Being an ordinary clerk in the Calcutta Port Commission, Uttam Kumar’s early efforts on screen fell into such bad weather that he seriously thought of packing-up and returning to his 9-to-5 routine! Interestingly, fate had some other plans. His brand of charismatic acting, in a world dominated by “theatrics”, brought a fresh whiff of air to the new cinema- literate generation at that time. It’s been 38 years without Uttam Kumar, but a lot of sweet memories persist: The charming figure whose mesmerising smile used to light up the souls and fantasies of generations of women.On his 38th death anniversary, we take a look at 10 memorable quotes about Bengal’s matinee idol by some of the greatest actors, directors and writers.