In Memory of Reba Roy (Dutt) & Nritya Bharati
The passing of Reba Roy (Dutt) in 2025 marked a big loss for the legacy of Nritya Bharati - the institution founded and directed by Pandit Chitresh Das' parents, Nrityacharya Prahlad and Vidhushi Nilima Das. Panditji grew up steeped in arts on every level. His large Kolkata home on Karaya Road in the Park Circus area held classes and major dance and music festivals in the outdoor area. Nritya Bharati was groundbreaking and integral to the artistic fabric of not only Kolkata, but the entire country. Founded prior to India's independence, in 1942, that same year Panditji's father Prahlad Babu presented "Abudhoy" ("The Dawn"), a revolutionary dance drama presented in front of the Indian National Congress during the height of the fight for independence. Additionally Nritya Bharati supported many great gurus of diverse classical traditions, including Guru Gopal Pillai and Guru Krishna Nair from Kerala, Guru Atomba Singh from Manipur, Pandit Birju Maharaj from New Delhi, Vidushi Sitara Devi from Mumbai, and Balasaraswati ji from Chennai, as well as Panditji's Guruji, Pandit Ram Narayan Mishra.
Over the 23 years that Celine Schein Das knew her late husband, Pandit Chitresh Das, she spent many months with him in Kolkata. She remarked about Nritya Bharati, that "it seemed like at least every 1 in 10 or 15 people that I met in Kolkata have studied at Nritya Bharati. Just two months ago I met the phenomenal Indian classical flautist Debopriya Chatterjee and she informed me that she and her sister had studied with, as she said ‘Prahlad Das Babu.’ " Such was the impact of Nritya Bharati and the parents of Panditji.
When Sandip Roy announced the passing of his mother, at Celine’s request he sent the photos he had of her dancing. She felt it would be a way to both celebrate his mother’s life and to shine a light on the importance of Nritya Bharati.
Sandip Roy said about the photos in an email: “I don't know much about these pictures. Mostly from the 50s at different places in Kolkata. The blurred one of her in motion is from New Empire Theatre. The group ones are Singhee Park. Some are 7 Old Ballygunge Road. She was Reba Dutt at that time before marriage. Became Reba Roy Chowdhury afterwards.
All I know now is she danced as a little girl. Went to a dance school in North Kolkata. Her father liked the arts, took her to see Uday Shankar, etc. Then she stopped dancing. A friend recommended her for some program which urgently needed a dancer. Prahlad Das (Pandit Chitresh Das' father) was there and he said it looked like she knew how to dance. So she started going again to Nritya Bharati. Eventually she started working there and teaching dance. She talks about doing programs where Suchitra Mitra (whom she also learned from) would sing, as well as Hemanta Mukherjee. When her wedding was being planned, unbeknownst to her, my father's family came to check her out at the dance school. And she always said when she announced her marriage, Prahlad Das said "Bhalo khobor kintu aamaar daan haath bhenge gelo" ("Good news, but my right has been broken"). One of her favourite stories was about the time a woman came for special private classes and Prahlad Das or Nilima Das sent her to talk to the woman and they realised to their mutual horror the woman was her college professor.”
Sandip also added that towards the end of her life when she was in hospital, the doctor mentioned one day she seemed confused. He said "She is talking to me about going to some school on Karaya Road." Sandip told him "She is not confused. She is remembering Nritya Bharati". Those were always some of her happiest memories
Sandip Roy has a life as an artist as a writer, columnist and podcaster who lives in Kolkata, India and has just released his latest book "Chapal Rani, the Last Queen of Bengal--The Life and Times of a Female Impersonator".