There’s one person who has influenced me the most since my childhood, since I have learnt to read, learnt to draw, leant to use a camera & learnt to appreciate cinema & music. As a kid I dreamt to grow up to be like him.
His name is Satyajit Ray.
To me he will remain a True Indian Legend, much more than a “Regional Hero”, (as he is classified in MS here) to take Indian Regional Cinema to a global platform. Kurosawa once said "Not to have seen the cinema of Ray means existing in the world without seeing the sun or the moon”. He couldn’t have been more right. Making movies in Bengali & still being counted within the best dozen directors of World cinema is something all Indians can boast. The honorary Oscar was late but well deserved.
I will always be on awe & respect him for his amazingly original works which can compete with any international authors/ creators of fame.
I personally feel Ray was one of the Best Creative Genius India has ever seen & I admire him for his contribution, some of which I believe are as follows:
~ Taking Indian cinema to the global audience & proving what great Indian cinema is made of.
Great literature, humanity & relationship. Blended with perfectionist direction & experimentation with lights & music. Pather Pachali, Apu Trilogy, Charulata & Ghare Baire- such literary classics emerge with a new meaning in Ray’s cinema. He is admired worldwide for his simple & humanist approach. Each of his movies involved character plays & a strong message hidden in the underlying complexity. His movies makes me think & rediscover new facets of relationship every time I watch them.
~ His movies were ahead of its time in terms of technical brilliance, music & styling.
Watch Sonar Kella, Joi Baba Felunath, Piku’s Diary, Kanchenjungha, Abhijaan to believe how strong characterization & story telling can be experimented in various ways & unfailingly leaving the audience in awe, every time. His movies live.
~ No other Indian director ever worked on the details as he did.
Those who have seen GGBB, Nayak, Aranyer Din Ratri, Mahanagar, Jana Aranya, Kanchenjungha, Satranch ke Khiladi may agree with me. The design of the royal palace in GGBB, the pistol shaped lighter in Abhijaan, the dagger in Soner Kella, the way Sharmila keeps the pen in her blouse in Nayak, the way the comforter is used by Pahadi Sanyal in Kanchenjungha, the small container for candies in Aranyer Din Ratri are glimpses of Ray’s eye for fine detailing. Ever noticed the central decoration of the floor of grand darbar in GGBB ? Or the printed Shirt of Kamu Mukherjee showing spread out playing cards in the train scene of Sonar Kella? Note how the camera zooms out & created a first impression about Kamu’s character! The shirt of course was designed by Ray himself. It’s Ray’s works which taught me the meaning of the phrase “God is in the details”.
~ He created true children’s literature continuing the legacy of his forefathers Upendrakishore & Sukumar Ray.
Ray’s detective character Feluda is immortal with his quick wit, razor sharp intelligence & lucid analytical reasoning skills. His sidekick brother Topse and friend Jatayu are conspicuous with his unconditional hero worship & comical presence, respectively. Soumitra Bannerjee & late Santosh Dutta were handpicked by Ray for two main characters. What more, Ray changed the characterization of Jatayu(Lalmohan Ganguy) to suit Santosh Dutta’s persona. Those who have read Sonar Kella, the book may notice Jatayu was clean Shaven with spikey hair, which later changed to a baldie with moustache after the movie was made! This is what is called putting life to a character.
~ He is one of the rare film makers whose films meant for children amazes people of all ages. Sonar Kella, Goopie Byne Bagha Byne & Hirok Rajar Desheb does exactly that. I saw those movies with my dad & I watch those movies with my son. His movies will appeal generations to come. His comedy Paraspathar based on Parashurams story is the best example of satire.
~ His sketches/ illustrations are as amazing as his detective novels are.
I cant describe this much, its has to be seen to be believed. He would have easily make Frank Miller learn a thing or two about graphic novels.
~ He is one of the best science fiction writers with amazing originality.
Prof. Shonku with his inventions & globe trotting adventure diaries are just another perspective of Ray’s way to describe the world & his travelogues. Imagination blends with real locations to take the reader into a dreamworld with Anihylin to vanish the evil & Luminimax to fight the darkness. It is to be noted, the names of such imaginary products speaks about the creativity of the advertising genius here. Remember his first job was with D.J. Keymer, a British advertising agency.
*~ His “Dozen’ series short stories still takes me to my childhood.
*I used to read them on lazy winter afternoons accompanied with Aachar. Those short stories have a mysterious charm of the unknown, the uncanny & the undiscovered. Each of these stories have brilliant scope of filming . Though some meek efforts has been made asTV serials, thry are far from being’great’.
~ He is one the best music director to use indigenous instruments only.
Those who had seen Sonar Kella & the typical Rajsathani music or Kanchanjungha with the rustic vocals of the mountain song may get hold of the double album ‘Music of Satyajit Ray’. I have the casettes & looking for the CD now.
~ He has been one of the best Scriptwriter, lyricist, Cinematographer & talent hunter of our times.
All the songs of GGBB are written & composed by him. They are amazing numbers in contemporary Bengali music as far as the bonding of lyrics & music goes in a cinematic context. The singer Anup Ghosal, rose from anonymity to fame after GGBB . Goopy, played by a Tapen Chatterjee, then a greenhorn actor did an amazing portrayal of the character that was again discovered by Ray himself. Unfortunately Tapen was never so successful after GGBB. Today’s iconic personalities like Sharmila & Simi Grewal has been subjects of Ray’s experimentation in Aranyer Dinratri & Devi. Imagine Simi as a tribal woman, dark, drunk & free of any inhibition! Similarly lesser known actors like Karuna Bannerjee(the famous Sarbojaya in Pather Panchali & lead character in Kanchenjungha) remains memorable.
.
Ray lives in me, he always will. Today, on his 87th birth anniversary I remember him. I still dream to do something like he did. Some dreams never die. Some Ray never fades.