In a scene from yesteryear film Sujata, which stars Nutan and Sunil Dutt, a pandit says, 'People of lower caste release a gas which is poisonous'. Made by Bimal Roy, who gave a Dickensian touch to his stories, the film is a love story between an untouchable woman and an upper caste man. "The film addresses the rampant discrimination that goes on in the name of caste, and the persistent myths surrounding the issue. Having said that, it also goes beyond caste, touching upon the crying need of acceptance and the unbearable pain of rejection," says Rinky Roy, daughter and biographer of Bimal Roy.

This week, the 22-year-old Bimal Roy Memorial will celebrate Sujata, which completes 60 years along with screenings of Bandini and Tere Ghar Ke Samne. The event will also include a presentation by Mohnish Behl, son of Nutan, along with his daughter Pranutan, as well as a talk by Tanuja. Interestingly, Sujata was first released in Cannes on April 16, 1959. As Rinky recollects, "We were in London at the time. My father held a public celebration at Shivaji Park with fireworks. It was attended by all his stars. Nutan was one of his favourite actresses. The relevance of Sujata will last as long as Indian society has a caste-based hierarchy."