Remembering Satyajit Ray

Satyajit Ray needs no introduction. We don’t call him a legend without a reason. In the Indian subcontinent, people know him as one of our greatest filmmakers. Outside India, he is regarded as one of the world’s most influential filmmakers whose work has influenced greats like Danny Boyle, Akira Kurosawa and Martin Scorsese. In Bengal, his homeland, he is known as the maker of some fantastic regional films as well as a stellar music composer, a great writer of children’s short stories and novels and a talented artiste. 

Across his 35-year-long career as a filmmaker, Ray, standing at 6 feet 4 inches was as tall as a mountain not just in size but also in legacy. Ray had an impressive run as a director with 30 films to his credit. He handled a variety of themes, with rare sensitivity and subtlety. The variety of the genres he touched upon is astounding. While Charulata(The Lonely Wife) was about the love of a woman for her brother-in-law, Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne and Hirak Rajar Deshe were rip-roaring movies for children. Where Asani Sanket addressed the disastrous effects of famine, Mahanagar examined modernisation and its resultant changes. Also with books like Our Films Their Films, and Feluda series, the filmmaker has remained one of the cultural icons of India, who has set an unsurpassable standard for Indian cinema. The books have spawned hit films, animations and comics and the character Feluda, the iconic sleuth, has attained cult status among old and young readers alike. 

Ray received many major awards in his career, including 32 Indian National Film Awards, a Golden Lion, a Golden Bear, 2 Silver Bears, a number of additional awards at international film festivals, and an Academy Honorary Award in 1992. The Government of India honoured him with the Bharat Ratna, its highest civilian award, in 1992. 

As his works continue to be relevant to date, here are some of Satyajit Ray’s films which should be on your must-watch list: 

It took Ray nearly four years to make his debut film Pather Panchali. It was rated as one of the best 100 films by Time Magazine in 2005. The film is a tale of little joys and sorrows of a poor Indian family in Bengal, and is a touching indication that poverty does not always nullify love. 

The movie was made particularly for children. However, the second part of the film Hirok Rajar Deshe, reflected the reign of Indira Gandhi in India. Ray perfectly reflected the emergency period. While a child would enjoy the story of a ruthless king being dethroned, an adult would understand the inner meaning. 

Charulata was originally written by Rabindranath Tagore and later adapted by Ray. The film is meditative poetry, lingering over the inner turmoil endured by all characters. It tells the tale of a lonely wife who develops a deep regrettable bond with her brother-law. 

Nayak remains the most favourite Ray film among his admirers. It revolves around a matinee idol on a 24-hour train journey from Kolkata to Delhi to receive a national award. However, he ends up revealing his mistakes, insecurities and regrets to a young journalist, who realises that behind all the glitter is a deeply lonely man.