The life and work of iconic Indian film director Bimal Roy are celebrated this month at the Kino in Lion Street.
On Sunday July 15 there will be a screening of Do Bigha Zamin at 8pm, and on the following Sunday July 22 of Sujata at 8:30pm preceded on each occasion at 7.15pm by the book launch of a biographical portrait entitled: ‘”The man who spoke in pictures” published by Penguin Books in January 2018.
Bimal Roy was an Indian film director, noted for his concern with social injustices in Indian society. In the 1950s, Bimal Roy was considered to be in the avant-garde of the Indian film industry who reached out to European audiences. His style of spare story-telling still has much relevance today. More about him can be read in this month’s Fixtures, published by Adams of Rye.
The book launch will be introduced by Dr Anwesha Arya, Roy’s granddaughter, who co-edited the book. She lives in Rye with her actor husband and their four children and runs a small film and literature society. She is a parent governor at St Thomas’ School, Winchelsea.
Anwesha Arya, an award-winning film academic, has taught cinema widely. Recently appointed Assistant Editor of South Asia Research (SAR) SAGE, Anwesha is a graduate of St Xavier’s College, where she edited the Bibliodelic. A Dorab Tata scholar, her pioneering Master’s research at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) University of London, led to a PhD winning the Research Fellowship.
She has also presented Satyajit Ray’s films at the British Museum as part of the Voices of Bengal exhibit, in her capacity as film theorist. Satyajit Ray was the pre-eminent Indian film maker of his generation, credited with putting Indian Cinema on the map at the 1956 Cannes Film Festival with his film Pather Panchali.
Tickets are available price £15 (including wine and samosas) from Grammar School Records in the High Street, proceeds in aid of Cancer Research UK.
Photos: courtey of Anwesha Arya