Rise and fall of Subrata Roy

Roy rose from a modest roadside salted snacks seller in UP to a billionaire media-to-realty business magnate

- Anirudh Laskar

In the annals of Bengali literature, Shankar is a noted name, with most of his books widely read. So when, in 2003, the famed author penned a 199-page book titled Bangalir Bittyosadhana, Saharar Itikatha (Bengali’s financial aspirations, Sahara’s history) with a photo of flamboyant business tycoon Subrata Roy on the cover, it was, as expected, widely read as well.

Part of the reason for that, apart from Shankar’s pedigree, was that it leveraged Roy’s unworldly rise from a modest road-side salted snacks seller for a brand called ‘Jaya’ in Gorakhpur to a billionaire media-to-realty business magnate. In effect, the book portrayed the aspirations of Bengali youth to be rich and successful.

But having been written in 2003, the book naturally doesn’t capture the second half of Roy’s story, which was not so rosy. The period saw his businesses being accused of fraud and him go to jail. Roy breathed his last on Tuesday night in Mumbai, and is survived by his wife, two sons and a brother.

His troubles had began towards the end of his glory years. In 2012, he was recognised as one of India's 10 most influential businessmen by India Today magazine. And till 2013, Sahara was the Indian cricket team’s sole official sponsor.