I first saw him in the Calcutta University classroom, in the Asutosh building, third floor, room no 26 (as far as I can remember). That was in the last part of 2013. Though he wanted to teach KING LEAR, he had to teach THE TEMPEST, as that was the suggestion of our the-then HoD late Prof Dr Santanu Majumder. Then, in after 6 months or so, I never missed a single Saturday because there used to be only one class and that was his class! Prof Dr Amitava Roy gradually became the man, the myth, the legend to me! The love that I used to have for his lecture and style of teaching, still surrounds me like an aura! The epithets he used during the class, the acting that he used to perform during a lecture and the way he delivered his lecture was unmatched by anyone! Only two can come close to him in this respect—Prof Chinmoy Guha & Prof Dr Debasish Banerjee. I loved to study Shakespeare before, but after he invaded my imagination in the Calcutta University classes, I became more engrossed in Shakespeare! Dr Roy was a noted Shakespeare scholar of Calcutta and East India, a theatre personality, a Shakespeare professor at Ravindra Bharathi University for over four decades but above all, my greatest inspiration. After he left our class in mid 2014, and I left the university in mid 2015, I never had a chance to meet him again. And today I got the news of his demise, which made me awe-struck! Sir was a true inspiration to me, a pioneer and a guide to a millions like me! He's still the best teacher I have ever known! You'll be missed by all of us. All of your dear students across the universe will miss your presence and your prudence! Indian Shakespeare study circle has lost a great jewel today! Rest in Shakespeare, sir! May your heavenly soul find peace! ☮️✝️

—Kaustav Mondal

12 April 2024
Friday
11-44 pm.

#kaustavmondal


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