Nayak (also released under the translated title The Hero, and as Nayak: The Hero) is a 1966 Indian Bengali-languagedrama film composed, written, and directed by Satyajit Ray. It was Ray's second entirely original screenplay, after Kanchenjungha (1962). The story revolves around a matinee idol on a 24-hour train journey from Kolkata to Delhi to receive a national award. However, he ends up revealing his mistakes, insecurities and regrets to a young journalist, who realises that behind all his arrogant facade lies a deeply troubled man as his life's story is gradually revealed through seven flashbacks and two dreams.[1][2] The film starring Uttam Kumar in main protagonist and Sharmila Tagore played second lead.
In Nayak, Uttam Kumar plays Arindam Mukherjee with such poise and ease that it appears as if he is portraying his own life on the celluloid. Ray gives us a vulnerable hero hiding behind his cocky, larger-than-life façade. And, Kumar, to his credit, never misses a note during his challenging portrayal. He is well complemented by Sharmila Tagore who plays the character of Aditi to a tee. Aditi is the only person Arindam opens up to; the tantalizing conversations between the two characters offer some great food for thought. Ray uses the various interactions between the co-passengers to make us realize that the hypocrisies and follies of a star are not much different from that of an ordinary man. A few other characters in the movie merely provide a morality check.[3]
Satyajit Ray often used to say that he did not like making grand films, and that he would rather tell the story of the ordinary man, the man on the street. Like his films, his short stories too mirrored this preference of his – most of them describing the lives of ordinary men – all of whom were, without exception, very lonely. Why, then, did Ray decide to make Nayak (The Hero) – a film on the life of an insanely popular matinee idol, a brash, haughty young superstar riding the waves of popularity and enjoying it to the hilt? The answer is hidden in the many layers of the film itself – a film that is so rich, so deep and yet, told in such simple language that perhaps it would not be a mistake to claim that it featured among the best works of Satyajit Ray's illustrious career.[4]
Plot
The plot of the film has to some extent been inspired by Wild Strawberries of Ingmar Bergman.[5] A famous actor of Bengali films, Arindam Mukherjee (Uttam Kumar), is invited to the capital, Delhi to receive a prestigious award. He travels by the train. The morning newspaper arrives and carries with it an article on an altercation he had been involved in. In the restaurant car, he meets Aditi Sengupta (Sharmila Tagore), a young journalist who edits a modern women's magazine, Adhunika.[2] Filled with contempt for the likes of him, she secretly plans to interview him because she thinks it would attract more readers. He soon starts to reveal his personality, and also brings to surface the inner insecurities and his consciousness of the limitations of his 'powers'. Aditi initially takes notes, surreptitiously, but later on, out of empathy almost bordering on pity, stops. However, critical of the star, she interrogates him, leading to further introspection on his part. Slowly, his guilt about the way things turned out is very visible.
Arindam also mentions Shankar-da, his mentor, who had never wanted Arindam to join films, being a strong opposer of the medium. He talks about his first day in film, and on the different experiences he faced with other workers in the field and some of the things that happened to them.
Toward the end of the train journey, Arindam is drunk and feels a need to confide his wrongdoings. He asks the conductor to fetch Aditi. He begins to reveal the reason behind the altercation he was a part of, but Aditi stops him, as she has already guessed. It was an affair he'd had with one of his co-actors, Promila. Afraid that he might commit suicide, Aditi makes sure he returns to his cubicle, before going back to her own.
As the star re-lives and examines his life with Aditi, a bond develops between them. Aditi realizes that in spite of his fame and success, Arindam is a lonely man, in need of empathy. Out of respect for him, she chooses to suppress the story and tears up the notes she has written. She lets the hero preserve his public image.
This is Satyajit Ray's second original screenplay after Kanchunjungha. Ray wrote the screenplay of the film at Darjeeling in May, where he went during off-season from filming. Even then he had Uttam Kumar in his mind for the lead, but not as an actor, rather a "phenomenon". When Ray finished this script he read it to Tapan Sinha and said ''I would choose Uttam for this role''. Sinha replied This is the perfect choice. No one else can play this role other than Uttam.[6] In a letter by Ray in 1966, he wrote:
I wanted a relationship to develop between the Matinee Idol and a girl on the train. Romance was out – the time being so short – but I wanted something with an interesting development. The transition from apathy mixed with a certain dislike, to sympathetic understanding, seemed a promising one. So I made Aditi a slightly snooty sophisticate who questions and resists the easy charm, good looks, sangfroid, etc etc. of the Idol, until she discovers there’s an area where he is helpless, lonely, and in need of guidance. From the point where he begins to unburden himself, Aditi can ignore his façade because she’s had a glimpse of what lies beneath. At first he is ‘material’ for her for a journalistic probe, until the process of unbarring reaches a point where she realizes it would be unethical to exploit it. Sympathy and desire to help is the next step. The bond between the two is tenuous, but real. Intellectually clearly above him, her goodness consists in providing him with the small area of contact that exists between them...
[7]
Casting
Uttam Kumar was the obvious choice for the role of Arindam ever since Ray had written the film. But at first Ray selected Madhabi Mukherjee for the role of Aditi. But Madhabi rejected the offer because of personal reasons. When Ray couldn't find any artist for the role of Aditi he suddenly thought of Sharmila Tagore. During those years, Tagore was busy filming Hindi films. According to Ray's son Sandip Ray Sharmila was dating Tiger Pataudi at that time. Tiger would also come to see the shooting back then.Bharati Devi and other well known artists played the supporting roles. Soumitra Chatterjee who was a known face in Ray's films as a lead actor, was also wanted to play Arindam on screen. But Ray already had Uttam on his mind.
Development
The film was shot in the latter half of 1965. Many people thought generally that the film was shot in train. But originally the film was shot in NT Studio (New Theaters) 1 and 2 both. The art director Banshi Chandra Gupta personally visited in Santragachi junction to see train compartment making. Later he brings train making parts and builds up a luxurious Rajdhani Express in studio and the outside train sequences, shots and sound are taken from original train journey from Kolkata to Delhi when Banshi himself captured that totally. The film also was shot in Howrah Station and that tea drinking scenes in station of Uttam are taken from Khanyan station. In this same scenes Sharmila shots are taken from studio.
Before the shooting of Nayak Uttam suffered in chicken pox. So there was a black spots on his check. The first day of shoot Ray told Uttam to shoot without makeup Uttam generally shocked. He suggests to Ray that he had a pox spot so to give the permissions of makeup but Ray reassured him, saying he would give him some make up during the later stages shooting.
In one scenario, he took the pen out of the pocket to sign. The pen had run out of ink. Satyajit went to say cut, then Uttam tried to sign again with a light shake. Even though it didn't work, he dipped the pen in the glass of water in front of him and signed. Satyajit was very happy to see this scene. This show Uttam's geniusness.
Sharmila Tagore's stylish modern glass was famous at that time in women's society.
Ray was known for his perfection. So in Nayak he rejected 100 shaving brush before to not matched to his mind and then selected one for Uttam.[9]
Release & Reception
The film premiered in Indira Cinema hall. Satyajit Ray invited Uttam Kumar to attend the premiere. When Uttam Kumar arrived in Indira Hall, there were thousands of people gathered to see him and police was employed to handle the situation.[10] The film released on 6 May 1966 in India and Berlin Film Festivals and received overwhelming appreciation from the critics. It was released in the US in 1974.
This was the first time when the two icons of Bengali Cinema Satyajit Ray and Uttam Kumar worked together. Uttam Kumar once said that it was one of the best films of his career. When the famous Hollywood star Elizabeth Taylor saw Nayak in London she become impressed with Uttam's outstanding performance and screen presence in the film. This film gave Uttam international recognition. The film become an all-time blockbuster at the box office.[11]
Ray wrote after Uttam's death ‘I hardly recall any discussion with Uttam on a serious analytical level on the character he was playing. And yet he constantly surprised and delighted me with unexpected little details of action and behaviour which came from him and not from me, which were always in character and always enhanced a scene. They were so spontaneous that it seemed he produced these out of his sleeve. If there was any cogitation involved, he never spoke about it.’[12] He also said that in this film he might have made some mistakes but Uttam never made any, every shot was confirmed in one take.
For his performance in Nayak, Uttam Kumar was included in Forbes India's 25 greatest acting performances of all time.[13]
After being digitally restored in Academy Film Archive ''Nayak'' was re released in 2014 Berlin Film Festivals. The film got success again.[14]
