Bimal Roy The Man Who Spoke

Udayer Pathe Bimal Roy's first film revolutionized PBI-Indian cinema. Hailed as a pioneer by Satyajit Ray he was perhaps the first to bring shades of grey to the black-and-white screen. Roy's spare storytelling and nuanced understanding of the human condition are reflected in classics likeDevdasSujata andMadhumati. His ability to illuminate ordinary characters like Shambhu inDo Bigha Zamin and Kalyani inBandini is attested to by their being a part of popular memory even to this day.The Man Who Spoke in Pictures is not just a eulogy to this great director but also an insight into Roy the man the director and his art. The auteur's little-known Bengal phase is chronicled by Mahasweta Devi and Amit Chaudhuri as well as Tapan Sinha Amit Bose and other greats of cinema who trace his journey from cinematographer to director. His Bombay years are recorded through a collection of analyses and anecdotes from leading literary and cinematic luminaries including Nayantara Sahgal Gulzar Naseeruddin Shah and Khalid Mohammed. The final section examines Roy from the outsider's perspective with articles by Meghnad Desai Rachel Dwyer and Paula Mayhew. About the Author Rinki Roy Bhattacharya has cinema in her veins. Daughter of Bimal Roy she married Basu Bhattacharya and collaborated on his films. She has had a distinguished career as a freelance journalist writing extensively for well-known publications of the Times group the Telegraph The Hindu and the Indian Express on films theatre art and feminist issues. She has co-directed the documentary Char Diwari and the short film Janani and has also edited books Behind Closed Doors on domestic violence and Janani an anthology of stories on the mother-daughter relationship.