family cremated her on the same day at Kolkata’s Keoratala crematorium in the presence of close family and friends.