December 20, 2010 (Sampurn Wire): We do not get comedians of the stature of Tulsi Chakrabarty these days, says Bibhu Jotayu Bhattacharjee. And most would agree with him. Remember him from the days of Parash Pathar and todays generation would agree with the fact that in comparison to Tulsi Chakrabarty, the present comedians in Bengali cinema are mere clowns who in most cases fail to tickle your funny bones. But did you know that Tulsi Chakrabarty too worked as a clown several years ago before he joined the Bengali film industry? this is what Bibhu Bhattacharjee reveals in a statement to the media.

Not only did the maestro comedian, whose most recognized work was as the lead in Satyajit Rays Parash Pathar, work as a stand-up clown with a circus group, he was also a salesboy who sold spices from the shop that was his fathers and which he was supposed to maintain to carry forward the family tradition. A failure in his first stage performance, little did anyone initially think that Tulsi Chakrabarti would be revered as one of the best actors that Bengali cinema has ever produced.

But it is indeed sad to know that an actor who Satyajit Ray himself said was equal to any Oscar winner was paid so less that he could barely make ends meet during his career. If reports are to be believed, Tulsi Chakrabarti was not only paid lesser than his inferiors during the span of his career, he and his widowed wife also spent the last days of their lives in abject poverty.

-- Sampurn Wire