Known for Camera
Soumendu Roy is an Indian cinematographer most known for his work with noted director Satyajit Ray's films, starting with Teen Kanya, when Subrata Mitra developed an eye problem. However, he has earlier shot Ray's documentary Rabindranath Tagore and has been an assistant to Subrata in post-Pather Panchali films.
Born
February 7, 1933
Died
September 27, 2023 (age 90)
Birthplace
Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India [now India]
Filmography
43 films


Atmiyo Swajan
1998 · 2h 32m
country: India
An aged couple, living on the outskirts of Kolkata, is deeply affected by the treatment given to them by their children and decide to attempt suicide.


Shelter of the Wings
1994 · 1h 22m
country: India
Lakhindar captures exotic birds from the Bengal forests, but his refusal to see them caged leads him to constantly set his catches free. This lack of income drives his household into deep poverty, causing his wife to grow increasingly resentful of his compassionate choices. In her frustration, she begins an affair with the middleman who takes the birds to the market.


Death of a Doctor
1990 · 2h 13m
country: India
After years of painstaking research at the cost of his domestic affairs, Dr. Dipankar Roy is working on a vaccine for leprosy. As the word slowly gets out in medicine, he becomes vulnerable to the professional jealousy, incompetence, and abuse of power from the medical department.
Iravu Pookkal
Iravu Pookkal
1986
country: India


Child God
1985 · 1h 37m
country: India
An illiterate man and his wife live life on the road after their village was destroyed by a flood. When the man's wife gives birth to a deformed baby, proclaimed to be a 'child of the devil' by the local pundit (Hindu priest), he forces them to abandon the infant and exiles them from the community. The couple's journey then takes them on a series of bizarre and heart-breaking revelations.


The Home and the World
1985 · 2h 20m
country: India
In the early 1900s, Nikhilesh, a wealthy Westernized Hindu in colonial East Bengal, feels compelled to test the love of his wife, Bimala. He introduces her to his friend Sandip, a politician agitating against British rule, and Bimala is equally taken with both Sandip's anti-colonial fervor and the man himself. Personal and political tensions subsequently flare as the now assertive Bimala has to make a crucial decision.


Kann Sivanthaal Mann Sivakkum
1983 · 1h 51m
country: India
Kann Sivanthaal Mann Sivakkum is a 1983 Tamil film directed by debutant Sreedhar Rajan. Produced by R. Venkatraman, the film won the Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director at the 30th National Film Awards in 1983.
Phatik Chand
Phatik Chand
1983 · 1h 43m
country: India
Mystery-drama about a botched kidnapping of a Calcutta schoolboy and his relationships and adventures.


Sadgati
1981 · 45m
country: India
When a poor and out-caste village tanner goes to village priest to get the date of his daughter's marriage fixed, the priest in turn asks for labor without pay in exchange.


The Kingdom of Diamonds
1980 · 1h 58m
country: India
When Goopy and Bagha learn about Hirak Raja's tyranny, they try to set him right with the help of Udayan, a school teacher, and their magical powers.


The Elephant God
1979 · 2h
country: India
Set in the holy city of Benares, this is the second film about the detective Feluda, who goes on a holiday with his cousin, Topshe, and his friend, Lalmohan Ganguly. But the theft of a priceless deity of Lord Ganesh (the Elephant God) from a local household forces him to investigate.


The Chess Players
1977 · 2h 9m
country: India
In the year 1856, Nawab Wajid Ali Shah is the King of Awadh, one of the last independent kingdoms of India. The British intend to control this rich land and send General Outram to clear way for an annexation. Pressure is mounting amidst intrigue and political maneuvers, but the Nawab whiles away his time in pursuit of pleasure and religious practice. The court is of no help either — noblemen Mir and Mirza ignore all duties and spend their days playing endless games of chess.
Amar Prem
Amar Prem
1977 · 2h 30m
country: India


Nidhiram Sardar
1976 · 1h 54m
country: India
Suddenly a thief named "Nidhiram Sardar" totally changed the life of Kolkata police. He theft from the dishonest businessman and distributed them to the poor. Mr. Gangaram an importer-exporter also faced the same at Hotel Love Bird. The owner of the hotel Sitesh Pyne a whimsical, high profile criminal become very anxious about the incident. On the other side Jamini, a young, smart girl is the only earning member of a middle class family suddenly faces some problem. Some unknown antisocial follows her regularly. In such a situation, she asks for help from Ram Prasad Singha. Ram Prasad who is a reputed singer as well as a bold man with his own values tries to reveal the problem. He puts his every effort and solves the case with the help of his relative Mallik and old friend Sanjay.


The Middleman
1976 · 2h 11m
country: India
A bright and idealistic young graduate steels himself for a dog-eat-dog world, only to flounder in a job market packed with thousands of other hopefuls. When he eventually decides to start his own business as a middle-man, he discovers that the world of business does not live up to his lofty ideals.


Bala
1976 · 31m
country: India
A documentary about the aging prima ballerina Balasaraswati (popularly known as "Bala"), the most famous exponent of the Bharatanatyam dance.


The Golden Fortress
1974 · 2h 15m
country: India
A young boy becomes a target for crooks, after he claims to remember his past life and mentions precious jewels in a golden fortress.


Distant Thunder
1973 · 1h 41m
country: India
Gangacharan is the new Brahmin of a village, where he assumes various duties: teaching, organizing religious events, and trying to prevent epidemics. But in that year 1943, war is raging (as reminded by the planes occasionally heard flying over the countryside), and a major famine is under way. As food shortages reach catastrophic proportions, Gangacharan attempts to preserve his privileged situation, while his generous wife, Ananga, conversely tries to help and support the community.


Company Limited
1971 · 1h 50m
country: India
Ambitious businessman Shyamalendu enjoys showing his visiting sister-in-law, Tutul, the extravagant life he leads with his wife. But Tutul is less than impressed with the trappings of wealth.


Kuheli
1971 · 2h 8m
country: India
A Middle-Aged Woman named Sheba comes to an Obscure town named Nijhumgarh to be the Governess of a Renowned Household called "Ray Kuthi". But little did she know about the Bungalow and the dwellers. She is startled to know that two murders took place there nearly seven years earlier. The Mist of the mysterious happenings get only thicker. Now Sheba could only pray for it to Go Away as incidents transcend the rules of our physical world.


Sikkim
1971 · 55m
country: India
Satyajit Ray's poetic documentary was commissioned by the Chogyal (King) of Sikkim at a time when he felt the sovereignty of Sikkim was under threat from both China and India. Ray's documentary is about the sovereignty of Sikkim. The film was banned by the government of India when Sikkim merged with India in 1975. The ban was finally lifted by the Ministry of External Affairs in September 2010. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2007.


The Adversary
1970 · 1h 50m
country: India
Siddhartho Chowdhury, a brilliant young medical student, is forced to leave his studies after his father's sudden demise. He is forced to navigate the high unemployment rate and the communist socio-political climate of 1960s Calcutta in search of a job.


Days and Nights in the Forest
1970 · 1h 57m
country: India
Four friends from Calcutta who have very different personalities make a holiday excursion into the country, to a tiny village in the state of Bihar where they set themselves up in a bungalow. A series of minor events, all connected to their respective reactions to their new environment, reveals their characters more deeply.


Baksa Badal
1970 · 1h 46m
country: India
The luggage of Dr. Pratul and Minu get swapped during a train journey. When Dr. Pratul, who is a psychiatrist, looks into the luggage, he develops a keen interest in knowing more about Minu.


Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne
1969 · 2h 9m
country: India
Goopy Gyne and Bagha Byne are banished from their respective villages for being bad musicians. However, with their skills, they succeed in pleasing the king of ghosts who grants them three boons. How will they succeed in preventing the war between Halla and Shundi which is looming large?


The Zoo
1967 · 2h 5m
country: India
When Byomkesh Bakshi's new client, Dr. Nishanath Sen, is murdered at Golap Colony, he decides to probe into the case with the help of his close aide, Ajit.


Badrinath Yatra
1967 · 2h 20m
country: India
Due to her son's, Devdutt's arrest, Satyavati is unable to take the Badrinath Yatra. Subsequently, he starts to frequent a brothel to visit with a courtesan, Chandravati, and virtually refuses to do anything with his pregnant wife, Sheila. He even drinks alcohol, and assaults his father, Jaggannath, and brother, Sridhar. Things get even worse when he blinds his mother, lets Chandravati and her entourage move in their family home, and asks Sheila to serve the courtesan.
Balika Badhu
Balika Badhu
1967 · 2h 10m
country: Unknown
The movie is about child marriage, a custom that was prevalent amongst various Indian societies. Set during British Raj in India, the movie tells the story of a village school boy Amal, who is married to a younger girl named Rajni.


Two
1965 · 12m
country: India
This short film shows an encounter, through a series of games, between a street child from the shantytowns and a child of a rich family, stationed at his window. The film has no dialogue and the action moves through the attempts at one-upmanship evident in their successive display of their toys. Their rivalry (a kite shot down by a toy rifle, for example) concludes with the opposition between the world of noise (the toys inside the house) and that of music (the street child's flute). Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2006.


The Coward
1965 · 1h 10m
country: India
Amitabha Roy is a Calcutta-based scriptwriter, driving around in the country to collect material for a film. His vehicle breaks down in a small town. A tea planter, Bimal Gupta, offers hospitality for the night. Amitabha is forced to accept the offer as he has no alternative.


The Holy Man
1965 · 1h 5m
country: India
A wandering baba initiates a widower layer and his youngest daughter, irritating her boyfriend Satya and the ever-skeptical Nibaran.


Ektuku Basa
1965
country: India
A 1965 Bengali Romantic Comedy Film directed by Tarun Majumdar, featuring Soumitra Chattopadhyay and Sandhya Ray.


Palatak
1963 · 2h 13m
country: India
A wealthy man is struck by wanderlust that always takes him to new places where he mingles with the lives of different people.


The Expedition
1962 · 2h 26m
country: India
Narsingh, a North Indian taxi driver, attempts to reinvent his life by visiting his native place, but instead gets embroiled in a local Marwari businessman's smuggling and human trafficking business.


Rabindranath Tagore
1961 · 54m
country: India
Docudrama about the life of Rabindranath Tagore, Indian polymath—poet, writer, playwright, composer, philosopher, social reformer and painter, who reshaped Bengali literature and music as well as Indian art, becoming in 1913 the first non-European and the first lyricist to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. The film was released during Tagore's birth centenary year.


The Lost Jewels
1961 · 1h 1m
country: India
The story revolves around a woman, who stays in a large mansion with her husband. She develops an obsession for her ornaments and refrains giving them to her husband as they face financial crisis. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in partnership with Arsenal - Institut für Film und Videokunst e.V. in 2007.


Three Daughters
1961 · 2h 53m
country: India
Three stories with three central female characters linking the stories together. The first one concerns an orphan girl who grows attached to the postmaster she is caring for after he teaches her to read and write. The second one is a supernatural tale about a woman obsessed with the jewels her husband buys for her. The final one follows a young man who falls for an unconventional girl from his new village instead of his arranged bride, the daughter of a respectable family.