Sharmila Tagore’s Birthday: How Satyajit Ray helped the actress deliver a performance par excellence in Nayak

Sharmila Tagore, who turns 80 today (November 8), is one of the most respected and accomplished names in the film industry. During her illustrious career, she has delivered powerful performances in several classics and proved her mettle. While everyone is aware of her contribution to Hindi cinema, not many may know that she actually started her journey as an actor in the Bengali film industry. In fact, it was Tollywood that actually brought out the best in her by giving her the opportunity to work alongside the iconic Uttam Kumar. Sharmila worked with the matinee idol on several occasions. However, Nayak (1966) holds the distinction of being their finest work together

Satyajit Ray’s Nayak was a moving drama that centered on Arindam Mukherjee (Uttam Kumar), a superstar, as he travels to Delhi via train to receive an award. During the journey, he develops a bond with Aditi Sengupta (Sharmila)– a journalist-- and opens up about his struggles and most intimate secrets. Nayak, like most of Ray’s films, had an inherently simple storyline with virtually no unnecessary commercial elements. Its strength lay purely in the screenplay. The opening scenes examined Arindam’s standing as a public figure and established him as someone with a calm and somewhat distant demeanor.?

Thereafter, Ray used Sharmila’s character to examine his vulnerabilities. He shared his most personal memories with her and gave her a look at the man behind the star. By using this approach, Ray essentially put Aditi’s character on a pedestal and gave her equal importance as the one played by Uttam. This, of course, was a risky thing to do as Sharmila was still relatively new in the industry.

?However, her effortless performance and Ray’s skillful writing ensured that the risk paid off. Ray portrayed Aditi as a fiercely independent woman with strong views. She hated the likes of Arindam and felt that there was no need to give importance to them. However, at the same time, Ray brought out her indecisiveness and apparent lack of experience when she let the flip of a coin decide her course of action. This made her character as layered as the one played by the ‘Mahanayak’.?

Sharmila did full justice to Ray’s vision and delivered a performance that brought the character to life just the way he had envisioned. Her measured yet sharp dialogue delivery in a scene, where she taunts Arindam by saying that she has to work hard to succeed in life, helped her hold her own against the legend.?

Similarly, she was at her coyest best when Aditi blushes and tries to hide her face to avoid the ‘public’ while she is conversing with Arindam. Her transition from bold to coy was as effortless as anything. Sharmila also conveyed a lot through simple gestures and her silences, which is no mean feat. A scene where she refuses to join Uttam Character for tea on the platform is a case in point.?

She also shared a very natural chemistry with Uttam Kumar despite the age gap. A lot was often left ‘unsaid’, which added a new layer to their reel rapport.?

All in all, Uttam Kumar is often credited as the driving force behind Nayak and rightly so as Ray wrote the film with him in mind. However, Sharmila’s contribution to it can’t be overlooked.?

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