GREAT FILM MAKER REMEMBERED “I wanted to give people an idea about Bimal Roy, the master that he was of the celluloid art.” Said Ratnottama Sengupta, the curator of Bimal Roy retrospective for the Centenary Tributes section of IFFI-Goa, 2008. The great master was fondly remembered in a press conference, here today, by his son Joy Bimal Roy and daughter Rinki Roy Bhattacharya the Chairperson of Bimal Roy Memorial Committee. Joy’s non feature film ‘Remembering Bimal Roy’ is the part of Indian Panorama at the film festival this year.
Ratnottama Sengupta said that ‘Do Bigha Zamin’ ushered in neo-realism. ‘Udayer Pathey’ was a defining moment in Indian film history and dealt with issues which still linger. ‘Bandini’ exemplifies the strong women character that Bimal Roy created. His woman was strong and independent deeply rooted in Indian milieu and context. Devdas stands out as a showcase for histrionics of thespian Dilip Kumar and after so many version Bimal Roy’s Devdas stands out, Said the curator.
Joy Bimal Roy told the journalist that Bimal Roy’s influence can be seen on a number of film directors and he found during the course of interviews for his documentary, that young film personalities as Ashutosh Gowariker have acknowledged the influence of Bimal Roy on their work. Apart from inspiration, the institution, that Bimal Roy was gave us notable artistes like Gulzar, Asit Sen and Basu Bhattacharya. As a path-breaking film-maker, Bimal Roy nurtured talent and gave creative space to his colleagues to grow, said Rinki Roy Bhattacharya.
Joy said that his father was a master of understatement. He could handle highly emotional issues without melodrama. On a question of taking the Bimal Roy legacy forward, Joy said that for us preservation of the master repertoire is the priority and there cannot be another Bimal Roy. This is the reason that the right owners of Bimal Roy’s work have steadfastly refused to any offers of colorization and remake of his films. Both the son and daughter expressed disappointment over the misappropriation of creativity. They said that it is unfortunate people use many things from the classics like Bimal Roy’s Madhumati with out any acknowledgement. They informed the journalist that they have taken up the issue with relevant authorities. Any remake will be a new creation as Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Devdas was his Devdas and it was not the Devdas of Bimal Roy, said Ratnottama Sengupta
Referring to the great sense of lyricism and music, Joy said that for Bimal Roy songs were part of the narrative not the outside imposition like today’s item songs. Rinki remembered the efforts and love for music around the recordings for the films. Joy remembered the recording of ‘Nanhi Kali’ classic lullaby by Geeta Dutt, which was recorded at the night time to get the effect right. Joy who was a small kid fell asleep by the lullaby. They also remembered the master’s love for reading. ‘You cannot be a great film-maker if you are not a thinking person’ said Joy Bimal Roy.