If ever we had an Indian filmmaker who made their mark on the world stage, it would be Satyajit Ray. (Sure we also had Ismail Merchant, but he was part of the Merchant Ivory combine and made most of his movies abroad.) Ray was born on 2nd May 1921 and would have been one hundred years old now had he not passed away in 1992 at the age of 70. People on social media paid tributes to the man and his craft on his one hundredth birth anniversary:
To recall the craft of the master, virtual film festivals are being organised so people can watch and re-watch classics like Pather Panchali and other films of the Apu Trilogy, Charulata, Jalasaghar, Agantuk, Nayak, Pratidwandi Aparatjito, Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne and so on.
People have their own favourites; as many would list the train scene in Pather Panchali as their favourite because of its poignancy; because of how it conveyed so much wordlessly.
Ray’s Pather Panchali was a labour of love. Shot over three years, it took the selling off of Ray’s insurance policy and his wife’s jewellery to finance the movie that is largely regarded as one of the finest pieces of Indian cinema ever. His Aparajito (in the image) is another one of the finest early examples of meaningful Indian cinema.
This tweet speaks about how Ray’s work is studied in Greece; specifically his film Shatranj ke Khiladi. This is my favourite Ray film, because it is quite brilliant and probably also because it is in a language that I understand.
Ray’s famous for being able to fit many cinematic details into one shot, working with unknown actors and child actors; creating a vivid realism and humanism in his films.
Ray’s films commented on society – the inequality and injustice ingrained in our social fabric. His short 12-minute film speaks about the ways in which these impact lives.
I had a phase where I watched all of Ray’s most famous films. But today I find that I want to re-watch them – for the detail and the nuance I undoubtedly missed the first time around. I also find that there are some that I have not watched, which I plan to do forthwith.
In his native Bengal as well as India and the rest of the world, Satyajit Ray’s work is being recalled and reexamined. His genius has stood the test of time – though his movies were rooted in their time and milieu, they are timeless and universal nevertheless.
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