Rachanasangraha by Jyotirmay Ray [Hardcover]

"In the 1940s, a sensational film directed by Bimal Roy, 'Udayer Pathe,' created a huge impact. This Bengali film ran for three continuous years in a cinema hall in North Kolkata. Its Hindi adaptation, 'Hum Rahi,' was also marked as revolutionary. Like the director, actors, and actresses of this film, a name that created quite a stir at the time was its story and screenplay writer—Jyotirmoy Roy. Everyone was talking about Jyotirmoy Roy, just like they talked about 'Udayer Pathe.' Eventually, 'Udayer Pathe' became a best-seller! Following this, more films based on Jyotirmoy Roy's stories were made, and he even took on the role of directing his own story-films. However, Jyotirmoy Roy was not confined to the world of cinema. Besides novels, he was also a prominent short story writer and essayist of his time. In the turbulent political-social environment of the 1940s, marked by the world war, famine, and instability, the dawn of a new era in Bengali literature saw significant contributions from Jyotirmoy Roy. His short stories, written against the backdrop of a time when morality was blurred, and good and evil were intertwined, embody empathy for the deprived and a commitment to protest and resist injustice and wrongdoing. Yet, his profound humanity flowed, fulfilling all the conditions of art, without ever degenerating into mere slogans.

Similarly, his essays on art, literature, and cinema reveal a rational mind, keen perspective, deep thoughtfulness, and the writer's comprehensive social awareness. In his personal essays or humorous writings, there is a wonderful blend of easy fluency and the bitter-sweet essence of erudition. Each composition bears the depth of the writer's feelings and a distinctive personal viewpoint. Indeed, in the realm of humor writing in Bengali, he holds a top position by any standard. After quite some time, we are delighted to present the collected works of a nearly forgotten writer from the golden 1940s to contemporary readers. Any reader would agree that letting these writings sink into the abyss of oblivion would have been an irreplaceable loss to Bengali literature and art."