Bimal Roy Birth Anniversary: 7 Movies Of The Doyen Of Indian Cinema That Should Be Part Of Everyone's Films-To-Watch-Before-I-Die List
On Bimal Roy's birth anniversary, do yourself a favour and binge-watch on seven of his masterpieces. You can thank us later.
Bimal Roy was an industry in himself. He never felt the need to conform to the rules and did what he felt deeply about. He was a trendsetter and a believer in painting a picture on the big canvas that corresponds with reality. Be it the tragedy of migrants in Do Bigha Zameen or the curse of the caste system in Sujata, he never shied away from being sincere in his portrayal of the social evils in movies. That's why he is still considered an institution in himself. It's also the reason why his loss is so dear to the industry, something that will never be healed. Nirupa Roy Birthday Special: Here’re Five Lesser Known Facts About The Legendary Actress Who Defines Maa In Cinema
On his birth anniversary today, let us tell you about seven movies of this legendary man that you must watch if you call yourself a movie buff.
Do Bigha Zameen (1953)
This is considered India's first Neo-Noir film that earned applause all around the globe. A poor family of village dwellers moves to the city to survive but it isn't as easy as it sounds.
Devdas (1955)
Those of you who have grown up watching Sanjay Leela Bhansali's resplendent Devdas, please do yourself a favour and watch Roy's Devdas with Dilip Kumar, Vyjanthimala and Suchitra Sen in the lead. It is till date considered the most faithful adaptation of Sarat Chandra Chatterjee's novel. It humanises the lovelorn protagonist and doesn't try to make a hero out of him.
Madhumati (1958)
A reincarnation tale where a man remembers everything about his past and his dead lover. He also tries to trap the villain by using his lover's lookalike and then reunites with her in death. Sounds familiar? We thought so. Watch the original to know what a scam the remake was!
Sujata (1959)
Casteism is an affliction India is still grappling to get rid of and Bimal Roy made a film on it back in 1959. Nutan's succinct portrayal of the titular character is so telling that it is one of our favourite Roy masterpieces. The beauty of his socially-relevant movies is that they are never preachy. He just presents what it is...you can derive your own opinions. Sujata is thus precious.
Parakh (1960)
It was a simple story of a village that needs to have an honest man to claim a huge price that can be used for its prosperity. But Bimal Roy being him, he ingested satirical nods to the social evils like superstitions, poverty, and questionable religious beliefs.
Bandini (1963)
Bandini is a film that puts the female protagonist in the fore while the two men in her life depict the two chapters of her mournful existence. But it never tries to worship her as you see in male-oriented movies. Roy kept all his character so real and relatable that it's difficult not to celebrate Bandini.
Parineeta (1953)
We all are familiar with the story of Parineeta, thanks to Vidya Balan's debut movie in 2005. We bet you didn't know Bimal Roy had already made a classic out of Sarat Chandra Chatterjee's yet another masterpiece back in 1953. The cast of Meena Kumari and Ashok Kumar is enough to make you consider watching this film. It's much more detailed and narrates the tale of rich and poor very impressively. The divide is much more proficient here than in the 2005 version and for that, Roy's penchant for realism is to be credited.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 12, 2020 09:20 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).