In Remembrance of Bimal Roy: The Doyen Of Indian Cinema

The 8th of January marks an auspicious day in the history of Indian cinema. This day is celebrated to honour one of the most celebrated Indian filmmakers, Bimal Roy. Born on 12th July, 1909 to a Bengali Baidya zamindar family in the parts of the then Eastern Bengal and Assam province, he was renowned for his art of filmmaking that revolutionised Indian cinema. Known for his realistic and socialistic films that stole people’s hearts for its utter rawness, Roy went on to receive several Filmfare awards during the 90s. His films have been nominated for the Cannes Film Festival and was one of the few directors to win an International prize in 1953 for his film Do Bigha Zamin which was appreciated worldwide. It paved the way for what we call Parallel Cinema or the New Indian Cinema which was a movement in the Indian film industry as an alternative to the mainstream commercial movies. Inspired by Italian Neorealism, this movement originated in the states of West Bengal in the 1950s which eliminated dance and songs, which are typical of Indian films and included more serious content and realism in the movies.To commemorate the legend that he was, “The Man Who Spoke in Pictures'' was written as a eulogy on his 100th birthday. His films continue to be screened at major national and international film festivals in India, Europe and North America. In order to raise awareness about his art and persona, an online museum has been established by his family members to glorify his art.