About Bimal Roy Memorial & Film Society

Bimal Roy’s liberal humanism went beyond the content of his magnificent B&W films. His works touched an entire generation of film makers, such as Mrinal Sen, Satyajit Ray, Ritwick Ghatak, Tapan Sinha (in Bengal) and many in Mumbai where he migrated in 1950 to work for Bombay Talkies, the premier film studio of Mumbai. It may be said that Roy was the true pathfinder for progressive and radical young film directors, who harnessed the medium of cinema to express their vision.

Keeping the legacy alive

It is this culture of liberal humanism that our organization, Bimal Roy Memorial, wishes to pursue in keeping alive the immense contribution of committed Indian technicians and artists who have left us a rich legacy by showcasing their talents on Bimal Roy Memorial & Film Society’s (BRMFS) platform.

In addition to this larger objective, the Memorial’s mission includes preservation, restoration and acquisition of Bimal Roy’s film prints with other memorabilia such as posters, publicity stills, old contracts, film related documents, etc. The organization conducts concerts, organizes programmes, felicitates journalists, technicians, performing artistes of yesteryears as well as contemporary talents. BRMFS hopes to promote Bimal Roy’s work globally in Cultural Centres for younger audience. Sponsoring deserving young film students and researchers with grants is an objective, the Memorial hopes to fulfill.

Honouring talent

The objective of the Memorial is to provide a unique platform for cinema culture. However, BRMFS not only focuses on Bimal Roy’s enduring classics, but also holds theme festivals including social themes like communalism, caste distinction and humanism through cinema. There are special tribute festivals to film legends. The list is endless – Kanan Devi, K.L. Saigal, Pahari Sanyal, Asit Baran, Dilip Kumar, Ashok Kumar, Kishore Kumar, Sunil Dutt, Dharmendra, Balraj Sahani, Meena Kumari, Kamini Kaushal, Vyjyanthimala, Nutan, Sadhana, Suchitra Sen, Tapan Sinha, Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Gulzaar, Nabendu Ghosh, Sudhendu Roy and Basu Bhattacharya.

In the year 2000, BRMC showcased the works of three leading Directors – Sagar Sarhadi, Govind Nihalani and Sai Paranjpye – in their presence. In the year 2001, BRMC paid tribute to the magnificent Waheeda Rehman, showcasing four of her outstanding films. View the list of the Bimal Roy Memorial Trophy Awardees.

Creating audience awareness

Bimal Roy’s unique entertainment slot ensures a big audience for live and television programmes. BRMFS has its own cine club to showcase the best of Indian and International cinema.

In the long run, BRMFS has other ambitious projects like starting a school for filmmaking. The committee has a long-term vision for various activities aimed at creating awareness for cinema history and its finer aspects.

The committee would like to conduct these sepia tinted musical concerts in other metros and organize film festivals. At these programmes, local artists will perform and people of eminence from these states will be honoured. Many of them will thrill the audience by sharing memories from a distant past.