# Tarun Kumar (তরুণ কুমার চট্টোপাধ্যায়) (Bengali actor)
**Tarun Kumar** (তরুণ কুমার চট্টোপাধ্যায়; full name Tarun Kumar Chatterjee, 24 February 1931 – 27 October 2003) was an Indian actor who worked in Bengali cinema, chiefly in supporting roles, and was the younger brother of the Bengali film star [Uttam Kumar](https://www.edgepedia.org/uttam-kumar).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0474905/) • [2](https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/tarun-kumar-dead/cid/798423)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 24 February 1931, Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0474905/) |
| Died | 27 October 2003, Kolkata, West Bengal, India, aged 72; IMDb records the cause as a heart ailment[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0474905/bio/) • [2](https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/tarun-kumar-dead/cid/798423) |
| Family | Younger brother of Uttam Kumar; known in the industry as Buroda[2](https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/tarun-kumar-dead/cid/798423) |
| Career span | Debut with *Hrod* in 1954; acted in over 500 films[2](https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/tarun-kumar-dead/cid/798423) |
| Award | *Dada Thakur* won the President's Gold Medal for All India Best Feature Film at the 10th National Film Awards in 1962[2](https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/tarun-kumar-dead/cid/798423) • [7](https://www.nationalfilmawards.in/best-feature-film-national-award/) |
| Stage work | *Nahabat*, in which he had one of the main roles, ran for about seven years[2](https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/tarun-kumar-dead/cid/798423) |
| Family life | Married Subrata Chatterjee in 1962; one child[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0474905/bio/) |
## Life and career
Tarun Kumar Chatterjee was born in Calcutta in 1931, into the family that also produced Uttam Kumar, the star of Bengali commercial cinema.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0474905/) He made his screen debut with *Hrod* in 1954 and went on to act in more than 500 films.[2](https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/tarun-kumar-dead/cid/798423)
**Films.** Although he worked in the shadow of his brother, he built his own place in Bengali films with titles including *Deya Neya*, *Jhinder Bandi*, *Rater Rajanigandha*, *Shesh Anka*, *Stree*, *Banpalashir Padabali*, and *Pratham Kadam Phool*.[2](https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/tarun-kumar-dead/cid/798423) In *Jhinder Bandi* (1961), Tapan Sinha's adaptation of the *Prisoner of Zenda* story, he played the Prince of Jhind; the film is his highest-rated credit on IMDb at 8.1.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0474905/) Other frequently listed credits include *Baghini* (1968), *Mon Niye* (1969), and *Shakti* (1993).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0474905/) [BookMyShow](https://www.edgepedia.org/bookmyshow) also credits him as a producer on *Abak Prithibi* (1959).[4](https://in.bookmyshow.com/person/tarun-kumar-chatterjee/2013540/filmography) His work continued into the 1990s, with supporting roles in films such as *Damu* (1996) and *Ranokhetro* (1998).[5](https://www.indianfilmhistory.com/crew/tarun-kumar-chatterjee)
**Stage.** He was also successful in theater. In *Nahabat*, in which he had one of the main roles, the production ran for about seven years.[2](https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/tarun-kumar-dead/cid/798423)
**Recognition.** *Dadathakur* won the President's Gold Medal for All India Best Feature Film at the 10th [National Film Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/national-film-awards) in 1962.[2](https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/tarun-kumar-dead/cid/798423) • [7](https://www.nationalfilmawards.in/best-feature-film-national-award/)
## Death
Kumar was hospitalised on 17 October 2003 after vomiting blood and later went into a coma. He died on the morning of 27 October 2003 in Kolkata at the age of 72; IMDb records the cause as a heart ailment. Actors of all age groups and the [West Bengal](https://www.edgepedia.org/west-bengal) chief minister condoled his death. He was survived by his wife and daughter.[2](https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/tarun-kumar-dead/cid/798423) • [3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0474905/bio/)
## In popular culture
In the 2022 biographical film *Achena Uttam*, about the final days of Uttam Kumar, Biswanath Basu portrayed Tarun Kumar as an understated peacemaker within the family drama.[6](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bengali/movie-reviews/achena-uttam/movie-review/93072752.cms)
## References
1. [Tarun Kumar Chatterjee, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0474905/)
2. [Tarun Kumar dead, The Telegraph (Kolkata), 27 October 2003](https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/tarun-kumar-dead/cid/798423)
3. [Tarun Kumar Chatterjee - Biography - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0474905/bio/)
4. [Tarun Kumar Chatterjee filmography, BookMyShow](https://in.bookmyshow.com/person/tarun-kumar-chatterjee/2013540/filmography)
5. [Tarun Kumar Chatterjee filmography, Indian Film History](https://www.indianfilmhistory.com/crew/tarun-kumar-chatterjee)
6. [Achena Uttam Movie Review, The Times of India, 23 July 2022](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bengali/movie-reviews/achena-uttam/movie-review/93072752.cms)
7. [Best Feature Film National Award Winners: All Years Database - National Film Awards](https://www.nationalfilmawards.in/best-feature-film-national-award/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of South Asia › Indian screen actors, 1970s to 1990s*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 20, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Sep 20, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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