Somi Roy is a cultural conservationist and curator who writes on film, culture and polo for publications in India and the United States. He promotes international polo and Manipuri pony preservation in India, and is a film curator who has organized exhibitions for the Asia Society, Museum of Modern Art, Film at Lincoln Center and Whitney Museum of American Art. He has also translated the original Manipuri works of his mother, the Manipuri writer M.K. Binodini Devi. His published translations of Binodini include her historical novel The Princess and the Political Agent, a Penguin Modern Classic published by Penguin Random House India; memoir essays The Maharaja’s Household: A Daughter’s Memories of Her Father; her play Crimson Rainclouds; and screenplay My Son, My Precious. Roy sir is the founder of Imasi: The Maharaj Kumari Binodini Devi Foundation in his native land Manipur.
"After a very warm welcome by the anchor, Ms Jayashri Bhake takes the opportunity to welcome Mr Somi Roy by listing his accomplishments and his exceptional work in the form of And That Is Why; she also goes on to ask him about the exhibition he’s planning to bring up. The conversation is also joined by three students from G H Raisoni Vidyaniketan and Mr Sapha. Mr Roy goes on to answer Ms Bhake’s questions about the exhibition; he was always fascinated by the Manipuri manuscripts, which consist of pictorial narrations about magic and mythical creatures. As much as it fascinated him, he wanted to bring them to the world, that’s when he decided to put them on display in a couple of exhibitions in the United States and Germany for people to see. Although the exhibitions haven’t happened yet, a book which consists of stories for children inspired by those manuscripts came out first. The conversation goes on in the same direction with interesting insights from Mr Sapha and the children before it comes to a close. "