Read an exclusive excerpt from Bondhu, a biography of filmmaker Mrinal Sen

The book, written by his son Kunal Sen, offers intimate portraits of family life, early struggles, and the evolution of one of India’s greatest filmmakers.

I heard a story from my mother about how, right after she and my father got married, they moved to a room on the roof—known in Bengali as chilekothha—and did not have anything substantial to eat for a couple of days. Then one afternoon my mother insisted my father do something about their situation. He promised to borrow some money, buy some rice and come back immediately. My mother believed him, and decided to start the coal-fired stove since it