Bimal Roy was one of the most acclaimed Hindi film directors 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. He has won a number of awards throughout his career, including eleven Filmfare Awards, a National Film Award, and the International Prize of the Cannes Film Festival.
Bimal Roy was born on 12 July 1909, to a Bengali family in Dhaka, then part of the Bengal province of British India and now the capital of Bangladesh. Following the independence and partition of India in 1947, he moved to the Republic of India.
Bimal Roy 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.
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.
As far as the music for his films was concerned, Roy usually alternated between music directors Salil Chowdhury 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:
"Jalte Hain Jiske Liye" from Sujata (1959)
"Chali Radhe Rani" from Parineeta (1953)
"AaRi Aa Nindiya" from Do Bigha Zamin (1953)
"Ab Aage Teri Marzi" from Devdas (1955)
"Dil Tadap Tadap Ke Keh Raha" from Madhumati (1958)
"Suhana Safar Aur Yeh Mausam Haseen" from Madhumati (1958)
"Aaja Re Pardesi" from Madhumati (1958),
"Ghadi Ghadi Mora Dil Dhadake" from Madhumati (1958)
"Zulmi Sang Aankh Ladi" from Madhumati (1958)
"O Sajana Barkha Bahaar" from Parakh (1960)
"Mora Gora Ang Lai Le" from Bandini (1963)
"O Jaanewale Ho Sake To Laut Ke Aana" from Bandini (1963
Bimal Roy's influence was far-reaching, both in Indian cinema 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 (1954) was the first film to successfully stradle art and commercial cinema. It was both a commercial success and a 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.
Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, popularly known as Dadasaheb Phalke was an Indian producer-director-screenwriter, known as the father of Indian cinema. Starting with his debut film, Raja Harishchandra 1913, now known as India's first full-length feature, he made 95 movies and 26 short films in his career span of 19 years, till 1937, including his most noted works, Mohini Bhasmasur (1913),Satyavan Savitri (1914), Lanka Dahan (1917), Shri Krishna Janma (1918) and Kaliya Mardan (1919).
The Dadasaheb Phalke Award for lifetime contribution to Cinema, was instituted in his honour, by Govt. of India in 1969, and is the most prestigious and coveted award in Indian Cinema.
The award for a particular year is given during the end of the following year along with the National Film Awards. The Bombay High Court had directed the Directorate of Film Festivals of India (DFFI) to consider uncensored films for the competition, a case which DFFI contested and won in the Supreme Court in late 2006. The case had delayed announcement of the award for 2006, which was announced in the middle of 2008. The 2007 award which had to be announced at the end of 2008 was announced in September 2009. The 2008 award was announced on 19 January, 2010.
Dhundiraj Govind Phalke was born in a chitpavan brahmin family on 30 April 1870 at Trimbakeshwar, 30 km from Nasik, India, where his father was an accomplished Sanskrit scholar.
He joined Sir J. J. School of Art, Mumbai in 1885. After passing from J.J.School in 1890, Phalke went to the Kala Bhavan in Baroda, where he studied Sculpture, Engineering Drawing, Painting and Photography.
He began his career as a small town photographer in Godhra but had to leave business after the death of his first wife and child in an outbreak of the bubonic plague. He soon met the German magician Carl Hertz, one of the 40 magicians employed by the Lumiere Brothers.
Soon after, he had the opportunity to work with the Archeological Survey of India as a draftsman. However, restless with his job and its constraints, he turned to the business of printing. He specialized in lithography and oleography, and worked for painter Raja Ravi Varma. Phalke later started his own printing press, made his first trip abroad to Germany, to learn about the latest technology and machinery.
However, following a dispute with his partners about the running of the press, he gave up printing and turned his attention to moving pictures, after watching a silent film, The Life of Christ and envisioning Indian gods on the screen. He made his first film, Raja Harishchandra, in 1912; it was first shown publicly on 3 May 1913 at Mumbai's Coronation Cinema, effectively marking the beginning of the Indian film industry. Around one year before, Ramchandra Gopal (known as Dadasaheb Torne) had filmed a stage drama called Pundalik and shown it in the same theater. However, the credit for making the first Indian feature film is attributed to Dadasaheb Phalke.
Once again, Phalke proved successful in his new art, and proceeded to make several silent films, shorts, documentary feature, educational, comic, tapping all the potential of this new medium. However, film, having proved its financial viability, soon attracted businessmen who favored money over aesthetics.
Phalke formed a film company, Hindustan Films in partnership with five businessmen from Mumbai, in the hope that by having the financial aspect of his profession handled by experts in the field, he would be free to pursue the creative aspect. He set up a model studio and trained technicians, actors, but very soon, he ran into insurmountable problems with his partners. In 1920, Phalke resigned from Hindustan company, made his first announcement of retirement from cinema,and he wrote 'Rangbhoomi', an acclaimed play.
But lacking his imaginative genius, the Hindustan company ran into deep financial loss, and he was finally persuaded to return. However, Phalke felt constrained by the business, and, after directing a few films for the company, he withdrew.
But then the times changed, and Phalke fell victim to the emerging technology of sound film. Unable to cope with the talkies, the man who had fathered the Indian film industry became obsolete. His last silent movie “Setubandhan” was released in 1932, which later released by dubbing voice. During 1936-38, he produced his last film Gangavataran (1937), before retiring to Nashik, where he died in 16 February 1944.
Dadasaheb Phalke, the Father of Indian Cinema, by Bapu Vatave, National Book Trust, 2004
Sorry for delay guys. I knew nobody visits and read my blogs so I am addressing this to whoever will read it. For past few weeks I was restless and confused with the game of my own mind and heart. I was trying to balance between personal and professional life. I am not here to write about my professional life because this blog belongs only to me and myself. But friends promise me you won’t tell about my this side to anyone which I am going to share with you further.
Today, I would like to share something which I never did before.The emotions somewhere in my heart are still unfolded and untouched by anybody.Yes, you are right. It’s about the Love.Even I failed to stay away from the true gift of the Nature to the Mankind, “LOVE”.
6th March, 1985 that was the first day of the boy in this world. That boy was me, Akash. I was born in as usual circumstances like others. My relatives and other visitors used to tell that I have my mother’s eyes and face. I was fair, fat enough with circled face. By days, weeks, months and years passed as I grown up and began to identify signals, signs, voices, little bit language (words). Then my family started calling me by the word which I have never thought would get attached to my life which I won’t be able to get rid of with. “Nepali Boy !” This is what my family and other visitors used to call me. My eyes were short, my nose was ok but I don’t know what made them to call me with that.
Mom admitted me in a school located at Nana Chowk, near KennedyBridge, which I think Late John F. Kennedy never visited. A group of Sindhis made a foundation of this School which is known as Sind Model English Primary. I was not supposed to have coincidently any Nepali friend. After a couple of years passed from Jr. Kindergarten and Sr. Kindergarten, came a year of my 1st Standard. The class was taught by Kalpana Miss who was very kind hearted and ruthless as well if no child does his/her home work. I began to make friends, guess what? There were few Nepalese too, namely; Mahesh, Tamang, Sunil Sherpa (he came in 3rd std.) and Jagat. In our class, there was a small cute looking girl, who always kept crying, don’t know for what reason, she was SNEHA. I still dream about her. Whenever she began to cry a girl next to her used to make her quiet. I will not tell her name. If I tell you her name then it will expose my personal interest of crush in her since, as a future partner, which I don’t want to reveal. The day came when nobody did their homework in class. I mean few did and few didn’t which included me too.
Kalpana Miss with her warm still and twisted smile made us to stand on our bench. One by one she made our legs as red as rose. Rose because it been lucky for me. That girl talked to me first time in whole academic year. I was crying like other losers in class. She came close to me with her two tie ribbon hair, smiled like an angel and tried to get me calm. She offered water from her bottle which I think wasn’t belonging to her.
Years passed by and class kept on changing for every year. All friends were categorized and separated in different divisions each year. Only one friend stayed with me till the end of School Days. Yes, the friend was that girl whom I admired a lot. During our 8thstd that girl came to know about my feelings for her through some common friends.Suddenly, she stopped talking to me. I think I was not her good friend. She never gave me any reason for her dominating behavior. I was quiet shy at that age so never dare to ask her. She always had her friends group around whom I used to consider as her Security League. They never let me close to her to talk and not even let me see her during lectures. Whoever find out that I am watching her they could cover her face, head and hands through their own body. To hell with Bloody Gals Power!!
One day her friends informed this to our class teacher. My class teacher was very humble and full of energy who always tried to pursue hidden talent within us. She was cool minded teacher. Her name was Ms. Raval. She took my condition very much positively. She explained to whole class that this is a general tendency of our mind when we spend so many years with opposite sexes. It is natural for one to get attract with their friends during that age. I was not old enough to understand her theses. Then also for me she was the angel who managed to make my day from being my worst nightmare.
During our 10thStd, I was restless with the thought of getting separate with that girl whose name was LOVE, after SSC Exam. One of my friend who later became one of my good friend had had suggested me to propose her. At the end of that academic year I finally managed to gather the confidence and went to talk to her. I did the same what my friend has suggested me. She didn’t show me any negative behavior and with very much calmly asked me to be her friend, only friend. I was speechless for few moments. Then I smiled and agreed to be her only friend nothing more than that.
I made my mind that I will never think about her from that moment.Since, we got admitted into different colleges our ways got different. She got more friends in her college. Even I found more beautiful blonde girls in college. Let’s say, better than her, beautiful than her and attractive than her.Priti was the first girl in college on whom I had crushed. She was from Marathi division. Within few weeks I managed to propose her. She rejected me with the excuse that she wana concentrate on her career first. I agreed on her decision and I respected her seriousness with her future. I dropped the idea and again I felt light and merry that after the school girl I really got attracted to another girl and I proposed and then for her sake future I was taken back. Then few more months passed and I came to know that Priti got a Boyfriend from her own division. Whenever she used to pass by myself and my only friend from school who became my close friend who accompanied me till now, used to smile and laugh at her. I don’t know whether he had observed but i noticed, whenever I used look at Priti she always made sad face seems she felt guilt on something. She might thought that i felt cheated. It wasn't like that. I was never serious about her.
As the time got passed I realized that I can’t stick on one girl. The excitement was some girls got good face, some got long and beautiful hair, some got hot figure, some got cute smile, some got deep blue eyes, some got long legs, etc. I began to learn that one cannot get satisfy by one girl, at least not me.
Then there gone a huge list of girls followed on whom I really had crushed. The purpose of using word REALLY is that If anybody had accepted me as their boyfriend I would have got married with that girl. Even I didn't let our Student General Secretary, Miss Jaya. What a girl she was! A perfect figured girl I have never seen at that time. But she was much older than me. So I dropped the plan.
The girl whose name is LOVE was just making new friends at her new college. We never had any reason from then to meet and talk to each other. But I kept meeting her again and again through my only very good friend later.
Things had never been same in my life. She knew what crisis I been through. I lost the very precious gift of my life. I don’t want to discuss about that. Then, by destiny we kept on meeting again and again after many years. I found out that my feelings for her had not got changed. In fact, I was trying to find her in every girls and nobody deserved her place. So, I never had long and good relationship with any girl. Oh Gosh!! Why did I wasted all these years finding her love in other girls? Why didn’t I spend all the happiest moments with her?
She meets me, she talk to me. I enjoy being with her again. But nowadays, she is suffering through some pain which she doesn’t want to be unfold to me or anybody. That day she cried before me. I felt to hold her, to give my shoulder’s support but I was bound with my borders. I can’t touch her without her permission so I kept myself little away from her and offer a tissue paper. It also hurts me when she feels any pain. My concept of being with her is to make her forget the whole world and to treat her like a Princess. I never asked her in these years what she been through. I never asked what sorrow she is suffering with. The fact is I don’t want to know. I really want to make her happy and keep smiling forever. She doesn’t know what her smiles make me feel. I feel alive. The one thing in the world which generates energy within me is her smile. It’s a living source of life for me.
When I meet her I really felt to love her. She can never understand what I wish to give her. She is not aware of my feelings. This girl whose name is LOVE is just a perfect girl for me. She thinks she had changed a lot. For me she is the same girl who had offered a bottle of water to me in my 1st Std. This girl whose name is LOVE, she is just a simple, dainty girl with lovely eyes. She is lost, lost in time and space, lost in my thoughts as sugar in milk. Her face got a fairy likeness. Her temper reminds me the picture of mother Mary. When she laughs it seems the petals are falling. When she walks in her thought lonely there one can hear a melody of life. She is just a little girl who is still waiting at the side of a corner in hope her Prince Charm would come someday and take her to the Castle in Paradise and where she would forget all her sorrow and pain, and live happily ever after!!
She had been with me spiritually for every moments of my life since I saw her. It seems she had lost from many births ago, though sometimes it seems as affair of yesterday and sometimes seems an affair of today or it seems as a moment affair. She was just standing by my side and now she has vanished. I don’t know what trick what chase is this. My senses are mystified and they are searching for that girl whose name is LOVE. Plenty of time I call out for her in my name. If she ever reads or hears this, if she be alive or dying just for one time please come and meet me once do not sully my devotion.
