Montosh Roy: India's 'first Mr. Universe

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Montosh Roy: India's 'First Mr. Universe' Whose Story Remains Untold And Buried In History

In contrast to popular belief, Manohar Aich was NOT India’s first Mr. Universe. In fact, he is the second. While the living legend Manohar Aich got the internet’s attention, what still remains buried in history is the completely untold story of Montosh Roy, the first ever Mr. Universe from India. 

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Born in Gajaria village, Dhaka district (now Bangladesh), Roy grew up in a poor family. Despite the harsh conditions, Roy’s family made sure that he attended an English middle school. It was by the time he was 12 years old that he noticed his inclination towards pumping iron.  Hardly did he know that his love for weightlifting would immortalize his name in the annals of history. Roy always wanted Bishnu Cahran Ghosh, one of the greatest yoga teachers to ever grace the Indian soil, to coach him. Call it Roy’s sheer luck, one day Bishnu saw Roy working out and got so impressed that he accepted him as his pupil. 

© davidgentle

© davidgentle

Under the guidance of Bishnu Charan Gosh, Roy plunged into the world of bodybuilding and yoga, a combination that is rarely seen today. In 1939, he stepped into competition for the first time. Sadly though, he didn’t secure any position. Determined to learn from his failure, the same year, he topped the East Indian Bodybuilding Championship. In 1947, the year India gained independence, Roy lifted the title of the All India Bodybuilding Championship. There’s almost no information on whether or not Roy competed between the years 1939-1947, although we are best believing that he most certainly did. 

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In 1951, Roy travelled to the UK to compete for what is still the world’s most coveted title, Mr. Universe. And to everyone’s surprise, he won the Mr. Universe title in Group III Amateur Division category. Roy’s extremely aesthetic physique swept the audience and his competitors off their feet. His Jesus Christ posing routine, in particular, made him an instant hit amongst the audience. People queued for hours to take Roy’s autographs post the show. 

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This achievement not only made him the first Indian to do so but also, the first Asian (Manohar Aich followed in his footsteps in 1952.). After winning the title of Mr. Universe, Roy came back to India and laid the foundation of Indian Bodybuilding Federation, opened a number of bodybuilding centres and gyms, trained celebrities, taught law at the Calcutta University and authored books on bodybuilding. Roy was also known for his ability to bend steel with bare hands and his mastery of yoga.         

© davidgentle

At his best, Roy’s body measurements were: Height-5’5’’, Weight-70kgs, Neck-16.5’’, Chest-45”, Bicep-16.5’’, thigh-23’’ and calf- 15.5’’. To put things into perspective, these measurements, even in modern-day bodybuilding, are very hard to achieve. Also, back then, there were no steroids or supplements.  Roy died of old age in 2005, still waiting for due recognition from the Indian Government. 

(With inputs from David Gentle's ‘History of Physical Culture’)