Satyajit Ray's Pather Panchali fame Uma Dasgupta passes away at 84

Bengali actress Uma Dasgupta, popular for her iconic role in Satyajit Ray's Pather Panchali, passed away on November 18, 2024, at the age of 84. The veteran actress Uma was battling cancer for several years. The news of her demise was confirmed by her relative, actor and politician Chiranjeet Chakraborty, through Anandabazar Patrika.

Uma Dasgupta passes away

Her relative Chiranjeet Chakraborty told Anandabazar Patrika that he met Uma’s daughter on Monday morning who revealed that she is no more. He said, “Uma di's daughter informed me that she is no more. She was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago.” It is revealed that Uma had been receiving cancer treatment and was admitted to a local hospital in Kolkata.

Trinamool Congress Leader (TMC) MP and author Kunal Ghosh shared a post for the actress on Facebook which read, “Durga from Pather Panchali is now really gone.”

More details about Uma Dasgupta’s life

For those unaware, Uma gained fame after featuring in acclaimed director Satyajit Ray’s debut film Pather Panchali. Uma, who was 14 years then, played the character of Durga in the film. It is reported that the actress got her role in the film after Satyajit saw her performance in a school play and got in touch with her family.

Uma wanted to do theatre plays from a very young age. It is reported that the principal of her school was friends with director Satyajit Ray which led to Uma’s entry in Pather Panchali. Though Uma's father disliked seeing his daughter in films, he allowed her to play Durga’s role. Despite the film’s international success, Uma appeared in only a few films and became a teacher by profession.

Cast and crew of Pather Panchali

Uma’s character Durga dies due to a high fever in the film. Pather Panchali is an adaptation of Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay's 1929 Bengali novel of the same name. Along with Uma Dasgupta, the film featured Subir Banerjee, Kanu Banerjee, Karuna Banerjee, Pinaki Sengupta, and Chunibala Devi in pivotal roles.

Pather Panchali is the first film in The Apu trilogy revealing the lives of two siblings - Durga and Apu.