INDIRA Gandhi Cultural Centre in association with Shadhona — A Center for Advancement of South Asian Culture — - and the State Bank of India in Bangladesh organized the launch of A Directory of Bengali Cinema on August 29, 2013 at the

Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre in Gulshan, Dhaka.

For the patrons of excellent cinema, the glorious age of classic Bengali films has turned into a cherished memoir of the past. With no dearth of thought provoking stories borrowed from Bengali literature in the 21st century and groundbreaking original scripts, Bengali films touched the hearts of many in India and abroad. Both commercial and parallel cinema gained immense popularity and the Bengali film industry emerged as the new intelligentsia in the world of international cinema. Legendary Film Directors like Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, Ritwik Chatak brought international acclaim and set the path for revolutionary cinema.

In an earnest attempt to relive the glorious past, Kazi Anirban, cinephile and painter grandson of the National Poet of Bangladesh, Kazi Nazrul Islam, and Parimal Ray, an associate of Satyajit Ray created a fascinating directory that encapsulates 100 years of Bengali cinema and can be truly termed as 'Imprints of a Bygone Era'. The directory comprises a reproduction of over 1650 movie booklets and posters along with some details, including those of some rare films by Uttam Kumar, Satyajit Ray and Ritwik Ghatak among others. This book is surely unique as such a compilation on Bengali cinema has never been created before. It is not only for collectors and cineastes, but also for students of Arts and Films and those undertaking research on the subject.