Unglamorously titled as Tins For India , a short film talks about the omnipresent aluminium tins in Bengal. The short film tells you how differently tins can be used — as a container to draw water, to store kerosene and rations at stores and home and the sheets can work a roof for humble dwellings. The film, which focuses on something as commonplace as tins, was shot by Bimal Roy, in 1941, two years before the release of his first feature film. Bimal Roy was then a documentary film-maker, known for his incisive work. One of his short films showing the plight of people in the times of Bengal famine was banned by the British government.
Tins for India was screened to a select audience, marking the beginning of Bimal Roy centenary celebrations. This was followed by rare footage of Bimal Roy's last unfinished film, Amrit ke Khoj . Discovering the footage, his son Joy Bimal Roy culled out a 10-minute film, Images of Kumbh , blending in visuals captured by his father in Allahabad. Shot poetically in black and white, the pictorial journey is magical when combined with melody of the era. These two short films, and Bimal Roy Doesn't Live Here Anymore , a film on Godiwala, the heritage structure that housed the auteur and his family, will be screened at Kalakriti Art Gallery daily, during the week-long centenary celebrations.
Also on view are a collection of photos, taken by Bimal Roy during his extensive travels, aptly complemented by Ikebana flower arrangements by Rekha Reddy. The exhibition is on till January 31.
