Jahar Roy (19 September 1919 – 1 August 1977) was an Indian actor and comedian in Bengali cinema. He was known for his comedy films with Bhanu Bandyopadhyay.

Early life

Roy came from a Bengali

Baidya Baidya or Vaidya is a Bengali Hindu community located in the Bengal region of Indian subcontinent. A caste (''jāti'') of Ayurvedic physicians, the Baidyas have long had pre-eminence in society alongside Brahmins and Kayasthas. In the coloni ...

family having its root in Mahilara,

Barisal District Barisal District, officially Barishal District () is a district in south-central Bangladesh, it was formerly called Bakerganj district, and established in 1797. Its headquarters is in Barisal city, which is also the headquarters of Barisal ...

(of the present

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

). His father Satya Roy was also an actor and later moved to

Patna Patna (; , ISO 15919, ISO: ''Paṭanā''), historically known as Pataliputra, Pāṭaliputra, is the List of state and union territory capitals in India, capital and largest city of the state of Bihar in India. According to the United Nations, ...

, in search of livelihood. It is here where Jahar Roy completed his studies and started working on odd jobs such as proof reader, medical representative and finally a tailor. He left all these and came to

Calcutta Kolkata, also known as Calcutta (List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern ba ...

around 1946.

Movie career

Roy earned a substantial fan following even though he was a character actor. And all thanks to his roly-poly build, he was a frequent choice of directors who wanted to add comedy to serious movies. Roy's first major film roles were in ''Purbarag'' directed by Ardhendu Mukherjee, and in ''Anjangarh'' (1948) directed by

Bimal Roy Bimal Roy (12 July 1909 – 7 January 1966) was an Indian film director. He is particularly noted for his realistic and socialistic films such as , '' Parineeta'', ''Biraj Bahu'', '' Devdas'', '' Madhumati'', '' Sujata'', '' Parakh'' and '' Ba ...

. Among his countless performances are Dhanyee Meye, Chadmabeshi and

Bhanu Goenda Jahar Assistant ''Bhanu Goenda Jahar Assistant'' is an Indian Bengali-language Detective comedy film directed by Purnendu Roy Chowdhury and produced by Badalraja Sinha. This film was released in 1971 under the banner of Joydeep Pictures. Shyamal Mitra was the ...

. He acted in a couple of films under the direction of

Satyajit Ray Satyajit Ray (; 2 May 1921 – 23 April 1992) was an Indian film director, screenwriter, author, lyricist, magazine editor, illustrator, calligraphy, calligrapher, and composer. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest and most influ ...

. Although a small role, Roy portrayed the male servant of Tulsi Chakrabarti in ''

Parash Pathar ''Parash Pathar'' ( ''Porosh Pathor''; English: ''The Philosopher's Stone''; French: ''La Pierre Philosophale'') is a 1958 Bengali language Indian fantasy comedy film. It was Satyajit Ray's first film outside of ''The Apu Trilogy''. It was also ...

''. There was a meatier role in ''

Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne ''Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne'' () is a 1969 Indian fantasy adventure comedy film written and directed by Satyajit Ray and based on a story by his grandfather Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury. It is a fantasy musical, with music and lyrics composed and ...

'' where he played the role of a crooked warmongering minister of an innocent and peace-loving king. He also performed the song ''Cho Cho Kya Sharam Ki Baat'' in Chhadmabeshi. At the end of his career, when he was ailing, he did a cameo in

Ritwik Ghatak Ritwik Kumar Ghatak (; 4 November 19256 February 1976) was an Indian film director, screenwriter, actor and playwright. Widely considered as one of the greatest film makers of all time, his works remained largely underrated and ignored during hi ...

's autobiographical film '' Jukti Takko Aar Gappo''. He acted in around 350 films.

Theatre and comedy

Jahor Roy was renowned for his significant contributions to Bengali theatre. Over a career spanning two decades, he showcased his acting prowess in numerous plays. A lifelong associate of Rang Mahal theatre in

Kolkata Kolkata, also known as Calcutta ( its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary ...

, his performances in plays such as Adarsha Hindu Hotel, Ulka, Subarnagolak, and Anartha are still celebrated. Known for his wit and adeptness in physical comedy, Jahor Roy also composed several skits, including Nyapasur Badh, Function theke shashan, and many others. Unfortunately, most of these compositions are no longer available.

Selected filmography

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Roy, Jahar 1977 deaths 1919 births Male actors in Bengali cinema Indian male comedians Indian male stage actors 20th-century Indian male actors People from British India 20th-century Indian comedians