# Anupam Roy (অনুপম রায়)
**Anupam Roy** (Bengali: অনুপম রায়; born 1982) is an Indian singer-songwriter and music director from Kolkata, West Bengal, who writes his own lyrics and melodies and works as a lyricist, composer, and playback singer (singer records songs that actors lip-sync on screen) for Bengali and Hindi films.[1](https://www.anupamroymusic.com/about-anupam-roy) He first became known for the song "Amake Amar Moto Thakte Dao" from the Bengali film *Autograph* (2010), and made his Bollywood debut as music director, lyricist, and playback singer with [Shoojit Sircar](https://www.edgepedia.org/shoojit-sircar)'s *[Piku](https://www.edgepedia.org/piku)* (2015).[1](https://www.anupamroymusic.com/about-anupam-roy) He received the 64th National Film Award for Best Lyrics for "Tumi Jake Bhalobaso" from *Praktan*.[2](https://open.spotify.com/artist/5LZ894xYE9MG1sal0gjt5L)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1982, Kolkata, West Bengal[2](https://open.spotify.com/artist/5LZ894xYE9MG1sal0gjt5L) |
| Education and first career | Electronics and telecommunication engineering, Jadavpur University, gold medalist of the 2004 batch; analog circuit design engineer at Texas Instruments India, Bangalore, July 2004 to March 2011[1](https://www.anupamroymusic.com/about-anupam-roy) |
| Breakthrough | Two songs in Srijit Mukherji's *Autograph* (August 2010): "Amake Amar Moto Thakte Dao" and "Benche Thakar Gaan"[1](https://www.anupamroymusic.com/about-anupam-roy) |
| Bollywood debut | *Piku* (2015), directed by Shoojit Sircar, as music director, lyricist, and playback singer[1](https://www.anupamroymusic.com/about-anupam-roy) |
| National award | 64th National Film Award for Best Lyrics, "Tumi Jake Bhalobaso (Female Version)" from *Praktan*[2](https://open.spotify.com/artist/5LZ894xYE9MG1sal0gjt5L) |
| Widely streamed songs | "Journey Song" (*Piku*), "Boba Tunnel" (*Chotushkone*), "Benche Thakar Gaan", "Ekhon Onek Raat" (*Hemlock Society*)[2](https://open.spotify.com/artist/5LZ894xYE9MG1sal0gjt5L) |
| Other work | Songs for the Hindi film *Pink*; comic strip *Antony o Chandrabindu*, written by Roy and drawn by Sambuddha Bishee[3](https://iprs.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Addendum-to-EGM-Notice.pdf) • [4](https://www.anandabazar.com/entertainment/interview-of-music-director-anupam-roy-1.133786) |
## Early life and engineering career
Roy was born and brought up in Calcutta. He studied at St. Paul's Boarding & Day School, Kidderpore (Class X) and MP Birla Foundation, Behala (Class XII), then took his engineering degree at [Jadavpur University](https://www.edgepedia.org/jadavpur-university), where he was the gold medalist of his 2004 batch.[1](https://www.anupamroymusic.com/about-anupam-roy) From July 2004 to March 2011 he worked at Texas Instruments India in [Bangalore](https://www.edgepedia.org/bangalore) as an analog circuit design engineer.[1](https://www.anupamroymusic.com/about-anupam-roy)
Music came to him through his mother, Madhurita Roy, a trained singer who taught him the basics; he learned tabla for three years in school and took up the acoustic guitar as his songwriting instrument in 2001.[1](https://www.anupamroymusic.com/about-anupam-roy) In interviews he has described his ambitions while employed as revolving around music, poetry, and cinema, and says he waited to quit his job from the day he landed it.[5](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/music/news/how-bengali-lad-anupam-roy-went-on-to-compose-music-for-the-film-piku/articleshow/46846723.cms)
## Breakthrough with Autograph
Nothing came of his attempts to record a Bengali debut album until August 2010, when the writer-director [Srijit Mukherji](https://www.edgepedia.org/srijit-mukherji), a friend and admirer of his songs, used two of them in the film *Autograph*: "Amake Amar Moto Thakte Dao" and "Benche Thakar Gaan". Both became extremely popular, and offers to make film music followed; Roy quit his job, returned to Kolkata, and took up songwriting and composing full time.[1](https://www.anupamroymusic.com/about-anupam-roy) A profile of his band dates his rise to fame to that song and film.[6](https://www.bichitra.org/_files/ugd/da9b37_c6c867c75d604e118ddcc980f46a1606.pdf)
His work with Mukherji continued through *[Baishe Srabon](https://www.edgepedia.org/baishe-srabon)* (2011), *Hemlock Society* (2012), and *[Chotushkone](https://www.edgepedia.org/chotushkone)* (2014), the last of which produced "Boba Tunnel".[7](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/anupam-roy/390449096) Roy has said that Mukherji shoots his songs with care, which raises their popularity, and that by *Chotushkone* the director no longer interfered with his music.[4](https://www.anandabazar.com/entertainment/interview-of-music-director-anupam-roy-1.133786)
## Bollywood debut with Piku
In April 2014, about a year before release, Shoojit Sircar called Roy and asked him to compose a song for *Piku*, which starred [Amitabh Bachchan](https://www.edgepedia.org/amitabh-bachchan), Deepika Padukone, and [Irrfan Khan](https://www.edgepedia.org/irrfan-khan).[8](https://filmcity.one/i-didnt-see-any-footage-before-composing-the-songs-anupam-roy/) Roy composed without seeing any footage, working one song at a time, each with a different situation in mind.[8](https://filmcity.one/i-didnt-see-any-footage-before-composing-the-songs-anupam-roy/) The film's soundtrack, including "Journey Song", "Bezubaan", "Teri Meri Baatein", and "Lamhe Guzar Gaye", remains among his most-streamed work.[7](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/anupam-roy/390449096)
Writing in Hindi was a new constraint. Roy has said he cannot write good Hindi, sent Sircar drafts with provisional words, and had a friend, Ritesh Shah, fix the Hindi grammar before sending songs to Mumbai.[4](https://www.anandabazar.com/entertainment/interview-of-music-director-anupam-roy-1.133786) He also noted that in Hindi he had to concentrate on the melody first and fit words in afterward, the reverse of his Bengali practice.[8](https://filmcity.one/i-didnt-see-any-footage-before-composing-the-songs-anupam-roy/) He later wrote songs for the Hindi film *Pink*.[3](https://iprs.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Addendum-to-EGM-Notice.pdf)
## Songwriting method
Roy describes his film work as unusually independent of the films themselves. "I don't exactly compose for films. I write my songs on my own. But if a script or a film comes to me, I usually play my existing songs from my bank. The makers listen to them and pick from them. It's not like a film dictates my songwriting," he told The Times of India in 2019.[9](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bengali/music/is-composing-non-film-music-more-liberating/amp_articleshow/69736319.cms) He keeps a large stock of finished songs that directors can shop from, and says that when he does compose to a brief he focuses on the characters, storyline, and situation.[10](https://bengali.indianexpress.com/entertainment/anupam-roy-dristikone-interview/) • [9](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bengali/music/is-composing-non-film-music-more-liberating/amp_articleshow/69736319.cms)
He has described wanting to handle words, melody, and arrangement together, saying that working on only one of them does not satisfy him, though Hindi films often require exactly that.[11](https://www.anandabazar.com/entertainment/singer-anupam-roy-interview-on-his-41th-birthday-dgtl/cid/1418011) He practices singing every morning and says that when a song will come to him is outside his control.[12](https://www.anandabazar.com/entertainment/anupam-roy-talks-about-his-process-of-creating-music-dgtl/cid/1313688)
## Awards and recognition
The 64th National Film Award for Best Lyrics went to Roy for "Tumi Jake Bhalobaso (Female Version)" from *Praktan* (2016).[2](https://open.spotify.com/artist/5LZ894xYE9MG1sal0gjt5L) His work on *Piku* earned him several awards and nominations, according to a profile of his band.[6](https://www.bichitra.org/_files/ugd/da9b37_c6c867c75d604e118ddcc980f46a1606.pdf) In September 2019 he held his first solo Kolkata concert, "Bhalobasha Baki Achhe", at Nazrul Manch, nine years into his film career; for every ticket sold, a tree was to be planted, in coordination with the [West Bengal](https://www.edgepedia.org/west-bengal) government's forest festival program.[13](https://www.anandabazar.com/entertainment/exclusive-interview-of-singer-anupam-roy-dgtl-1.1040548)
## Recent work
Roy's soundtrack credits in recent years include *Drishtikone* (2018), his first complete film score for director Kaushik Ganguly, whose earlier rejection of the song "Lokkhiti" Roy has discussed publicly; *[Bohurupi](https://www.edgepedia.org/bohurupi)* (2024), for which he arranged the traditional raag Yaman in a modern style for the song "Aj Shara Bela"; *Dhai Aakhar* (2024); and *Raktabeej 2*, *[Killbill Society](https://www.edgepedia.org/killbill-society)*, and *Aamar Boss* (2025).[10](https://bengali.indianexpress.com/entertainment/anupam-roy-dristikone-interview/) • [14](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bengali/a-hit-song-builds-an-entire-ecosystem-shiboprosad-anupam-on-the-power-of-bengali-film-music/articleshow/134968888.cms) • [7](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/anupam-roy/390449096) Director Shiboprosad Mukherjee, a frequent collaborator, has said he listens to Roy's unpublished tracks while developing scripts and that a hit film song creates work for singers, live shows, dancers, choreographers, and technicians beyond the film itself.[14](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bengali/a-hit-song-builds-an-entire-ecosystem-shiboprosad-anupam-on-the-power-of-bengali-film-music/articleshow/134968888.cms)
Roy is married to the singer Prasmita Pal, and the couple has a son.[15](https://bangla.bdnews24.com/glitz/4k87xc9tto) Among playback singers he has worked with, [Arijit Singh](https://www.edgepedia.org/arijit-singh)'s first playback recording was "Khela Shesh" from the film *Highway*, composed by Roy, who has recalled that Singh recorded in Kolkata studios at the start of his career.[16](https://www.hindustantimes.com/bangla/entertainment/wish-arijit-would-pick-up-my-calls-anupam-roy-shares-working-experience-with-arijit-singh-over-the-years-271789362894459-amp.html)
## References
1. [About Anupam Roy, anupamroymusic.com](https://www.anupamroymusic.com/about-anupam-roy)
2. [Anupam Roy, Spotify artist page](https://open.spotify.com/artist/5LZ894xYE9MG1sal0gjt5L)
3. [The Indian Performing Right Society Limited, Addendum to EGM Notice (PDF)](https://iprs.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Addendum-to-EGM-Notice.pdf)
4. [Interview of music director Anupam Roy, Anandabazar](https://www.anandabazar.com/entertainment/interview-of-music-director-anupam-roy-1.133786)
5. [How Bengali lad Anupam Roy went on to compose music for the film 'Piku', Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/music/news/how-bengali-lad-anupam-roy-went-on-to-compose-music-for-the-film-piku/articleshow/46846723.cms)
6. [The Anupam Roy Band, Bichitra (PDF)](https://www.bichitra.org/_files/ugd/da9b37_c6c867c75d604e118ddcc980f46a1606.pdf)
7. [Anupam Roy, Apple Music artist page](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/anupam-roy/390449096)
8. [I didn't see any footage before composing the songs – Anupam Roy, Filmcity One](https://filmcity.one/i-didnt-see-any-footage-before-composing-the-songs-anupam-roy/)
9. [Is composing non-film music more liberating?, Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bengali/music/is-composing-non-film-music-more-liberating/amp_articleshow/69736319.cms)
10. [অনুপমের দৃষ্টিকোণে গানের সাতকাহন, Indian Express Bangla](https://bengali.indianexpress.com/entertainment/anupam-roy-dristikone-interview/)
11. [Singer Anupam Roy interview on his 41st birthday, Anandabazar](https://www.anandabazar.com/entertainment/singer-anupam-roy-interview-on-his-41th-birthday-dgtl/cid/1418011)
12. [Anupam Roy talks about his process of creating music, Anandabazar](https://www.anandabazar.com/entertainment/anupam-roy-talks-about-his-process-of-creating-music-dgtl/cid/1313688)
13. [Exclusive interview of singer Anupam Roy, Anandabazar](https://www.anandabazar.com/entertainment/exclusive-interview-of-singer-anupam-roy-dgtl-1.1040548)
14. [A hit song builds an entire ecosystem: Shiboprosad & Anupam on the power of Bengali film music, Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bengali/a-hit-song-builds-an-entire-ecosystem-shiboprosad-anupam-on-the-power-of-bengali-film-music/articleshow/134968888.cms)
15. [অনুপম রায়ের নতুন অ্যালবাম 'ব্যথা নেই', bdnews24 Bangla](https://bangla.bdnews24.com/glitz/4k87xc9tto)
16. [Arijit-Anupam: working experience with Arijit Singh, Hindustan Times Bangla](https://www.hindustantimes.com/bangla/entertainment/wish-arijit-would-pick-up-my-calls-anupam-roy-shares-working-experience-with-arijit-singh-over-the-years-271789362894459-amp.html)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musical works and recordings › Discographies and musical catalogues › Production and songwriter credit lists › Songwriter and lyricist credit lists › Indian film-music songwriter and lyricist lists*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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