Bimal Roy
Encyclopedia
Bimal Roy (12 July 1909–7 January 1966) was one of the most acclaimed India
n film director
s of all time. He is particularly noted for his realistic and socialistic films like Do Bigha Zamin, Parineeta
, Biraj Bahu
, Madhumati
, Sujata, and Bandini, making him an important director of Hindi cinema
. Inspired by Italian neo-realistic
cinema, he made Do Bigha Zameen after watching, Vittorio De Sica
's Bicycle Thieves
(1948). His work is particularly known for his mise en scène
, which he employed to portray realism
. He won a number of awards throughout his career, including eleven Filmfare Awards
, two National Film Awards
, and the International Prize of the Cannes Film Festival
. Madhumati
won 9 Filmfare Awards
in 1958, a record held for 37 years.
family in Suapur, then part of the Bengal
province of British India and now part of Bangladesh
. Bimal Roy moved to the Calcutta and entered the field of cinema as a camera assistant with New Theatres Pvt. Ltd. During this time, he assisted director P.C. Barua on the hit 1935 movie Devdas
, starring K.L. Saigal
. In the 1940s and 1950s Roy was part of the parallel cinema movement in post-war India. He was famous for his romantic-realist melodramas that took on important social issues while still being entertaining. He was a filmmaker of great and in-depth understanding of human strengths and weaknesses.
He died of cancer at the age of 56.
A detailed biography by his daughter, Rinki Roy Bhattacharya, can be found here www.bimalroy.org/home.html.
s:
Won four Filmfare Best Movie Award
s:
Nominated for Grand Prize of the Festival
:
Nominated for Palme d'Or
:
and S.D. Burman
. His films featured beautiful and memorable songs, rendered by all the top playback singers of the day. Some of the notable songs from Roy's films include:
and world cinema
. In Indian cinema, his influence extended to both mainstream commercial Hindi cinema
and the emerging Parallel Cinema
. His film Two Acres of Land (1953) was the first film to successfully stradle art and commercial cinema. It was a commercial and critical success, winning the International Prize at the 1954 Cannes Film Festival
. The film's success paved the way for the Indian New Wave
as a result.
In commercial cinema, the most influential film he directed was perhaps Madhumati
(1958), his first and only collaboration with Ritwik Ghatak (who wrote the screenplay
) and one of the earliest films to deal with reincarnation
. It is believed to have been the source of inspiration for many later works dealing with the theme of reincarnation in Indian cinema, Indian television
, and perhaps world cinema. It may have been the source of inspiration for the American film The Reincarnation of Peter Proud
(1975) and the Hindi film Karz
(1980), both of which dealt with reincarnation and have been influential in their respective cultures. Karz in particular was remade several times: as the Kannada film
Yuga Purusha
(1989), the Tamil film
Enakkul Oruvan
(1984), and more recently the Bollywood
film Karzzzz
(2008). Karz may have also inspired the American film Chances Are
(1989). The most recent film to be directly inspired by Madhumati is the hit Bollywood film Om Shanti Om
(2007), which led to Roy's daughter Rinki Bhattacharya
accusing the film of plagiarism and threatening legal action against its producers.
Bimal Roy's films continue to be screened at major national and international film festivals in India, Europe and North America. His films are currently being restored and digitized by the National Film Archives of India (NFAI) at Pune.
Bimal Roy's four children have recently launched a website, www.bimalroy.org, that will eventually contain much valuable and previously unavailable material on their father's life and career.
Admirers of Bimal Roy and his films should join the Facebook Group Bimal Roy Productions http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_182789331744288&ap=1 which contains a wealth of articles, interviews, essays, videos, pictures and news on the director, his films and his children's work to keep his legacy alive.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
s of all time. He is particularly noted for his realistic and socialistic films like Do Bigha Zamin, Parineeta
Parineeta (1953 film)
Parineeta is a 1953 film based upon the 1914 novel by Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay. The film was directed by Bimal Roy. This version of the film is considered by many to be the most faithful adaptation of the novella, particularly due to Meena Kumari's interpretation of the role of...
, Biraj Bahu
Biraj Bahu
Biraj Bahu is a 1955 Hindi film produced by Hiten Choudhury and directed by Bimal Roy, and based on a novel by Saratchandra Chatterjee. The film stars Kamini Kaushal, Abhi Bhattacharya and Pran. The films music is by Salil Choudhury-Plot:...
, Madhumati
Madhumati
Madhumati is a 1958 Hindi film produced and directed by Bimal Roy, and written by Ritwik Ghatak and Rajinder Singh Bedi. The music was composed by Salil Choudhury with the lyrics by Shailendra. The film stars Dilip Kumar, Vyjayantimala, Pran, and Johnny Walker. It was one of the earliest films to...
, Sujata, and Bandini, making him an important director of Hindi cinema
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
. Inspired by Italian neo-realistic
Italian neorealism
Italian neorealism is a style of film characterized by stories set amongst the poor and working class, filmed on location, frequently using nonprofessional actors...
cinema, he made Do Bigha Zameen after watching, Vittorio De Sica
Vittorio de Sica
Vittorio De Sica was an Italian director and actor, a leading figure in the neorealist movement....
's Bicycle Thieves
Bicycle Thieves
Bicycle Thieves , also known as The Bicycle Thief, is a 1948 Italian neorealist film directed by Vittorio De Sica. It tells the story of a poor man searching the streets of Rome for his stolen bicycle, which he needs to be able to work. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Luigi...
(1948). His work is particularly known for his mise en scène
Mise en scène
Mise-en-scène is an expression used to describe the design aspects of a theatre or film production, which essentially means "visual theme" or "telling a story"—both in visually artful ways through storyboarding, cinematography and stage design, and in poetically artful ways through direction...
, which he employed to portray realism
Realism
Realism, Realist or Realistic are terms that describe any manifestation of philosophical realism, the belief that reality exists independently of observers, whether in philosophy itself or in the applied arts and sciences. In this broad sense it is frequently contrasted with Idealism.Realism in the...
. He won a number of awards throughout his career, including eleven Filmfare Awards
Filmfare Awards
The Filmfare Awards are presented annually by The Times Group to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Hindi language film industry of India. The Filmfare ceremony is one of the oldest and most prominent film events given for Hindi films in India. The awards were...
, two National Film Awards
National Film Awards
The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it is administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directorate of Film Festivals since 1973.Every year, a national panel...
, and the International Prize of the Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
. Madhumati
Madhumati
Madhumati is a 1958 Hindi film produced and directed by Bimal Roy, and written by Ritwik Ghatak and Rajinder Singh Bedi. The music was composed by Salil Choudhury with the lyrics by Shailendra. The film stars Dilip Kumar, Vyjayantimala, Pran, and Johnny Walker. It was one of the earliest films to...
won 9 Filmfare Awards
Filmfare Awards
The Filmfare Awards are presented annually by The Times Group to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Hindi language film industry of India. The Filmfare ceremony is one of the oldest and most prominent film events given for Hindi films in India. The awards were...
in 1958, a record held for 37 years.
Biography
Bimal Roy was born on 12 July 1909, to a zamindarZamindar
A Zamindar or zemindar , was an aristocrat, typically hereditary, who held enormous tracts of land and ruled over and taxed the bhikaaris who lived on batavaslam. Over time, they took princely and royal titles such as Maharaja , Raja , Nawab , and Mirza , Chowdhury , among others...
family in Suapur, then part of the Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
province of British India and now part of Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
. Bimal Roy moved to the Calcutta and entered the field of cinema as a camera assistant with New Theatres Pvt. Ltd. During this time, he assisted director P.C. Barua on the hit 1935 movie Devdas
Devdas (1935 film)
Devdas is a 1935 Bengali film based on the Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay novella, Devdas. It stars P.C. Barua as Devdas and Jamuna Barua as Parvati and Chandrabati Devi as Chandramuki.Sharat Chandra Chatterjee's classic novel Devadas is about two lovers - Debdas and Parbati - who can never unite...
, starring K.L. Saigal
Kundan Lal Saigal
Kundan Lal Saigal was an Indian singer and actor who is considered the first superstar of the Hindi film industry, which was centered in Calcutta during Saigal's time, but is currently centered in Mumbai.-Early life:Saigal was born at Jammu where his father Amar Chand was a tehsildar at the...
. In the 1940s and 1950s Roy was part of the parallel cinema movement in post-war India. He was famous for his romantic-realist melodramas that took on important social issues while still being entertaining. He was a filmmaker of great and in-depth understanding of human strengths and weaknesses.
He died of cancer at the age of 56.
A detailed biography by his daughter, Rinki Roy Bhattacharya, can be found here www.bimalroy.org/home.html.
Filmfare Awards
Won seven Filmfare Best Director AwardFilmfare Best Director Award
The Filmfare Best Director Award is one of the main awards presented given by the annual Filmfare Awards to recognise directors working in the Hindi film Industry. It was first presented in 1954 in the inaugural year.-Superlatives:...
s:
- 1953 for Do Bigha Zamin (Two Acres of Land)
- 1954 for ParineetaParineeta (1953 film)Parineeta is a 1953 film based upon the 1914 novel by Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay. The film was directed by Bimal Roy. This version of the film is considered by many to be the most faithful adaptation of the novella, particularly due to Meena Kumari's interpretation of the role of...
- 1955 for Biraj BahuBiraj BahuBiraj Bahu is a 1955 Hindi film produced by Hiten Choudhury and directed by Bimal Roy, and based on a novel by Saratchandra Chatterjee. The film stars Kamini Kaushal, Abhi Bhattacharya and Pran. The films music is by Salil Choudhury-Plot:...
- 1958 for MadhumatiMadhumatiMadhumati is a 1958 Hindi film produced and directed by Bimal Roy, and written by Ritwik Ghatak and Rajinder Singh Bedi. The music was composed by Salil Choudhury with the lyrics by Shailendra. The film stars Dilip Kumar, Vyjayantimala, Pran, and Johnny Walker. It was one of the earliest films to...
- 1959 for Sujata
- 1960 for Parakh
- 1963 for Bandini
Won four Filmfare Best Movie Award
Filmfare Best Movie Award
The Filmfare Best Film Award is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films.The award was first given in 1954. Here is a list of the award winners and the nominees of the respective years...
s:
- 1953 for Do Bigha Zamin
- 1958 for MadhumatiMadhumatiMadhumati is a 1958 Hindi film produced and directed by Bimal Roy, and written by Ritwik Ghatak and Rajinder Singh Bedi. The music was composed by Salil Choudhury with the lyrics by Shailendra. The film stars Dilip Kumar, Vyjayantimala, Pran, and Johnny Walker. It was one of the earliest films to...
- 1959 for Sujata
- 1963 for Bandini
National Film Awards
- 1954: Certificate of Merit: Do Bigha Zamin
- 1955: All-India Certificate of Merit: Biraj BahuBiraj BahuBiraj Bahu is a 1955 Hindi film produced by Hiten Choudhury and directed by Bimal Roy, and based on a novel by Saratchandra Chatterjee. The film stars Kamini Kaushal, Abhi Bhattacharya and Pran. The films music is by Salil Choudhury-Plot:...
- 1956: Certificate of Merit: DevdasDevdas (1955 film)Devdas is a 1955 film directed by Bimal Roy, based on the Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay novel, Devdas.In 2005, Indiatimes Movies ranked the movie amongst the Top 25 Must See Bollywood Films.-Plot:...
- 1959: Best Feature Film in HindiNational Film Award for Best Feature Film in HindiThe National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi awards the best regional film in Hindi language. Initially the award was known as the President's Silver Medal for Best Feature Film in Hindi. The winners in this category are:...
: MadhumatiMadhumatiMadhumati is a 1958 Hindi film produced and directed by Bimal Roy, and written by Ritwik Ghatak and Rajinder Singh Bedi. The music was composed by Salil Choudhury with the lyrics by Shailendra. The film stars Dilip Kumar, Vyjayantimala, Pran, and Johnny Walker. It was one of the earliest films to... - 1960: All-India Certificate of Merit: SujataSujata (1959 film)Sujata is a 1959 Hindi language Bimal Roy film. The film starred Sunil Dutt and Nutan supported by Lalita Pawar and Shashikala. Based on a Bengali short story by the same name by writer, Subodh Ghosh , , the film explored the situation of caste in India. The music is by S. D. Burman and the lyrics...
- 1963: Best Feature Film in HindiNational Film Award for Best Feature Film in HindiThe National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi awards the best regional film in Hindi language. Initially the award was known as the President's Silver Medal for Best Feature Film in Hindi. The winners in this category are:...
: BandiniBandiniBandini is a 1963 Hindi film directed and produced by Bimal Roy, the man who directed classics like Do Bigha Zameen and Devdas...
Cannes Film Festival
Won International Prize:- 19531953 Cannes Film Festival-Jury:*Jean Cocteau *Louis Chauvet *Titina De Filippo *Guy Desson *Philippe Erlanger *Renée Faure *Jacques-Pierre Frogerais *Abel Gance *André Lang...
for Do Bigha Zamin
Nominated for Grand Prize of the Festival
Palme d'Or
The Palme d'Or is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival and is presented to the director of the best feature film of the official competition. It was introduced in 1955 by the organising committee. From 1939 to 1954, the highest prize was the Grand Prix du Festival International du...
:
- 19531953 Cannes Film Festival-Jury:*Jean Cocteau *Louis Chauvet *Titina De Filippo *Guy Desson *Philippe Erlanger *Renée Faure *Jacques-Pierre Frogerais *Abel Gance *André Lang...
for Do Bigha Zamin
Nominated for Palme d'Or
Palme d'Or
The Palme d'Or is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival and is presented to the director of the best feature film of the official competition. It was introduced in 1955 by the organising committee. From 1939 to 1954, the highest prize was the Grand Prix du Festival International du...
:
- 19551955 Cannes Film Festival-Jury:*Marcel Pagnol *Marcel Achard *Juan Antonio Bardem *A. Dignimont *Jacques-Pierre Frogerais *Leopold Lindtberg *Anatole Litvak *Isa Miranda *Leonard Mosley...
for Biraj BahuBiraj BahuBiraj Bahu is a 1955 Hindi film produced by Hiten Choudhury and directed by Bimal Roy, and based on a novel by Saratchandra Chatterjee. The film stars Kamini Kaushal, Abhi Bhattacharya and Pran. The films music is by Salil Choudhury-Plot:... - 19601960 Cannes Film Festival-Jury:*Georges Simenon *Marc Allégret *Louis Chauvet *Diego Fabbri *Hidemi Ima *Grigori Kozintsev *Maurice Leroux *Max Lippmann *Henry Miller...
for Sujata
Music
Bimal Roy usually alternated between music directors Salil ChowdhurySalil Chowdhury
Salil Chowdhury was an Indian music composer. He mainly composed for Bengali, Hindi, and Malayalam films. He was also a poet and a playwright. He is affectionately called Salilda by all his admirers....
and S.D. Burman
Sachin Dev Burman
Sachin Dev Burman , also credited as Burman da, Kumar Sachindra Dev Barman, Sachin karta or S. D. Burman, was one of the most famous music composers for Hindi movies and a Bengali singer and composer. His son Rahul Dev Burman also achieved great success as a Bollywood music director in his own...
. His films featured beautiful and memorable songs, rendered by all the top playback singers of the day. Some of the notable songs from Roy's films include:
- "Jalte Hain Jiske Liye" from Sujata (1959), sung by Talat MahmoodTalat MahmoodTalat Mahmood was a popular Indian playback singer and film actor. A recipient of the Padma Bhushan in 1992, he was famous for singing ghazals. For this quality he was known as the King of ghazals....
- "Chali Radhe Rani" from Parineeta (1953), sung by Manna DeyManna DeyPrabodh Chandra Dey , better known by his nickname Manna Dey , is a playback singer in Bengali Assamese and Hindi films. Along with Mohammed Rafi, Kishore Kumar, Mukesh, he was a part of Indian film playback music from the 1950s to the 1970s. He has recorded more than 3500 songs over the course of...
- "Aa Ri Aa Nindiya" from Do Bigha Zamin (1953), music by Salil Chowdhury, sung by Lata MangeshkarLata MangeshkarLata Mangeshkar is a singer from India. She is one of the best-known and most respected playback singers in India. Mangeshkar's career started in 1942 and has spanned over six and a half decades. She has recorded songs for over a thousand Hindi films and has sung songs in over thirty-six regional...
- "Ab Aage Teri Marzi" from DevdasDevdas (1955 film)Devdas is a 1955 film directed by Bimal Roy, based on the Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay novel, Devdas.In 2005, Indiatimes Movies ranked the movie amongst the Top 25 Must See Bollywood Films.-Plot:...
(1955), music by S.D. Burman, sung by Lata Mangeshkar - "Dil Tadap Tadap Ke Keh Raha" from MadhumatiMadhumatiMadhumati is a 1958 Hindi film produced and directed by Bimal Roy, and written by Ritwik Ghatak and Rajinder Singh Bedi. The music was composed by Salil Choudhury with the lyrics by Shailendra. The film stars Dilip Kumar, Vyjayantimala, Pran, and Johnny Walker. It was one of the earliest films to...
(1958), music by Mukesh, Lata Mangeshkar - "Suhana Safar Aur Yeh Mausam Haseen" from MadhumatiMadhumatiMadhumati is a 1958 Hindi film produced and directed by Bimal Roy, and written by Ritwik Ghatak and Rajinder Singh Bedi. The music was composed by Salil Choudhury with the lyrics by Shailendra. The film stars Dilip Kumar, Vyjayantimala, Pran, and Johnny Walker. It was one of the earliest films to...
(1958), music by Salil Chowdhury, sung by Mukesh - "Aaja Re Pardesi" from MadhumatiMadhumatiMadhumati is a 1958 Hindi film produced and directed by Bimal Roy, and written by Ritwik Ghatak and Rajinder Singh Bedi. The music was composed by Salil Choudhury with the lyrics by Shailendra. The film stars Dilip Kumar, Vyjayantimala, Pran, and Johnny Walker. It was one of the earliest films to...
(1958), music by Salil Chowdhury, sung by Lata Mangeshkar - "Ghadi Ghadi Mora Dil Dhadake" from MadhumatiMadhumatiMadhumati is a 1958 Hindi film produced and directed by Bimal Roy, and written by Ritwik Ghatak and Rajinder Singh Bedi. The music was composed by Salil Choudhury with the lyrics by Shailendra. The film stars Dilip Kumar, Vyjayantimala, Pran, and Johnny Walker. It was one of the earliest films to...
(1958), music by Salil Chowdhury, sung by Lata MangeshkarLata MangeshkarLata Mangeshkar is a singer from India. She is one of the best-known and most respected playback singers in India. Mangeshkar's career started in 1942 and has spanned over six and a half decades. She has recorded songs for over a thousand Hindi films and has sung songs in over thirty-six regional...
and Mukesh - "Zulmi Sang Aankh Ladi" from MadhumatiMadhumatiMadhumati is a 1958 Hindi film produced and directed by Bimal Roy, and written by Ritwik Ghatak and Rajinder Singh Bedi. The music was composed by Salil Choudhury with the lyrics by Shailendra. The film stars Dilip Kumar, Vyjayantimala, Pran, and Johnny Walker. It was one of the earliest films to...
(1958), music by Salil Chowdhury, sung by Lata Mangeshkar - "O Sajana Barkha Bahaar" from Parakh (1960), music by Salil Chowdhury, sung by Lata Mangeshkar
- "Mora Gora Ang Lai Le" from Bandini (1963), music by S.D. Burman, sung by Lata Mangeshkar
- "O Jaanewale Ho Sake To Laut Ke Aana" from Bandini (1963), music by S.D. Burman, sung by Mukesh
Legacy
Bimal Roy's influence was far-reaching, both in Indian cinemaCinema of India
The cinema of India consists of films produced across India, which includes the cinematic culture of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Orissa, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal. Indian films came to be followed throughout South Asia and...
and world cinema
World cinema
World cinema is a term used primarily in English language speaking countries to refer to the films and film industries of non-English speaking countries. It is therefore often used interchangeably with the term foreign film...
. In Indian cinema, his influence extended to both mainstream commercial Hindi cinema
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
and the emerging Parallel Cinema
Parallel Cinema
The Indian New Wave, commonly known in India as Art Cinema or Parallel Cinema as an alternative to the mainstream commercial cinema, is a specific movement in Indian cinema, known for its serious content, realism and naturalism, with a keen eye on the sociopolitical climate of the times...
. His film Two Acres of Land (1953) was the first film to successfully stradle art and commercial cinema. It was a commercial and critical success, winning the International Prize at the 1954 Cannes Film Festival
1954 Cannes Film Festival
-Jury:*Jean Cocteau *Jean Aurenche *André Bazin *Luis Buñuel*Henri Calef *Guy Desson *Philippe Erlanger *Michel Fourre-Cormeray *Jacques-Pierre Frogerais...
. The film's success paved the way for the Indian New Wave
Parallel Cinema
The Indian New Wave, commonly known in India as Art Cinema or Parallel Cinema as an alternative to the mainstream commercial cinema, is a specific movement in Indian cinema, known for its serious content, realism and naturalism, with a keen eye on the sociopolitical climate of the times...
as a result.
In commercial cinema, the most influential film he directed was perhaps Madhumati
Madhumati
Madhumati is a 1958 Hindi film produced and directed by Bimal Roy, and written by Ritwik Ghatak and Rajinder Singh Bedi. The music was composed by Salil Choudhury with the lyrics by Shailendra. The film stars Dilip Kumar, Vyjayantimala, Pran, and Johnny Walker. It was one of the earliest films to...
(1958), his first and only collaboration with Ritwik Ghatak (who wrote the screenplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
) and one of the earliest films to deal with reincarnation
Reincarnation
Reincarnation best describes the concept where the soul or spirit, after the death of the body, is believed to return to live in a new human body, or, in some traditions, either as a human being, animal or plant...
. It is believed to have been the source of inspiration for many later works dealing with the theme of reincarnation in Indian cinema, Indian television
Television in India
Television is one of the major mass media of India and is a huge industry and has thousands of programmes in all the states of India. The small screen has produced numerous celebrities of their own kind some even attaining national fame. TV soaps are extremely popular with housewives as well as...
, and perhaps world cinema. It may have been the source of inspiration for the American film The Reincarnation of Peter Proud
The Reincarnation of Peter Proud
The Reincarnation of Peter Proud is an American motion picture released by Bing Crosby Productions, and Cinerama Productions Corporation. In the supernatural suspense genre, the film was directed by J...
(1975) and the Hindi film Karz
Karz (film)
Karz is a 1980 Hindi film directed by Subhash Ghai, starring Rishi Kapoor and Tina Munim as leads, also in a feat of perfect casting was Simi Garewal, who stood out in her role of Kamini Verma, the murderous wife from the past life, which won her a Filmfare nomination.Film's music was by...
(1980), both of which dealt with reincarnation and have been influential in their respective cultures. Karz in particular was remade several times: as the Kannada film
Cinema of Karnataka
The cinema of Karnataka , sometimes colloquially referred to as Sandalwood and as Chandanavana in Kannada, encompasses movies made in the Indian state of Karnataka based in Bangalore. Most of the movies are made in Kannada, with a handful of them in Konkani or Tulu. Today more than 100 films are...
Yuga Purusha
Yuga Purusha
Yugapurusha is an Indian 1989 Kannada language film which stars Ravichandran, Khushboo.It is the remake of Bollywood movie Karz.Its music is by Hamsalekha. The movie is about reincarnation where a boy is murdered by her own girlfriend in his previous life for the sake of property. In the new life,...
(1989), the Tamil film
Tamil cinema
Tamil cinema is the film industry based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, dedicated to the production of films in the Tamil language. It is based in Chennai's Kodambakkam district, where several South Indian film production companies are headquartered...
Enakkul Oruvan
Enakkul Oruvan
Enakkul Oruvan is a 1984 Tamil film directed by SP. Muthuraman, starring Kamal Haasan in the lead role. A remake of Subhash Ghai's Hindi film, Karz , starring Rishi Kapoor, and Tina Munim.-Cast:...
(1984), and more recently the Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
film Karzzzz
Karzzzz (film)
Karzzzz is a 2008 Bollywood film directed by Satish Kaushik. The film stars Himesh Reshammiya and Urmila Matondkar. It is a remake of Karz , and also inspired by The Reincarnation of Peter Proud.- Plot :...
(2008). Karz may have also inspired the American film Chances Are
Chances Are (film)
Chances Are is a 1989 romantic comedy film written by Perry & Randy Howze and directed by Emile Ardolino. Starring Cybill Shepherd, Robert Downey, Jr., Ryan O'Neal, and Mary Stuart Masterson. The original music score was composed by Maurice Jarre.-Plot:...
(1989). The most recent film to be directly inspired by Madhumati is the hit Bollywood film Om Shanti Om
Om Shanti Om (film)
Om Shanti Om is a 2007 Bollywood musical film directed and choreographed by Farah Khan. It stars Shahrukh Khan and Deepika Padukone in the lead roles while Arjun Rampal, Shreyas Talpade, and Kirron Kher feature in supporting roles...
(2007), which led to Roy's daughter Rinki Bhattacharya
Rinki Bhattacharya
Rinki Bhattacharya is an Indian writer, columnist and documentary filmmaker. She is the Vice Chairperson of 'Children's Film Society of India' and the founder Chairperson of 'Bimal Roy Memorial & Film Society' -Biography:...
accusing the film of plagiarism and threatening legal action against its producers.
Bimal Roy's films continue to be screened at major national and international film festivals in India, Europe and North America. His films are currently being restored and digitized by the National Film Archives of India (NFAI) at Pune.
Bimal Roy's four children have recently launched a website, www.bimalroy.org, that will eventually contain much valuable and previously unavailable material on their father's life and career.
Admirers of Bimal Roy and his films should join the Facebook Group Bimal Roy Productions http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_182789331744288&ap=1 which contains a wealth of articles, interviews, essays, videos, pictures and news on the director, his films and his children's work to keep his legacy alive.
Director
- Bengal FamineBengal famineThere have been a number of significant famines in the history of Bengal including:*Bengal famine of 1770*Bengal famine of 1943*Bangladesh famine of 1974*Bengal Famine , a movie by Bimal Roy...
(1943) - Udayer Pathey (1944)
- HamrahiHamrahiHamrahi is a 1974 Bollywood drama film directed by Anand Sagar-Cast:*Randhir Kapoor*Tanuja*Gajanan Jagirdar*Sujit Kumar*Lalita Pawar*Keshto Mukherjee...
(1944) - Anjangarh (1948)
- Mantramugdhu (1949)
- Pehla Aadmi (1950)
- MaaMaa- Film :Maa is a word meaning Mother in Bengali,Punjabi, Hindi and Urdu. It also means Earth in Finnish and Estonian. It can refer to several things such as* Maa - Most popular tv serial in India, is aired on Star Jalsha...
(1952) - ParineetaParineetaParineeta is a 1914 Bengali language novella written by Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay and is set in Calcutta, India during the early part of the 20th century. It is a novel of social protest which explores issues of that time period related to class and religion.-Title:The word Parineeta is...
(1953) - Do Bigha Zamin (1953)
- Naukari (1954 )
- Biraj BahuBiraj BahuBiraj Bahu is a 1955 Hindi film produced by Hiten Choudhury and directed by Bimal Roy, and based on a novel by Saratchandra Chatterjee. The film stars Kamini Kaushal, Abhi Bhattacharya and Pran. The films music is by Salil Choudhury-Plot:...
(1954) - Baap Beti (1954)
- DevdasDevdasDevdas is a Bengali Romance novel by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. Essentially, it is a retelling of the Krishna, Radha, and Meera myths, the relationships between its three protagonists - Devdas, Parvati, and Chandramukhi - paralleling the Hindu deities'.-Plot summary:Devdas is a young man from...
(1955) - YahudiYahudiYahudi is a 1958 Bollywood film directed by Bimal Roy. It starred Dilip Kumar, Meena Kumari, Sohrab Modi, Nasir Hussain, Nigar Sultana and others....
(1958) - MadhumatiMadhumatiMadhumati is a 1958 Hindi film produced and directed by Bimal Roy, and written by Ritwik Ghatak and Rajinder Singh Bedi. The music was composed by Salil Choudhury with the lyrics by Shailendra. The film stars Dilip Kumar, Vyjayantimala, Pran, and Johnny Walker. It was one of the earliest films to...
(1958) - SujataSujataSujātā is a Sanskrit word meaning "from a good family origin". Su means 'good' and jātā implies jāti or 'caste'. Thus the implied and correct meaning of the word Sujata means 'of good caste' or 'the well born'. It has to be noted here that the caste-system is the spine of social Hinduism...
(1959) - Parakh (1960)
- Immortal Stupa (1961)
- Prem Patra (1962)
- BandiniBandiniBandini is a 1963 Hindi film directed and produced by Bimal Roy, the man who directed classics like Do Bigha Zameen and Devdas...
(1963) - Life and Message of Swami Vivekananda (1964)
- Benazir (1964)
- Gautama the Buddha (1967) - Produced by Bimal Roy [Director: Rajbans Khanna]
External links
- www.bimalroy.org Bimal Roy Online Museum