Supriya Devi’s daughter refutes viral claim on Uttam Kumar’s final farewell

New Delhi: A fresh debate has emerged over the personal lives of legendary Bengali actors Uttam Kumar and Supriya Devi, after a viral social media video claimed that Supriya Devi was barred from paying her final respects to the iconic actor following his death.

Reacting to the claim, Soma Chatterjee, Supriya Devi’s daughter, released a video on Facebook rejecting the allegation. She said the claim was factually incorrect and clarified that her mother had not been stopped from entering Uttam Kumar’s residence.

“I saw a social media post claiming that a relative of Uttam Kumar said my mother was not allowed into the Girish Mukherjee Road house. I strongly object to this. I was with my mother that day, and the truth is that no one prevented her from entering. She herself chose not to go,” Soma said.

Explaining her mother’s decision, Soma said the atmosphere following Uttam Kumar’s death was emotionally charged and influenced by several complex issues. According to her, Supriya Devi deliberately stayed away to avoid any unpleasant situation or controversy during the mourning period.

Soma also rejected suggestions that her mother had failed in her responsibilities toward the actor. She recalled that Supriya Devi shared a live-in relationship with Uttam Kumar for nearly two decades and played a significant role in caring for him throughout that period.

“My mother looked after every aspect of his life. She cooked for him because he loved her food and even sacrificed parts of her own acting career to support him. I witnessed those sacrifices myself. It is deeply hurtful when people say she was prevented from seeing him or failed in her responsibilities,” she said.

Without naming anyone directly, Soma suggested that the person who made the viral claim may not have been fully aware of the actual events because of their young age at the time. She said she chose to speak publicly 46 years after Uttam Kumar’s death only to place the correct version of events on record.

The controversy follows the circulation of a recent interview featuring Nabamita, Uttam Kumar’s granddaughter, who reportedly claimed that Gouri Devi, Uttam Kumar’s wife, did not allow Supriya Devi to approach the actor’s body after his death. According to the interview, Gouri Devi believed Supriya Devi had failed to take proper care of Uttam Kumar, leading to resentment that influenced the decision.

Although Soma Chatterjee did not mention Nabamita or the interview by name, many social media users believe her statement was intended as a response to the viral remarks.

The discussion has once again brought renewed public attention to the widely discussed relationship between Uttam Kumar and Supriya Devi, whose personal and professional partnership remains one of the most enduring and debated chapters in the history of Bengali cinema.