Bijoya Ray
Encyclopedia
Bijoya Ray born in the year 1918, is the widow of the famous film director Satyajit Ray
. Her son Sandip Ray
is also a film director. Bijoya and Satyajit happened to be first cousins. After a long courtship, they were married in 1949. Bijoya Ray acted and sang playback song in a Bengali
movie called Sesh Raksha in 1944 and also acted in the documentary Gaach (The Tree) by Catherine Berge in 1998.
in Almora
and at Prithvi Theatre
in Bombay and her daughter Ruma Guha Thakurta
is a well known personality in music and acting world.
Bijoya grew up in Patna
and was educated in a convent. She had a gifted voice and her father wanted to send her to paris to be trained in soprano and western classical music. In 1931, when she was thirteen her father died and she along with her mother and sisters had to come to Calcutta to her paternal uncle Prasant Das's house. It was here that she met her first cousin Satyajit. They were drawn to each other very soon and their common interests were Film and western classical music. She graduated from the Jogamaya Devi College
, an affiliated undergraduate women's college of the historic University of Calcutta
, in Kolkata
. After graduating, she worked as a clerk in a government office, she went to Bombay to start a film career.
Satyajit Ray
Satyajit Ray was an Indian Bengali filmmaker. He is regarded as one of the greatest auteurs of 20th century cinema. Ray was born in the city of Kolkata into a Bengali family prominent in the world of arts and literature...
. Her son Sandip Ray
Sandip Ray
Sandip Ray is a film director living in the city of Kolkata, West Bengal, India. He is the only son of the noted Bengali director Satyajit Ray, and Bijoya Ray.-Career:...
is also a film director. Bijoya and Satyajit happened to be first cousins. After a long courtship, they were married in 1949. Bijoya Ray acted and sang playback song in a Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
movie called Sesh Raksha in 1944 and also acted in the documentary Gaach (The Tree) by Catherine Berge in 1998.
Early life and education
Bijoya Ray was born as Bijoya Das to Charu Chandra Das, a barrister and Madhuri Devi in October 1918. She was the youngest of four daughters. One of her elder sibling Sati Devi was well known singer and musical exponent who worked with Uday ShankarUday Shankar
Uday Shankar , the pioneer of modern dance in India, and a world renowned Indian dancer and choreographer, was most known for adapting Western theatrical techniques to traditional Indian classical dance, imbued with elements of Indian classical, folk, and tribal dance, thus laying the roots of...
in Almora
Almora
Almora is a municipal board, a cantonment town in the Almora district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. Almora was founded in 1568.It is a town bustling with activity and a rich cultural heritage and history. It is considered the cultural heart of the Kumaon region of...
and at Prithvi Theatre
Prithvi Theatre
Prithvi Theatre is one of Mumbai's best known theatres. It belongs to the Kapoor family, one of the most influential actor/director families in Bollywood. The theatre is named after Prithviraj Kapoor who first founded 'Prithvi Theatres', a travelling theatre company in 1944. The company ran for...
in Bombay and her daughter Ruma Guha Thakurta
Ruma Guha Thakurta
-Early life:She was born in 1934 as Ruma Ghosh. She hails from a Brahmo Bengali family. Her father was Satyen Ghosh and her mother was Sati Devi, a singer. Sati Devi's younger sister Bijoya married film director Satyajit Ray. Thakurta had her formal education in many places including Santiniketan...
is a well known personality in music and acting world.
Bijoya grew up in Patna
Patna
Paṭnā , is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar and the second largest city in Eastern India . Patna is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world...
and was educated in a convent. She had a gifted voice and her father wanted to send her to paris to be trained in soprano and western classical music. In 1931, when she was thirteen her father died and she along with her mother and sisters had to come to Calcutta to her paternal uncle Prasant Das's house. It was here that she met her first cousin Satyajit. They were drawn to each other very soon and their common interests were Film and western classical music. She graduated from the Jogamaya Devi College
Jogamaya Devi College
Jogamaya Devi College is a women's college in Kolkata, India. The college offers undergraduate degrees and is affiliated to the University of Calcutta. It was established in 1932.-Notable alumnae:*Maitreyi Devi*Bijoya Ray*Uma Dasgupta*Amala Shankar...
, an affiliated undergraduate women's college of the historic University of Calcutta
University of Calcutta
The University of Calcutta is a public university located in the city of Kolkata , India, founded on 24 January 1857...
, in Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
. After graduating, she worked as a clerk in a government office, she went to Bombay to start a film career.