Film frat remembers a good friend, a fine actor and a foodie

At a time when single screens were the only source of entertainment for the average Bengali, Tapas Paul, with his innocent boy-next-door looks, won hearts. His natural and easy acting in his debut film, Dadar Kirti (1980), directed by Tarun Majumdar, was loved by all. That was just the beginning of his eventful three-decade-long career as the actor went on to become a household name, courtesy his roles in superhit films like Saheb (1981),

Parabat Priya

(1984), Anurager Choyan (1986), Amar Bandhan (1986), Gurudakshina (1987) and so on. Today, with slick multiplexes and high production values, it may be difficult to comprehend how Tapas captured the imagination of a certain generation. But at a time when the Bengali film industry was crippled by the lack of audiences and actors who could draw the masses to theatres, Tapas Paul had emerged as a game changer.His films, high on emotional drama and with hummable songs, ran to packed theatres for weeks. And sometimes, even months. In a career spanning over three decades, the actor worked with the likes of Madhuri Dixit (Abodh), Prosenjit Chatterjee, Soumitra Chatterjee, Ranjit Mallick and Raakhee Gulzar besides proving to be a successful co-star with Satabdi Roy, Debasree Roy and Moon Moon Sen, among others. The actor passed away in Mumbai in the wee hours of Tuesday, drawing emotional responses from peers and mentors alike.



‘His expressions worked wonders with the audience’
I directed Tapasda in hits like Songharsho, Mangal Deep and Ajker Santan. I remember, while making Guru Dakshina, where I was the assistant director, he used to tell me: ‘Haroda, I have just 20 dialogues and a lot more reactions!’ And I’d assure him saying that his expressions would work wonders with the audience, and so it did! As an actor, he was brilliant but as a friend, he was the best. We used to party at his house on every big and small occasion — from his sister’s wedding, Sohini’s (Tapas’s daughter) birthday to New Year’s Eve. He was a big foodie and loved to cook as well. A diligent actor, he also had a great sense of humour.
— Haranath Chakraborty
‘We lost a star, a brilliant actor and a great soul’
We may have been competitors in the professional world, but I have lost one of my dear friends today. We were part of a healthy competition, which helped us grow as actors. His Dadar Kirti was a milestone in Bangla films. We’ve lost a star, a brilliant actor and above all, a great soul.
— Prosenjit Chatterjee
‘ Versatile actor, loving person’
One of the best actors of his time, Tapas Paul’s versatility remains unmatched. He was brilliant in each of the three films he did with me — a wrestler in Uttara, a driver in

Mondo Meyer Upakhyan

and a thief in Janala. I remember, when Uttara won in the best director category at the Venice International Film Festival, he started dancing on the street there. He was a simple, well-mannered and loving person, and very dear to me as an actor.
— Buddhadeb Dasgupta
‘Tapas was a director’s actor’
I’ve worked with Tapas in many films including Pratik and Tumi Ele Tai. He was a director’s actor. He was an extremely friendly person who loved to eat. I suggested he lose weight so that I could cast him in Sedin Chaitramas. Sadly, when I called him after a month, he was busy gorging on topshe maachh bhaja. He laughed and said he will start losing weight from next month! Tapas loved to eat and led a happy life.
— Prabhat Roy
‘He had a great sense of humour’
Neelimai Neel, Bibar, Antartama — I’ve worked with Tapasda in several films. He had a great sense of humour and extremely cooperative on sets. A few months back, he called me to say he was looking for work and wanted to reunite with his old colleagues from the industry. I could sense the pain in his voice. He was desperate to work again and get back to a normal life.
— Indrani Haldar
‘We lost one of the finest human beings’
My first two films — Duranto Prem and

Daan Pratidaan

— happened to be with Tapasda, and both went on to become superhits. He was a brilliant actor and I have always kept in touch with him. He was keen to get back to acting and his old associates. We have lost a good actor and one of the finest human beings.
— Rachna Banerjee