Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials,
\n Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription<\/p>\n
The View From India
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLooking at World Affairs from the Indian perspective.<\/p>\n
First Day First Show
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNews and reviews from the world of cinema and streaming.<\/p>\n
Today's Cache
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tYour download of the top 5 technology stories of the day.<\/p>\n
Science For All
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe weekly newsletter from science writers takes the jargon out of science and puts the fun in!<\/p>\n
Data Point
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDecoding the headlines with facts, figures, and numbers<\/p>\n
THEdge
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAt the cutting edge of education and careers<\/p>\n
Health Matters
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRamya Kannan writes to you on getting to good health, and staying there<\/p>\n
Gender Agenda
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStories from beyond the binary.<\/p>\n
The Hindu On Books
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBooks of the week, reviews, excerpts, new titles and features.<\/p>\n
Updated – August 08, 2026 02:37 am IST – Kolkata\u00a0<\/p>\n
Statue of Bengali cinema icon Uttam Kumar. Photo: X\/@KunalGhoshAgain<\/p>\n
Artists in\u00a0West\u00a0Bengal\u00a0have expressed\u00a0outrage over\u00a0a statue of Bengali cinema icon Uttam Kumar, which was recently unveiled at\u00a0Keoratala\u00a0Crematorium in Kolkata by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. \u201cNeither does the statue have any resemblance to the yesteryear superstar,\u00a0nor\u00a0is it\u00a0a work of art,\u201d said critics.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Uttam Kumar, who is known as the\u00a0\u201cMahanayak\u201c\u00a0(superstar)\u00a0of Bengali cinema, is held in high regard in the cultural circles of Bengal. However, this recently unveiled statue of the artist has\u00a0left artists in the State unsettled.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is very\u00a0ugly; the people who\u00a0do\u00a0this work are incompetent,\u00a0and the people who commission it are equally incompetent. They do not understand art. People who are close to politicians are becoming artists now.\u00a0This work is done through\u00a0tenders;\u00a0but\u00a0artwork through tenders\u00a0is\u00a0absurd, and this is the result. Artists are low-paid. They work on short deadlines;\u00a0how will they\u00a0deliver?\u201c\u00a0celebrated senior artist and\u00a0sculptor Sanatan Dinda told\u00a0The Hindu.\u00a0<\/p>\n