Modi lauds Bengali actor ahead of birth centenary

Paying tribute to Bengali actor Uttam Kumar ahead of his birth centenary, PM Modi Sunday described him as a versatile actor whose rise despite the failure of several early films offered the lesson to “Never give up”.In his Mann Ki Baat address, Modi said Kumar had become “deeply embedded in people’s hearts” through his acting. Recalling that film lovers believe Satyajit Ray wrote the script of ‘Nayak’ with the “mahanayak” in mind, Modi cited Ray’s assessment that the actor combined “remarkable emotional depth” with dignity. He said Kumar was known for his “natural ease” and philanthropy and “worked very hard” to bring his characters alive.