In popular Bengali cinema, the 1950s–1970s are often referred to as the ‘Uttam–Suchitra Yug’, an era when the superhit romantic melodramas of actors Uttam Kumar (1926–1980) and Suchitra Sen (1931–2014) reigned supreme. Feted as the ultimate romantic screen couple, the actors became synonymous with love and modern romance and came to define commercial Bengali cinema, revitalising the industry at a time when it was threatened by financial troubles and increasing competition from Bollywood. However, scholarly engagement with popular Bengali cinema and its stars remains limited. Filling this lacuna, Modernities and the Popular Melodrama examines the film careers of Suchitra and Uttam, the media frenzy surrounding their public and private lives and selves, and the imprint they left on the popular imagination in newly independent India.