Writer, illustrator and blockmaker Upendrakishore Roy Chowdhury passed away on this day. He was 52.
Generations have grown up on Roy Chowdhury’s books, meant for children but read by all: Tuntunir Boi, Chheleder Ramayan and Chheleder Mahabharat.
When an image using woodcut line block for his illustration for Chheleder Ramayan looked unsatisfactory, he brought over books and materials from Britain and learnt blockmaking. He introduced state-of-the-art blockmaking methods, which included half-tone and colour techniques, to Indian practices. He set up U. Ray and Sons, which would be regarded as one of the finest blockmaking and printing presses in this part of the world.
Roy Chowdhury would send his son Sukumar Ray, the famous poet, to Manchester to study printing technology to help with the work of his press.
Roy Chowdhury’s articles on experimenting with blockmaking were published in Penrose Annual Volumes, brought out from Britain, and were appreciated widely.
The children’s magazine Sandesh was first published by Roy Chowdhury from U. Ray and Sons. His story Gupy Gyne was turned famously into a film by his grandson Satyajit Ray.