The Great Master Satyajit Ray

A PRESENTATION ON
GREAT MASTER
SATYAJIT RAY
PRESENTED BY:
•ARNAB MAJUMDER
Artist, Musician, Orator, & expert writer in both
Bengali & English. When those attributes gathered in
one man it make a SATYAJIT RAY. He will be
remembered as the liberator of Indian films. He made a
significant contribution on Indian films besides the old
dull full of song ones. From script writing, dialogue
writing, music to editing & post production he was
spontaneous in every department of film-making. If it
said that he was on of the most popular & powerful writer
in Bengali literature it is not a exaggeration. With our
small effort we are trying to salute a tall man, not only in
height but also in image.
CONTENTS
CHILDHOOD
DAYS AT SHANTINIKETAN
ADVERTISING & GRAPIC DESIGN
A FILM THINKER : ‘BI-CYCLE THIEVES EFFECT’
CALCUTTA FILM SOCEITY
STARTING THE JOURNEY : MAKING OF PATHER PANCHALI
APU TRIOLOGY
MUSIC OF SATYAJIT RAY
THE WORLD OF RAY : HIS SUBJECTS
FILMS DIRECTED BY RAY
FILMS WITH CONTRIBUTION BY RAY
AWARDS
HIS INTERESTS
WRITER SATYAJIT RAY
THE END
CHILDHOOD
1921, Ray Family :
Satyajit Ray was born on May 2,
1921, in an intellectual and
affluent family in Calcutta, India.
His grandfather, Upendrakishore
Ray (Roychowdhury) was a
distinguished writer, painter, a
violin player and a composer.
He was also a pioneer in half-
tone block making and founded
one of the finest presses in the
country - U. Ray & Sons. He
died six years before Satyajit
Ray was born.
Boy Satyajit Ray

His father, Sukumar Ray (1887-1923), the
eldest son of Upendra Kishore, studied
printing technology in England and joined the
family business. He too was an eminent poet,
writer and illustrator of nonsense literature in
the tradition of Lewis Carroll and Edward
Lear.
Sukumar Ray fell ill the year Satyajit Ray
was born with a dreaded tropical disease of
the time - Kala-azar. He regularly contributed
poems, stories and illustrations to 'Sandesh', a
children's magazine in Bengali which Satyajit
Ray's grandfather had started publishing and
printing. Need less to say the child Satyajit Sukumar Ray
was fascinated by the block making and the
printing process.
In 1880's, Ray family had embraced
'Brahmo Samaj', sect within Hindu society. Brahmo
was a reaction to Christianity (at that time, India was
under British colonial rule and Calcutta was the seat of
power), western literature and orthodox Hindu
practices such as 'Sati'. With a cosmopolitan and
rational outlook, Raja Ram Mohan Roy founded the
Brahmo. Later Brahmos were led by Devendranath
Tagore, father of Rabindranath Tagore.
The progressive outlook of the Brahmo Samaj
strongly influenced Satyajit Ray's work. Many of Ray's
films would later show this progressive outlook and a
strong aversion to religious fanaticism (Devi,
Charulata, Teen Kanya, Sadgati, Ghare Baire and
Ganashatru to name a few).
• 1926, Early Childhood: About three years after his
father's death, the printing business changed hands
and Satyajit and his mother had to leave their spacious
house. They moved to Satyajit's maternal uncle's Draw by sukumar ray
house. His mother taught needlework to supplement
the household income. Here he would also meet
cousin Bijoya, his future wife
At an age of eight, Satyajit joined Ballygunj
Government School, until then he had been
taught by his mother. Satyajit was an average
student.
While still at school, he became a film fan,
regularly reading Hollywood trivia in
magazines like Picturegoer and Photoplay.
Western classical music was another interest.
He would often pick-up gramophone records
at flea markets. He matriculated when he was
just short of fifteen.
1936, At College: His mother insisted upon
Satyajit joining college. At the Presidency
College, Satyajit read science for the first two
years and for the third year, he took
economics. (An uncle had assured him a job
if he graduated in economics.)
At the cost of academics, Satyajit was spending more and more
time and energies in pursuit of his two interests- Watching films and
listening to western classical music on his gramophone.
In films, his interest had shifted from stars to directors, savouring
offering of Ernst Lubitsch, John Ford, Frank Capra, and William
Wyler. He became a subscriber of Sight & Sound.
He graduated in 1939. At the age of eighteen, he decided to give
up further studies. Even though he had no formal training, he was
planning to become a commercial artist. He had a natural flair for
drawing. His mother however felt that he was too young to take up a
job. She suggested that he should join as a student of painting at
Shantiniketan. After initial resistance, he agreed.
MAIN
DAYS AT SHANTINIKETAN
• At Shantiniketan : 1940-41, Discovering Oriental ArtIn 1940, he joined
Rabindranath Tagore's Vishva-Bharati University at Shantiniketan despite
the initial reluctance. The desire to learn about Indian arts to be
successful as a commercial artist, mother's wishes and the lure of Tagore,
perhaps, were too strong to ignore. Tagore had been a close friend of his
grandfather and father. Trips to nearby villages for sketching exercises,
were his first encounters with rural India for the city-bred Satyajit Ray.
During this period, he discovered the oriental art- Indian sculpture and
miniature painting, Japanese woodcuts and Chinese landscapes... Till
then, his exposure to art had been limited to only the western masters. He
also undertook a long tour of places of artistic interests in India along with
three friends. For the first time, he had begun to appreciate qualities of
Indian art. The tour drew his attention to use of small details in Indian art
to signify a bigger meaning. A quality that his films would later
demonstrate.
Binode Behari Mukherjee, his art teacher at Shantiniketan, also
demonstrated this quality in his work. He had an impressionable influence
on Ray. About 30 years later, Ray would make a loving documentary on
him - The Inner Eye, 1972.
At Shantiniketan too, Ray had found means to pursue his interest in Rabindranath Tagore
music and films. A German Jew, professor of English, had a collection of
western classical records. Ray would often listen to music at his cottage
in the evenings. He also found books on cinema in the university library
such as Paul Rotha's 'Film Till Now' and Raymond Spotiswoode's
'Grammar of the Film. Despite his great love for films the thought of
becoming a filmmaker had not yet occurred.
Tagore died on August 7, 1941.
• 1942, Back to Calcutta :As the year 1942 was coming to an
end, Ray missed the city life and his inability to see films at
Shantiniketan. Soon he was making weekend trips to
Calcutta, visiting his mother and cousin Bijoya, looking for
bargains on books and gramophone records at flea markets
and watching movies. He was also in love with cousin Bijoya
who lived in the same joint-family house as his mother.
In the remote Shantiniketan, he also felt being out
of touch with what was happening in Calcutta, India and the
world. Mahatma Gandhi had launched Quit India movement
against the British Empire, the war was at Calcutta's
doorsteps, and he had missed Citizen Kane that played in
Calcutta only for a few days.
In December 1942, Ray left Shantiniketan for good, the day
Calcutta was bombed by Japanese for the first time
Ray at Shantiniketan
MAIN
ADVERTISING & GRAPIC DESIGN
1943, Graphic Design & Typography :
In April 1943, Satyajit Ray joined a British-run advertising agency, D.J. Keymer, as a
junior visualiser. He spend next 13 years here, until he became a full-time filmmaker
after success of Pather Panchali.
Ray was fascinated by typography both Bengali and English and produced many
innovative advertising campaigns. His designs of two typefaces 'Ray Roman' and 'Ray
Bizarre' would win an international competition in 1971.
He brought in more of Indian motifs and calligraphic elements to advertising. Later, his
love for typography and illustration would often surface in the credits and the publicity
posters of his films.
His senior colleague at D.J. Keymer, D. K. Gupta started a publishing house 'Signet
Press' and Ray was roped in to do the cover jackets. In 1944, D. K. Gupta decided to
bring out an abridged version of a novel by Bibhuti Bhushan Banerjee, Pather Panchali.
Until then, Ray had not read much Bengali literature. By his own admission, he was
even unfamiliar with the bulk of Tagore's writings. Ray was asked to illustrate the
abridged version of the novel. The book itself made a lasting impression. D.K. Gupta, a
former editor of a Bengali film magazine, remarked to Ray that the abridged version of
the book would make a very good film.
Signet Press also published two books of Satyajit Ray's father Sukumar Ray; Abol-
Tabol (Hocus-Pocus) and Ha-ja-ba-ra-la (Higgledy Pigleddy).
This long association with D. K. Gupta's Signet Press for designing covers and
illustrations for books also provided Satyajit Ray with an opportunity to read Bengali
literature. Some of the books, he designed the jackets for, would later be adapted by
him for films.
MAIN
A FILM THINKER : “BICYCLE
THIEVES” EFFECT
1950, 'Bicycle Thieves' Comfirms Ray's Belief in
Realistic Cinema.
A business trip to London in 1950 proved a turning
point. Ray and wife travelled to London by ship, a journey
that took 16 days. With him, he was carrying a notebook in
which he had made some notes on making a film of Pather
Panchali. He wanted the film to be shot on actual locations,
no make-up with new faces. The reaction to this had been
negative from his friends. Shooting on locations with
unknown actors was thought be a totally unfeasible idea.
In this six-months long stay abroad, Ray saw about a
hundred films including Vittorio De Sica's Bicycle Thieves.
Bicycle Thieves made a profound impression on Ray.
Later, in the introduction of 'Our Films, Their Films', he
wrote- "All through my stay in London, the lessons of
Bicycle Thieves and neo-realist cinema stayed with me".
The film had reconfirmed his conviction that it was
possible to make realistic cinema with an almost entirely
amateur cast and shooting at actual locations.
He had completed his treatment of Pather Panchali on A still from De Sica's Bicycle
the return journey to India by a ship .
Thieves, 1948.
“All through my stay in London,
the lessons of Bicycle
Thieves and neo-realist cinema
stayed with me. “
- Satyajit Ray, in Our Films, Their Films
MAIN
Calcutta Film Society
The aftermath of the world war saw Calcutta filled with American GI's. The cinemas
were showing the latest Hollywood productions. It provided Ray and his friends a
feast of films.
In 1947, with a few friends like Bansi Chandra Gupta, Ray co-founded Calcutta's
first film society. Battleship Potemkin was the first film they screened.
Soon, Ray started writing and publishing articles on cinema in newspapers and
magazines, both English and Bengali. A collection of such articles, written during the
period 1948 - 1971, was later published as 'Our Films, Their Films'.
Meanwhile, Ray had developed an another interest - writing screenplays for his own
pleasure. He would take a story or novel for which a film had been announced, and
would write a screenplay. He would then compare his screenplay with the finished
film. Some times, he would even write a second version after seeing the film.
His friend Harisadhan Das Gupta had acquired rights for Tagore's Ghare Baire. Ray
wrote the screenplay; Harisadhan Das Gupta was to direct it. The film was not made
because Ray refused to make changes in the script as suggested by a doctor of
venereal diseases who was a friend of the producer. Thirty-five years later when Ray
made a film on the same novel, he thought it was a good fortune that film was not
made. He found his old screenplay "an amateurish effort in Hollywood tradition".
MAIN
STARTING THE JOURNEY : MAKING OF
PATHER PANCHANLI
1950, Search for a Producer : On his return in late 1950, with
absolutely no experience in movie-making, Ray collected a group of
young men to work as technicians. Subrata Mitra was the
cinematographer; he had been a still photographer and had to
coaxed into taking up the assignment. Anil Choudhury became the
Production Controller, Bansi Chandra Gupta the art director.
While looking for financial backers, he approached widow of Bibhuti
Bhusan Banerjee, the writer of Pather Panchali for film rights. She
admired Ray's illustrations for the book and works of his father and
grandfather. She gave her oral assurance and retained her faith in
Satyajit Ray despite a better financial offer.
To explain his concept for the film to the potential producers, Ray
had a small note-book, filled with sketches, dialogue and the
treatment. This script along with another sketchbook that illustrated
the key dramatic moments of the film were greeted with curiosity by
producers. While many of them were impressed, none came forward
to produce the film. Later, Ray donated this script and the wash
sketches to the Cinémathèque Française, Paris.
Many offered advise against shooting in outdoor locations as most
films were made in studios at that time. He was told by many that
rain sequences could not be shot in the actual rains but required a
well equipped studio. At the earliest opportunity, Ray rushed out with
a 16 mm camera to test-shoot monsoon rains.
About two years were spent in vain to find a producer. Meanwhile,
undeterred Ray had begun assembling the cast and looking for
locations.
1952, Cattle eat up the scene : Unable to find
a producer, Ray decided that unless he could prove
his bona fides by producing a few sequences of the
film, he was not likely to find financial backing. He
borrowed money against his insurance policy and
from a few relatives and friends. The shooting was
to be done on Sundays due to his job at D.J.
Keymer.
On 27 October 1952, he set out to take the first

shot. The scene was the famous 'discovery of train
by Apu and his sister Durga in the field of Kaash
flowers'. "One day's work with camera and actors
taught me more than all the dozen books," Ray
would write later.
The following Sunday when they returned to shoot,

to their horror they discovered that the Kaash
flowers had been feasted upon by a herd of cattle.
He had to wait for the next season of flowers to
complete the scene.
1952, Casting and locations :
Meanwhile, efforts to find a backer and
working on other production requirements
and casting continued.
The cast was a mix of professional actors

and a few with no prior experience in
acting. Only Subir Banerjee who played
Apu, Karuna Banerjee who played Apu's
mother, and the villagers who played other
smaller roles, had no prior experience of
acting. The rest had either acted in films or
theatre.
Chunibala Devi, an 80-year old, retired

theatre actress was cast to play Indir
Thakrun. Boral, a small village on the
outskirts of Calcutta was to be the major
location.
1952, Faith in realistic cinema gets stronger ; During this time,
Bimal Roy had made Do Bigha Jamin (Two Acres of Land), in
India; The film had a few songs, shot largely on locations. It was
about the struggle of a peasant family. The film was in the tradition
of neo-realist cinema with natural acting (though using professional
actors, including Balraj Sahni who pioneered natural acting in
mainstream Indian films). The film won the Prix International at the
Cannes Festival, 1954. Do Bigha Jamin and Kurosawa's
Rashoman, further strengthened Satyajit Ray's faith in the kind of
film he was making.
Pather Panchali was to be shot in sequence as Ray had realized

that he would be learning as they went along. He had to discover
for himself, "how to catch the hushed stillness of dusk in a Bengali
village when the wind drops and turns the ponds into sheets of
glass, dappled by the leaves of Saluki and Shale, and the smoke
from the ovens settles in wispy trails over the landscape and the
plaintive blows on conch shells from homes far and near are joined
by the chorus of crickets which rises as the light falls, until all one
sees are the stars in the sky, and the stars that blink and swirl in
the thickets."
1953, A producer at last ; He found a producer, Ana
Dutta, who provided some funds with a promise of more
after seeing the results and releasing his latest film. Ray
took one month's leave without pay to shoot a few more
sequences.
The shooting began in the village. Ray recalls this period

as a great learning experience. The film appeared to be
shaping up well. It was not long before the funds ran out.
The producer's latest film had been a box-office disaster
so he was unable to provide any more finances.
However, since the arrangements had already been
made for shoot, some of Ray's wife, Bijoya's jewelry was
pawned and shooting continued for a few days more.
Ray was back to work at Kaymer. The footage was later

edited to about 4000 ft. Ray approached many
producers with the edited footage and was turned down.
Ray's production manager, Anil Choudhury suggested
approaching Dr. B. C. Roy, the Chief Minister of West
Bengal for help. The government agreed to fund. On
September 8, 1953, a son and the only child, Sandip
was born.
1954, Shooting resumes after a long break ; After a break of almost
a year, the shooting resumed in the early part of 1954. The funding from
the government meant that the money would come in installments.
Before each installment, the accounts had to be submitted and cleared
by the government. This would often take up to a month.
Later, Ray would describe it as a miracle that while making the film,
"One, Apu's voice did not break. Two, Durga did not grow up. Three,
Indir Thakrun did not die."
In the autumn of 1954, Monroe Wheeler, a director of Museum of

Modern Art (MOMA), New York was in Calcutta for putting together
some Indian highlights for an exhibition. In a chance meeting, Ray
showed some stills of Pather Panchali. Wheeler offered to hold a world
premier at MOMA.
About six months later, John Huston had come to India in search of
locations for 'The man who would be King'. He had been asked by
Monroe Wheeler to check the progress of the film. After seeing about
15-20 minute long silent rough-cut, John Huston gave rave reviews to
Wheeler. The film was scheduled to premier at MOMA.
1955, Breakneck post-production ;Ray wanted Pandit Ravi Shankar,
renowned Sitar maestro, to compose music for the film. Ravi Shankar, due
to his tight touring schedule, was able to see only about half of the film and
recorded the music in a non-stop session of about eleven hours. "It was a
marathon session and left us exhausted but happy, because most of the
music sounded wonderful", Ray would write in 'My Years with Apu', many
years later. Due to shortage of time, however, Ravi Shankar could not
provide music for a few sequences. Subrata Mitra, Ray's cinematographer,
devised music for the sweetmeat seller as he goes peddling his sweets.
Mitra also played sitar for a sequence.
To meet the MOMA deadline, Ray and his editor worked ten days and
nights continuously in the final stage of post-production. The first print of
Pather Panchali. came out at night before it was to be dispatched. There
was no time or money for the subtitles.
Weeks after the scheduled screening at MOMA, a letter came form MOMA
describing at length how well the film had been received by the audience.
MAIN
THE APU TRILOGY
Satyajit Ray's first film, Pather Panchali, is one among the finest films
ever made. The film won about a dozen awards at various film festivals
world-over. Pather Panchali, eventually, became the first film of a trilogy.
After the critical and commercial success of Pather Panchali, Ray made
Aparajito. The novel itself was a sequel to Pather Panchali. Ray recounts in
"My Years with Apu" on what finally led him to do another film about Apu
was, "One single attitude of Apu in the second novel Aparajita ... After
Sarbajaya's (mother) death Apu feels relief... he felt happy to be free of a
bondage. ... The idea of Apu growing up and away from his mother... and
much stress is laid on Sarbajaya's slow realization of the fact."After a special
screening for Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the Prime Minister of India and Dr.
Rajendra Prasad, the President of India, Nehru is said to have asked Ray,
"what happens to Apu now?" Ray replied that he did not have a third Apu film
in mind.
The film was not very successful with the Bengali audience at the time of its
first release. Ray read many Bengali stories and novels, looking for a future
film. He wrote a screenplay based on a short story by Tarasankar Bannerji,
Jalsaghar (The Music Room) . However, he had to postpone the project as
the actor he had in mind for the lead role was going to be abroad for a few
months. Meanwhile, he made a comedy fantasy, Parash Pather (The
Philosopher's Stone). Just before the film's release, Ray and Aparajito were
invited to the Venice Film Festival. Aparajito was hailed as a masterpiece.
Despite the bad subtitling, the film won the Golden Lion for the best feature
film at the Venice Film Festival. Ray was asked if he had a trilogy in mind at
a press conference during the festival. And to his surprise, Ray found himself
saying yes.
His two subsequent films - Parash Pather (The Philosopher's Stone) and
Jalsaghar (The Music Room) were commercial failures. Ray says in his book
'My years with Apu', "After three consecutive failures at the box office, I badly
needed a film which would not only make the critics happy but the public as
well." Satyajit remembered his statement at the Venice Film Festival about a
trilogy. In just one reading of the novel Aparajita, he had found a subject for
his fifth and the final film of the Apu Trilogy.
Comments
All the trilogy films have their share of
cinematic magic movements - Discovery of train
by Apu and Durga, the candy seller sequence,
Indir Thakrun's death, Durga's death and Harihar's
realization of Durga's death in Pather Panchali;
Harihar's death, Sarbajaya's (Apu's mother) death
on a night sparkling with fire flies and Apu's
encounter with the empty house in the village in
Aparajito; and Apu's marriage, developing of bond
with wife and the first encounter with his son in
Apur Sansar. These sequences are pure cinema,
handled with Ray's usual understatement
Despite being rooted deep in Indian culture, these
films evoke a universal humanistic response. That
is because the trilogy is all about human
relationships. In Pather Panchali - Apu and his
sister Durga, in Aparajito - Apu and his mother,
and in Apur Sansar - Apu, his wife and his son
form the core of the films. Death too plays a
pivotal role in all the films.
MAIN
MUSIC OF SATYAJIT RAY
In the beginning of his career Ray worked
with some of greatest music maestros of
Indian classical music; Pandit Ravi Shankar
for the Apu Trilogy and Parash Pathar (The
Philosopher's Stone, 1958, Ustad Vilayat
Khan for Jalsaghar (The Music Room, 1958)
and Ali Akbar Khan for Devi (The Goddess,
1960).Since Teen Kanya (1961), he began
composing the music for his films. "The
reason why I do not work with professional
composers any more is that I get too many
musical ideas of my own, and composers,
understandably enough, resent being
guided too much", he said.
He would start working on music in very
early stages of a production - sometimes as
early as in the script stage. He would keep
notes of the music ideas as they evolved.
After completing the final edit, he would
usually shut himself in his study for several
days to compose the music. He meticulously
wrote the scores in either Indian or western
notation depending on musicians.
"... the pleasure of finding out that the
music sounds as you had imagined it would,
more that compensates for the hard work
that goes into it. The final pleasure, of
course, is in finding out that it not only
sounds right but is also right for the scene
for which it was meant". he wrote.
To him the role of music was to make
things simpler for the audience. "If I were the
only audience, I wouldn't be using music! ...
I have always felt that music is really an
extraneous element, that one should be able
to do without it, express oneself without it",
he said.
He experimented with mixing western
and Indian elements in his scores. He
composed a background music that
belonged a particular film rather than to any
recognisable tradition. In Ghare-Baire
(Home and the World, 1984), he adapted
western music elements along with Indian
ones to complement the two influences on
the characters of film.
MAIN
THE WORLD OF RAY : HIS SUBJECTS
• Subjects : Ray's world : One of biggest contribution of
Ray to the world of cinema was his choice of subjects. He
explored a range of characters and situations. Many of these
were alien to popular Indian cinema, as they were not
considered suitable film subjects in India. He brought real
concerns of real people to the screen - villagers, city middle-
class, intellectuals, rich and famous, detectives, kings...Ray
himself summed up a very important aspect of his films:
"Villains bore me." Good Vs evil, white vs. black, the hero and
the villain. It was an age-old formula for evading the real truth.
He explored the complex shades of grey in stead.
His films show a diversity of moods, techniques, and
genres - comedy, satire, fantasy, and tragedy... Usually he
made realistic films but he also experimented with surrealist
devices and fantasy - Pratidwandi (The Adversary, 1970),
Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne (Adventures of Goopy and Bagha,
1968) and Hirak Rajar Deshe (Kingdom of Diamonds, 1980) to
name a few.
In Devi (The Goddess, 1960), he produced an Ibsen-like
parable on the power of superstition, and later in Ganashatru
(Enemy of the People, 1989).
Ray was deeply concerned with the social identity of his
characters. He believed that behaviour of people emerges from
their existence in a particular place and time in a particular
social context. This was and is, largely ignored in most popular
Indian song-and-dance films. In an effort to appeal to different
linguistic states of India, the makers of Bollywood (Bombay /
Mumbai film industry) films consciously avoid any references to
a particular place. Even the names of characters and places
are made as "universal" as possible.
On the other hand, the extraordinary believability of Ray's characters comes from their being
firmly rooted in a well defined society- usually Bengali life in the nineteenth or twentieth century.
Curiously, the feeling of "universality" stems form this authentic localism and specifics. He
generally suggests the context by meaningful details, gradually forming an enveloping world.
• Story & Script Ray made 29 feature films (36 including shorts and documentaries). Only six
screenplays of these feature length films were entirely original. These were: Kanchenjungha
(1962), Nayak (The Hero, 1966), Sonar Kella (The Golden Fortress, 19740), Joi baba Felunath
(The Elephant God, 1978), Hirak Rajar Dese (The Kingdom of diamonds, 1980), Shakha
Prashakha (Branches of the Tree, 1990) and Agantuk (The Stranger, 1991). More than half of
these were based on short stories or novels written by him earlier.
"When I write my own story, I use characters and milieus I am familiar with. I can deal with
something I do not know at first hand only with the help of someone who does (Bibhutibhushan's
village, Tarasankar's world of Zamindars/landlords, Tagore's Renaissance Bengal)." he wrote.
After the Apu Trilogy, he moved away from such long-time-span stories and extended sagas.
He believed that 'the long-short-story' was most suited for a two-hour duration feature film.
In his original screenplays, he preferred exploring the development of characters a
restricted time-space domain. Kanchenjungha (1962) shows 100 odd minutes in the life of a
group in the hill-station of Darjeeling, Nayak (The Hero, 1966) depicts a period of twenty-four
hours in a train...
While adapting a story or a novel, Ray treated the original stories without inhibitions, often
making significant departures from the originals. He said in his 'Our Films, Their Films’, "When I
am using someone else's story, it obviously means that I find some aspects of the story
attractive for certain reasons. These aspects are always evident in the film. Others, which I find
unsatisfactory, are either left out or modified to suit my needs. I do not give a thought to purist
who rage at departure from the original".
Ray preferred dialogues that were "realistic" as opposed to smart lines or natural speech. "It
is not as if it's off a tape-recorder, because then you would be wasting precious footage. You
have to strike a mean between naturalism and a certain thing which is artistic, which is
selective", he once wrote in an article for a newspaper.
MAIN
FILMS DIRECTED BY RAY
• Pather Panchali • Pratidwandi
• Aparajito • Seemabaddha
• Parash Pathar • Sikkim
• Jalsaghar • The Inner Eye
• Apur Sansar • Asani Sanket
• Devi • Sonar Kella
• Teen Kanya • Jana Aranya
• Rabindranath Tagore • Bala
• Kanchenjungha • Shantranj Ke Khilari
• Abhijan • Joi Baba Felunath
• Mahanagar • Hirak Rajar Deshe
• Charulata • Pikoo
• Two • Sadgati
• Kapurush - O – Mahapurush • Ghare-Baire
• Nayak • Sukumar Ray
• Chiriyakhana • Ganashatru
• Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne • Shakha Prashakha
• Aranyer Din Ratri • Agantuk
MAIN
Pather Panchali (Song of the Little Road)
• 1955, India. 115 min, B/W, In Bengali with
subtitles.
• Credits:
Producer:Government of West Bengal
Screenplay & Direction:Satyajit Ray,
based on the novel "Pather Panchali" by
Bibhutibhushan Banerjee.
Cinematography:Subrata Mitra
Editing:Dulal Dutta
Art Direction:Bansi Chandragupta
Sound:Bhupen Ghosh Sarbajaya, Durga and Harihar
Music:Pandit Ravi Shankar
U.S. Distributor:Merchant-Ivory/Sony
Pictures Classics.
• Cast & Character :
Harihar,the Father :Kanu Banerjee
Sarbajaya,the Mother : Karuna Banerje.
Apu:Subir Banerjee.
Durga, young girl:Uma Das Gupta.
Durga, child ,:Runki Banerjee.
Indir Thakrun, Old Aunt :Chunibala Devi. Little Durga
Candy seller:Haren Banerjee.
Summary
The time is early twentieth century, a
remote village in Bengal.The film deals with a
Brahmin family, a priest - Harihar, his wife
Sarbajaya, daughter Durga, and his aged
cousin Indir Thakrun - struggling to make both
ends meet
Harihar is frequently away from home on
work. The wife is raising her mischievous
daughter Durga and caring for elderly cousin
Indir, whose independent spirit sometimes
irritates her... Apu is born. With the little boy's
arrival, happiness, play and exploration uplift
the children's daily life.
Durga and Apu share an intimate bond. They
follow a candy seller whose wares they can not Indir ThakrunHarihar's aged cousin
afford, enjoy the theatre, discover a train and
witness a marriage ceremony. They even face
death of their aunt - Indir Thakrun. Durga is
accused of a theft. She fall ill after a joyous
dance in rains of the monsoon. On a stormy
day, when Harihar is away on work, Durga dies.
On Harihar's return, the family leaves their
village in search of a new life in Benaras. The
film closes with an image of Harihar, wife and
son - Apu, slowly moving way in an ox cart.
Little Durga and Indir Thakrun
Comments
Pather Panchali is Ray's debut film, and the
first film of his 'The Apu trilogy'. The remaining
two films of the trilogy, Aparajito and Apur
Sansar, follow Apu as the son, the man and
finally the father. Pather Panchali has a
universal humanist appeal. Though the film
deals with the grim struggle for survival by a
poor family, it has no trace melodrama. What is
projected in stead is the respect for human
dignity.
The most loveable character is that of Indir
Thakrun, an old, cynical, loving and storytelling Sarbajaya and Indir Thakrun
aunt of Apu and Durga. It was played by an 80-
year-old Chunibala, a retired theatre performer
who relished coming back into the limelight after
30 years of obscurity.
The sequences of Apu and elder sister Durga,
exploring their little world and sharing secrets
are most remarkable aspect of the film. These
include the scenes of - discovery of train by
Durga and Apu in field of white Kash flowers, the
candy seller sequence, and Indir Thakrun's
death.
Sarbajaya, Durga and Apu
In the inspired 'candy-seller' sequence, as
Durga and Apu secretly relish tamarind paste, their mother
is complaining about hardships to their father. Durga
hears a faint bell. She knows it is the candy-seller. Both go
out and look longingly at the the pots with sweets in them.
Durga sends Apu to ask for money from their father.
Mother intervenes, and Apu returns empty handed. But
the site of the pot-bellied candy-seller caring two bobbing
pots of sweets is too tempting to resist. Both start
following him. A stray dog joins the procession as it is
reflected in a shimmering pond.
The film develops its characters and the atmosphere
slowly and resolutely. The narrative builds up to a
powerful climax as we begin to empathise with the
characters. Some critics found the film to be too slow.
Strait Ray wrote about the slow pace -
"The cinematic material dictated a style to me, a very slow
rhythm determined by nature, the landscape, the country.
The script had to retain some of the rambling quality of the
novel because that in itself contained a clue to the Unaware of Durga's death,
authenticity: life in a poor Bengali village does ramble." Harihar shows Durga's Sari to
Sarbajaya,Sarbajaya breaks
down
Towards the end of the film, after death of
Durga, we see Apu brushing his teeth,
combing his hair... going about performing
tasks, which would have involved his sister or
mother. Sarbajaya (mother) has a lost look...
Harihar returns, unaware of Durga's death. In
a jovial mood he calls out his children.
Without any reaction, Sarbajaya fetches water
and a towel for him. Harihar begins to show
the gifts he has brought for them. When he
shows a sari that he has bought for Durga,
Sarbajaya breaks down. We hear the high
notes of a musical instrument "Tarshahnai" Durga and Apu in the field of Kash flowers
symbolising her uncontrollable weeping.
Realising Durga's loss , Harihar collapses
on his wife.
We see speechless Apu, for the first time
taking the centre stage in the story. Till now
the story was seen through the point of view
of either Sarbajaya or Durga. It is only in
these final moments that we see Apu as an
independent individual.
In the USA, Pather Panchali played at the 5th
Avenue Playhouse for a record 36 weeks,
breaking the previous record held by The Durga and Apu discover train, a sketch by
Cabinet of Dr.Caligari.
Ray
What others say...
The first film by the masterly Satyajit

Ray - possibly the most
unembarrassed and natural of directors
- is a quiet reverie about the life of an
impoverished Brahman family in a
Bengali village. Beautiful, sometimes
funny, and full of love, it brought a new
vision of India to the screen."
- Pauline Kael
"A beautiful picture, completely fresh
and personal. (Ray's camera) reaches
forward into life, exploring and Durga and Apu discover train
exposing, with reverence and wonder."
- Lindsay Anderson
"One of the most stunning first films in
movie history. Ray is a welcome jolt of
flesh, blood and spirit."
- Jack Kroll, Newsweek
" As deeply beautiful and plainly poetic
as any movie ever made. Rare and
exquisite."
- Hazel-Dawn Dumpert, L.A. Weekly
Sarbajaya and Apu
Awards
• President's Gold & Silver Medals, New

Delhi, 1955
• Best Human Document, Cannes 1956
• Diploma Of Merit, Edinbugh, 1956
• Vatican Award, Rome, 1956
• Golden Carbao, Manila, 1956
• Best Film and Direction, San Francisco,
1957
• Selznik Golden Laurel, Berlin, 1957
• Best Film, Vancouver, 1958
• Critics' Award - Best Film, Stratford,
(Canada), 1958
• Best Foreign Film, New York, 1959 Apu
• Kinema Jumpo Award: Best Foreign
Film, Tokyo 1966
• Bodil Award: Best Non-European Film
of the Year, Denmark, 1966
BACK
Aparajito (The Unvanquished)
1956, India. 113 min, B/W, In Bengali with
subtitles.
• Credits:
Producer:Epic Films (Satyajit Ray)
Screenplay & Direction:Satyajit Ray; based on the
novel "Aparajita" by Bibhutibhushan Banerjee.
Editing:Dulal Dutta
Sound:Durgadas Mitra
U.S. Distributor:Merchant-Ivory/Sony Pictures
Classics. Boy Apu, played by Pinaki Sen Gupta
• Cast & Character:
Harihar,the Father :Kanu Banerjee.
Sarbajaya, the Mother :Karuna Banerjee.
Boy Apu :Pinaki Sen Gupta.
Adolescent Apu :Smaran Ghosal.
Bhabataran,old uncle :Ramani Sen Gupta.
Nanda Babu :Charaprakash Ghosh.
Headmaster:Subodh Ganguly.
Apu and Nanda Babu

Summary
1920. Harihar, Sarbajaya and their ten-year-old
son Apu, live in the Temple City of
Bananas(Varanasi) on the banks of the holy river
Ganga (Ganges).Harihar earns a meager living
by reciting religious scriptures. The film opens
with Apu wandering and exploring the city.He
also encounters their neighbor Nanda Babu, who
would soon make a pass at Sarbajaya.
Harihar falls ill with fever and collapses at the
riverbank. In the early hours of the next morning,
Sarbajaya wakes Apu to fetch holy water from
the river to put in his father's mouth as he is
dying. Harihar's death leaves mother and son to
fend for themselves. Sarbajaya, Apu and Harihar in his final moments
The mother decides to return with Apu to live in
a village where an old uncle works as a priest.
Apu's mother works to support the family. Apu is
initiated into priesthood and takes over the old
man's work. He is unhappy because he wants to
go to school. Apu persuades his mother to send
him to school. She makes sacrifices so that he
might pursue his studies.
Sarbajaya and Apu

Apu, now sixteen, wins a
scholarship and departs for Calcutta, leaving
her alone. It breaks Sarbajaya's heart, but
she relents. Her health is failing, and the
loneliness in the village takes its toll.
Engulfed in city life - studying during the day
and working in a printing press at night to
pay for his expenses - Apu grows away from
his mother. His visits get shorter as the time
passes. This emotional distance unnoticed
by the growing Apu, hurts Sarbajaya deeply. Adolescent Apu and Sarbajaya
She waits silently for her son's visit as her
illness accelerates and falls into a
depression.
On a night sparkling with dancing fireflies,
Sarbajaya dies. Apu comes back to an
empty house. He grieves for his mother, but
soon finds strength to leaves the village for
the last time, to carry on with his new life in
the city...
Headmaster and Apu
Comments
Aparajito is the second film in "The Apu
Trilogy", preceded by Pather Panchali and
followed by Apur Sansar. The film is basically
about Apu growing up and growing away from his
mother. The highlight of the film is the mother-son
relationship and conflict. The characterization of
Apu and mother are a treat. Karuna Banerjee
gives a brilliant performance as Sarbajaya.
As usual, the film is devoid of excesses both in
form and content. The two deaths, of Harihar and
Sarbajaya, are handled with great elegance.
At dawn Harihar lies ill with Sarbajaya sitting
beside him though the night. He mumbles,
"Ganga". He is asking for a sip of holy water from
the river 'Ganga'. Sarbajaya wakes Apu to fetch
water from the holy river. Apu brings the water.
Sarbajaya lifts Harihar's head and pours the water
in his mouth. Harihar's head drops back on the
pillow. Cut to a shot of a flock of pigeons taking off
and whirling in the sky. Harihar has been freed of
his misery...
A sketch of Headmaster by Ray

In the sequence of Sarbajaya's death -
Evening, Sarbajaya is sitting leaning against a
tree outside her house, awaiting Apu's return. A
train passes but she does not react, as she
knows Apu is not on this train. Next, we see
her sitting in the verandah of the house,
expressionless. Suddenly, she hears Apu
calling her. She is hallucinating. Hoping that
Apu has returned, she drags herself out. As
she stands looking for Apu, she sees a group
of fireflies swirling by the pond.
Filming of this scene posed a Teknical
challenge, as even the fastest available film
stock could not capture the light emitted by the
fireflies. Ray and his crew overcame the
problem with an indigenous solution. Ray
recounts in his 'My Years with Apu', "... We
chose the toughest members of our crew, had
them dressed up in black shirt and trousers
and let each of them carry a flashlight bulb and Adolescent Apu played by Smaran Ghosal
a length of wire and a battery. The bulbs were
held aloft in their right hands while they
illustrated the swirling movements of fireflies in
a dance, alternately connecting and
disconnecting the wire to the bulbs..."
Awards
• Golden Lion of St. Mark, Venice, 1957

• Cinema Nuovo Award, Venice, 1957
• Critics Award, Venice, 1957
• FIPRESCI Award, London, 1957
• Best Film and Best Direction, San Francisco, 1958
• International Critic' Award, San Francisco, 1958
• Golden Laurel for Best Foreign Film of 1958-59, USA
• Bodil Award: Best Non-European Film of the Year,
Denmark, 1967
BACK
Parash Pathar (The Philosopher's Stone)
• 1958, 111 min., B/W, In Bengali with subtitles.
• Credits:
Producer:Pramod Lahiri
Screenplay & Direction:Satyajit Ray, based on the short
story Paras Pathar by Parasuram (Rajsekhar Bose).
Cinematography:Subrata Mitra.
Editing:Dulal Dutta.
Art Direction:Bansi Chandragupta.
Sound:Durgadas Mitra.
Paresh Chandra Dutta :Tulsi Chakraborty.
Giribala Dutt (Paresh's wife):Ranibala Devi.
Priyotosh Henry Biswas (Paresh's personal secretary):Kali
Banerjee.
Brajahari, the servant:Jahar Roy.
Businessman Kachalu:Gangapada Basu.
Police Inspector Chatterjee:Haridhan Chatterjee.
Police Officer:Bireswar Sen .
Doctor Nandi:Moni Srimani. Paresh (Tulsi Chakraborty)
Cocktail party guests:Chhabi Biswas, Jahar Ganguli, Pahari
Sanyal, Kamal Mitra, Nitish Mukherjee, Subodh Ganguli,
Tulsi Lahiri, Amar Mullick, Chandrabati Devi, Renuka Roy,
Bharati Devi.
Summary
On a rainy afternoon, an elderly bank clerk -
Paresh Dutta - finds a mysterious "Parash
Pathar" as he his returning from work after
learning that his office is closing down. "Parash
Pathar" or the Philosopher's stone can
transform any piece of metal into gold.
At home he demonstrates the stone’s magical
power to his wife by changing a few household
items into gold. Soon, Dutta’s are among the
richest and most respected citizen of Calcutta.
From a modest dwelling, the childless couple
move to an opulent mansion. Paresh now has
a personal secretary - Priyatosh Henry Biswas,
a young man preoccupied with his girlfriend.
The source of Paresh’s sudden wealth is a
mystery and Paresh is very careful to keep it a
secret. He is now much sought after in social
and political gatherings.
Paresh is invited to a cocktail party at the
house of a businessman and gets drunk. The
guests are treated to a magic show by the
inebriated Paresh – turning metal into gold. The
cunning host covets the secret, however, Paresh (Tulsi Chakraborty)
Paresh manages evade him. Frustrated, the
businessman goes to the police with allegation
of gold smuggling.
The panic stricken Paresh gives
the stone to his personal secretary
Priyatosh and attempts to
escape. Paresh’s car breaks down
and is arrested on a charge of
smuggling gold. Paresh has only
one way to prove his innocence –
demonstrate the power of stone in
the court. But Priyatosh has
swallowed the stone. Police wants
to operate Priyatosh and remove
the stone. The x-rays reveal that
the stone is slowly being digested
in the young man’s stomach.
Once the stone is digested, all
gold reverts to iron. The crisis is
over. Paresh and his wife seem
relieved.
Parash Pathar, poster designed by Ray
Comments
A minor film. Ray made this quick film making use of a
break in shooting of Jalasaghar (The Music Room) as its
lead actor, Chhabi Biswas, was making a trip to Berlin to
receive an award.
Rays biographer Andrew Robinson believes,it (Parash
Pathar) would belong among Ray’s best work, were it not
for some rough edges which betray the speed at which it
was shot. its humour only partly transplants to the west.
In a letter to film critic Marie Seton, Ray wrote at the time
of the films release,it is sort of combination of comedy,
fantasy, satire, farce and a touch of Pathos.
BACK
Jalsaghar (The Music Room)
• 1958, India. 100 min, B/W, In Bengali with subtitles.
• Credits:
Producer:Satyajit Ray Productions
Screenplay & Direction:Satyajit Ray; Based on the short story: 'Jalsaghar' by
Tarasankar Banerjee.
Editing:Dulal Dutta
Music:Vilayat Khan
Music & Dance performances:Begum Akhtar, Roshan Kumari, Waheed Khan, Bismillah
Khan (on screen); Dakhshinamohan Thakur, Ashish Kumar, Robin Mazumdar and
Imrat Khan (off screen)
US Distributor:Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment
Biswambhar Roy:Chhabi Biswas
Mahamaya, Roy's wife:Padma Devi
Khoka, Roy's son:Pinaki Sen Gupta
Mahim Ganguly, neighbor:Gangapada Bose Biswanbhar Roy
Manager of Roy's estate:Tulsi Lahari
Ananta, Roy's servant:Kali Sarkar
Ustad Ujir Khan
Singer:Ustad Waheed Khan
Krishna Bai, the dancer:Roshan Kumari
Singer:Begum Akhtar
Summary
In Ray's own words the film deals with "a music loving Zamindar
(landlord) who refuses to change with the times and thereby meets his
comeuppance."
1930's, Bengal. Biswambhar Roy (Chhabi Biswas) is the last in a long line of
rich patriarchs. He continues to cling to his refined tastes even as his estate is
diminishing. All that remains is his two loyal servants, a horse, an elephant,
and the crumbling palace. On the terrace of his palace, smoking a hookah,
Roy asks his old servant what month it is. He is unsettled by the festive music
being played at his neighbor's place. The occasion is the Upanayan (initiation
or coming of age ceremony) of the neighbor's son.
He recalls his own son's initiation ceremony. We are transported back in time
when Roy was in his best times of but slowly loosing his power and wealth. A
great concert takes place in Roy's imposing music room. All the guests are
served drinks as they enjoy a performance by a great female classical singer.
Later that night, Roy tells his wife that he is willing to spend his last coin to Mahamaya, Biswanbhar Roy
hear such music.
The next concert takes place on a stormy night. His wife and son have gone to
her mother's place, but are expected to return in time to join him for this
musical soiree to celebrate the new year and also to spite his neighbor
Ganguly. Roy looks out at the river as he is worried about his wife and son’s
return by a boat on such a stormy night. A model boat falls down due to the
wind. As the concert progresses, he notices an insect trapped in his glass.
Worried, Roy runs out to see if his wife and son have returned. His worst fears
are confirmed as the news arrives that they have drowned in the river.
Roy falls into a depression. His inability to
adapt with changing times has made him into
a recluse. He has closed the music room for
good.
The sound of music from the neighbor's house
and a wish to demonstrate his fine taste in
music to his flashy neighbor leads him to
organize one last concert. The music room is
opened once again. He uses all his resources
to organize the concert. He relishes the music
as he celebrates his victory over his neighbor
and toasts his ancestors.
After all the guests have left, a drunk Roy Biswanbhar
remembers the past glory. He proudly
introduces portraits of his ancestors to his
servant. He notices a big spider on his own
portrait. As the candles go out one by one,
Roy is convinced that he too must depart with
the extinguishing of the last candle. His
servant assures that it is almost dawn now so
he need not worry about the candles.
In a grand gesture, he mounts his horse and
rides at a terrible pace to be violently thrown
off. Roy dies as two servants look on tearfully.
Comments
Chhabi Biswas gives a superb performance as the crumbling feudal
landlord. Subrata Mitra's cinematography and music by Ustad Vilayat
Khan all contribute immensely to create the atmosphere. The camera
movements reinforce the character and highlight film's maze-like
construction and Roy being trapped in his past. Interestingly, Ray began
work on the screenplay with an idea of making a more 'commercial' film
with song-n-dance sequences. It was after the box-office failure of his
Aparajito, lying in bed due to a broken leg that he felt obliged to make a
film within a formula that the Bengali audiences were used to. However,
as he worked on the script, it "refused to take a popular shape but ended
up as a serious story of decaying feudalism, embellished with music..."
In the three music concerts that Roy organises, the classical
performances, come to the foreground. To the uninitiated in the Indian
classical music, this aspect of the film may be a big distraction. It you
don't like the performances, these scenes may appear to be too drawn
out as they did to some of the critics when the film was first released.
Biswanbhar Roy in the music room
The film has some of the best Hindustani classical singers and
musicians. (India has two systems of classical music: Hindustani, which
evolved in the north, and Carnatic that is practiced in the south. Both
follow a common raga system; though, a particular raga may have
different names in the two systems. While Hindustani tradition loosely
defines a framework and structure leaving the performer to improvise;
the Carnatic tradition follows more rigidly defined 'compositions'.)
Listening to the Indian classical music requires
concentration and patience as the 'raga' unfolds;
likewise for Jalsaghar. Don't attempt to watch it if
you are dead tired after a hard day's work.
It was this film that led to the French to pay attention
to Ray and his films. Initially the film drew mixed
responses from the critics abroad.
It is tempting to draw parallels with his later film
Shantranj Ke Khilari (The Chess Players, 1977),
Roy in Jalsaghar (The Music Room, 1958), and
Wajid Ali Shah in Shatranj Ke Khilari, both, share an
Ananta and Biswanbhar Roy
obsessive and doomed love for music that leads to
their destruction. However, Wajid Ali Shah is himself
is himself an accomplished artiste while Roy's taste
in music may have been due to his upbringing
alone. Also, in Shatranj Ke Khilari, the British and
the indifferent landlords too have a major role in the
king's down fall.
What others say…
A great, flawed, maddening film -- hard to take but
probably impossible to forget. It's often crude and it's
poorly constructed, but it's a great experience. Worrying
over its faults is like worrying over whether King Lear is
well constructed; it doesn't really matter.
- Pauline Kael
Like all great filmmakers, Ray belonged to the world as

much as to his own nation. But The Music Room leaves
no doubt where his heart lay. It was with his own people,
warts and all. - Derek Malcolm, The Guardian UK: Derek
Malcolm’s Century of Films
Awards
• President's Silver Medal, New Delhi, 1959
• Silver Medal for Music, Moscow, 1959
BACK
Apur Sansar (The World of Apu)
subtitles.
• Credits:
Screenplay & Direction:Satyajit Ray; based
on the novel "Aparajita" by
Bibhutibhushan Banerjee.
Editing:Dulal Dutta
U.S. Distributor:Merchant-Ivory/Sony
Pictures
Apu, Apurba Kumar Roy:Soumitra Chatterjee
Aparna:Sharmila Tagore
Pulu:Swapan MukherjeeKajal:Alok
Chakravarty
Pulu's wife:Sefalika Devi Apu's room in Calcutta, a sketch by Ray
Sasinarayan:Dhiresh Majumdar
Landlord:Dhiren Ghosh
Summary
Apur Sansar is the third and final film
of the The Apu Trilogy.Apu (Soumitra
Chatterjee) is now a graduate and
without a job. He lives in a rented room
next to a busy railway yard. He finds
himself among a large population of the
unemployed youth in the city. To pay
his rent, he has to sell his books. The
job search turns out to be an amusing
and a tormenting experience.
Unfazed, He is writing a novel based
on his life, which he hopes will make
him famous. His life takes a turn,
however, when he meets his old friend
Pulu. He coerces Apu to travel to his
ancestral village to attend the wedding Apu in his room
of his cousin, Aparna (Sharmila
Tagore). On the boat ride to the village
Pulu reads Apu's manuscript and
appreciates the work.
On the day of the wedding, the
bridegroom turns out to be mentally
deranged and the wedding is
canceled. The villagers believe if
she is not married before the
auspicious hour passes, the ill-fated
bride can never be married again.
Apu primarily of out sympathy for the
bride and some convincing by Pulu,
agrees to be the substitute groom.
He has not even seen her yet.
The marriage takes place and Apu
and his young wife return to his
Calcutta apartment. Soon, a warm
and caring relationship develops.
Apu willingly takes up the clerical job
that he has so far avoided. The
marital bliss, however, is short lived.
Aparna on the day of the wedding
Pregnant, she goes to her parent’s
place and dies during the childbirth.
Apu's world shatters as he receives
the news of Aparna's death. Sunken in
grief, he refuses to even see the child
whom he holds responsible for his
wife's death. He leaves Calcutta to
lead the life of a wanderer.
About five years pass, Apu's friend
Pulu, who had been abroad, is
shocked to find the child growing wild
and not cared for. Pulu goes in search
of Apu and requests to take
responsibility for his son, Kajal.
Reluctantly, Apu comes back to the
village. On seeing Kajal, Apu is
overwhelmed by affection. Now it is
the child who refuses to accept him as
his father. Apu wins over the little boy.
The child accepts him as a friend,
though not as a father yet. United, they
leave for Calcutta to make a new
beginning...
Apu and Aparna arrive in Calcutta

Comments
In Apur Sansar, Ray introduced two new
actors who would become regulars for Ray
films, Soumitra Chatterjee played Apu and
Sharmila Tagore played his young wife
Aparna. By way of experience, Soumitra
Chatterjee was a radio announcer and had
only played a small role in a Bengali stage
production and Sharmila was just a fourteen-
year-old with no previous acting experience.
As the shooting began, Ray had to shout
instructions to Sharmila during the takes. None
of this, however, is reflected on the screen.
Both tuned out be quick learners and gave
memorable performances.
Soumitra Chatterjee played many roles in
Ray's later films (15 films) and became the
most sought after actor in Bengali cinema.
Sharmila Tagore went on to become a very
successful actress in Bombay's Hindi films.
She returned to work in later films of Ray such
as Devi, Nayak, Aranyer Din Ratri and
Seemabaddha.
Aparna and Apu in Calcutta

The sequences of Apu and Aparna in
Calcutta, are the most striking and cinematic
part of the film. In the beginning of the film, we
have seen Apu's room as a bachelor's
apartment. Now there are two pillows on the
bed, curtains on the windows and a plant on
the windowsill. The apartment has a clear
touch of a woman's presence. Apu awakes
and finds a hairpin lying between the pillows.
Still lying in the bed, Apu observes Aparna
with a fixed gaze as she goes about doing the
household chores. Aparna asks, "Haven't you
seen your wife before?" Apu smiles, plays with
the hairpin and picks up his pack of cigarettes.
As he opens the pack, he finds a note from
Aparna inside, "You promised not to smoke
more than one after meals!" Apu smiles again Pulu asks Apu to take responsibility
and puts the pack away. With simple actions for his son
and situation, the intimacy is established. After
seeing the film, Renoir is said to have
remarked that intimacy had been suggested
without showing even a single embrace.
Later in the film, Aparna is leaving to be at her
parents' place for childbirth. She lights a match to
light the cigarette that Apu has put in his mouth.
The flame brings a glow to her face. Apu asks,
"what is in your eyes?" "Kajal" (mascara / kohl),
she replies with a mischief. Lather, the son born
to her would also be named "Kajal".Aparna dies
off-screen. Her brother brings the bad news. This
is a lyrical and inspired sequence. Apu is working
and carrying Aparna's letter in his pocket.
Towards the end of the day, he can no longer
wait to read the letter. A touching letter is heard
in Aparna's voice. Apu in interrupted by a fellow
clerk.
He takes out the letter again to continue reading
on his way home in a crowded tram. A passenger
peeps over his shoulders to read, forcing him to
put the letter back again. He finishes reading the
letter during the walk home by the railway yard.
With Aparna's voice still in his mind, he sees her
brother waiting for him. Apu's smile vanishes; he Apu sees his son for the first time
senses something wrong. As Aparna's brother
conveys the news of her death, Apu looses
control. His world is shattered. He slaps the
messenger, staggers to his room and collapses
on the bed.
What follows is a long, wonderful and
speechless sequence; dealing with Apu's
grief. Satyajit Ray describes in 'My Years with
Apu' - "The grief-stricken Apu lies in bed for
days. ... At one point, however, Apu rises from
the bed. He hasn't got over his grief. He
stands leaning against the wall. The camera
moves to the shaving mirror to show his blank
look. Off screen is heard the screech of a
train whistle. Apu reacts. The camera moves
closer to his face. His eyes have a new look.
The screen turns white. There is the sound of
a rushing train and smoke rises from the
bottom of the screen in what is now
established as sky. The camera moves back
to show Apu in close up, obviously standing
by the railway track. The smoke approaches,
then we see the engine. Apu, his face still a Apu and his son unite
blank, slowly leans forward, preparing to
throw himself before the train. Suddenly, a
screech is heard. It is the cry of a pig, which
has been run over by the train. Apu's spell is
broken and with it his determination to take
his own life.
In he final moments of the film, Kajal has rejected
Apu... When Apu's father-in-law is about to strike Kajal
with a stick because he has refused to leave with Apu,
Apu rescues Kajal instinctively. A hint of trust begins to
develop. Apu starts to walk away as he has given up
hope of earning Kajal's love. But Kajal has now decided
to trust Apu. He runs away to join Apu as grandfather
watches from a distance. Apu sweeps up Kajal in his
arms. Both leave for a new life together with Apu
carrying Kajal on his shoulders. Apur Sansar was a big
box office success both at home and abroad.
What others say...
• "Rich and contemplative, and a great,
convincing affirmation." - Pauline Kael
Awards
• President's Gold Medal, New Delhi, 1959

• Sutherland Award for Best Original And
Imaginative Film, London, 1960
• Diploma Of Merit, 14th International Film festival,
Edinburgh, 1960
• Best Foreign Film, National Board of Review of
Motion Pictures, USA, 1960
BACK
Devi (The Goddess)
subtitles.
• Credits:
Screenplay & Direction:Satyajit Ray, Based
on the short story - 'Devi' by Prabhat Kumar
Mukherjee
Editing:Dulal Dutta
Music:Ustad Ali Akbar Khan
Doyamoyee:Sharmila Tagore
Kalikinkar Roy:Chhabi Biswas
Umaprasad:Soumitra Chatterjee
Taraprasad:Purnendu Mukherjee
Harasundari:Karuna Banerjee
Bhudeb:Anil Chatterjee
Khoka:Arpan Chowdhury Doyamoyee, played by
Professor Sarkar:Kali Sarkar Sharmila Tagore
Summary
The film is set in 1860 at Chandipur, in rural
Bengal, India. Doyamoyee (Sharmila Tagore) and
her husband Umaprasad (Soumitra Chatterjee)
live with his elder brother (Purnendu Mukherjee),
his wife (Karuna Banerjee) and wealthy father,
Kalikinkar Roy (Chhabi Biswas).
Kalikinkar Roy, the patriarch, is an aging
widower. He is a respected landlord and a
devotee of the Hindu goddess, Kali. Umaprasad,
Doyamoyee's husband, is away to study in
Calcutta. She looks after her old father-in-law.
She has a soft corner for her nephew Khoka, with
whom she enjoys a fond relationship.
Kalikinkar Roy and Doyamoyee
Roy has a revelation in a dream that his
daughter-in-law Doyamoyee is an incarnation of
the goddess Kali. He insists she be worshiped.
Then, a dying child is placed at her feet and he is
miraculously cured. As the news spreads, the
aged, sick and the poor come in hundreds;
seeking cures and comfort. As Doyamoyee's
husband Umaprasad learns about the events, he
returns home to her rescue. Umaprasad attacks
the tradition and tries to reason with his father and
tells him that he has gone insane. The father is
unmoved. To him, the miracle cure demonstrates
the truth of the his beliefs. A villager brings a dying
child for Devi's blessings
Umaprasad tries to take her
away, but to his surprise finds
that she too has become
convinced of her divine status.
Doyamoyee's nephew, the
child Khoka, falls ill and is
placed in her care. The child
dies for lack of medical
treatment in her arms. Her
Umaprasad and Doyamoyee
husband tries again to
persuade her but it is too late.
The child's death has
shattered her. Doyamoyee, the
proclaimed goddess has gone
mad. As he calls her, she is
seen running away into a field
and vanishing into the mist.
Doyamoyee has lost her
mind and runs away
Comments
The film generated some controversy on
its release in India. It was seen as an attack
on Hinduism itself by a few protesters, who
tried to prevent the film's international
release. However, the film was eventually
released and went on to receive a
government award, the President's Gold
Medal. The teen-aged Sharmila Tagore
gives an outstanding performance in the title
role. She commented a few years later,
"Devi was what a genius got out of me, not
something I did myself".
The film uses many details that create the
atmosphere. These details however, may be
lost to a viewer not familiar with Hindu
customs and Indian life. Even Pauline Kael,
who greatly admired the film, wrongly read
"startling Freudian undertones" in film.
Probably, referring to Doyamoyee Doyamoyee looses her
massaging her father-in-law's feet. mind,a sketch by Ray
Massaging feet, in fact is a mark of respect
towards elders, usually parents and parents-
in-law.
What others say...
Ray's feeling for the

intoxicating beauty
within the
disintegrating way of
life of the 19th century
landowning class
makes this one of the
rare, honest films
about decadence. Film poster designed by Ray
- Pauline Kael
Awards
BACK
Teen Kanya (Three Daughters /
Two Daughters)
• 1961, India. B/W In Bengali with subtitles
The title "Teen Kanya" means three daughters
(or three girls), but the international version of the
film is called "Two Daughters". This is because the
feature has three different stories; however, only
two of them were included for the international
release: The Postmaster 56 min. and Samapti 56
min
Teen Kanya: The Postmaster 56 min.;
Monihara 61 min.; Samapti 56 min
• Credits:
Screenplay & Direction:Satyajit Ray, Based on
three short stories by Rabindranath Tagore:
Postmaster, Monihara, and Samapti.
Cinematography:Soumendu Roy Rabindranath Tagore
Editing:Dulal Dutta
Music:Satyajit Ray.
• Cast & Character :
Postmaster
Nandalal:Anil Chatterjee
Ratan:Chandana Banerjee
Bisay:Nripati Chatterjee
Khagen:Khagen Pathak
Monihara
Phanibhusan Saha:Kali Banerjee
Manimalika:Kanika Majumdar
Madhusudhan:Kumar Roy
Schoolmaster and narrator:Gobinda Chakravarti
Samapti
Amulya:Soumitra Chatterjee
Mrinmoyee:Aparna Das Gupta
Jogmaya:Sita Mukherjee
Nistarini:Gita Dey
Summary
This anthology film was released in India as
"Three Daughters". It was a feature composed of
three episodes: The Postmaster - 56 min.,
Monihara - 61 min., and Samapti - 56 min.
Monihara (The Lost Jewels) was left out from the
international release probably due to concerns
about length and subtitles not being ready for
Monihara. The female characters that are central
to the stories link the three episodes. Ray
adapted three short stories by Rabindranath
Tagore as a tribute to the author to mark his birth
centenary in 1961. He also made a documentary
"Rabindranath Tagore" as part of the
celebrations.
The Postmaster
• The Postmaster Nandalal (Anil Chatterjee), a
young man arrives from Calcutta as the
postmaster of a small village Ratan (Chandana Postmaster:
Banerjee), a pre-adolescent orphan girl, is his
housekeeper/maid. Though only a child herself, Nandalal and
she cooks, cleans and cares for Nandalal. Ratan
Nandalal, a city bred young man, is like a
fish out of water in the village. He is bored.
On an impulse and probably to kill time, he
begins teaching her to read and write. She
responds eagerly. A tender bond develops.
Ratan is devoted and waits on him. For
Nandalal, however, she is just a pastime.
When Nandalal contracts malaria, Ratan
nurses him back to health. But he has had
enough of the rural life and resigns. Ratan is
heartbroken. He prepares to leave without
realizing how attached to him Ratan has
become.
Ratan is hurt when Nandalal offer her
some money as a tip for her services. We Postmaster: Nandalal and villagers
see her passing by Nandalal carrying a pail
of water. She has been crying but too proud
to accept the tip. A few moments later we
hear her voice. She is informing the new
postmaster that she has brought water for
him.
Nandalal is overwhelmed by emotions as
he stares at the money in his hand. Putting
the money back in pocket, he walks away.
Monihara
• Near an abandoned mansion, the village
schoolteacher (Gobinda Chakravarti)
recounts a story to a hooded man.
It seems that the house was inhabited by
a man Phanibhusan (Kali Banerjee) and
his wife Manimalika (Kanika Majumdar).
The wife is obsessed with jewels and
ornaments. She accumulates jewels by
nagging her husband. Though they have
been married for a long time, she is very
cold to him. The husband keeps buying
jewels for her in hope of gaining her love.
She has a phobia that one day he may Monihara: Manimalika
ask the jewels back. A fire destroys his
business. To confirm her fear, she offers
to sell her jewels. But when he shows
some interest in the idea she retreats in
panic.
When the husband is away to raise
money, she calls her cousin to escort her
to her parents' house. The cousin, though,
has other plans for the jewels. We see the
wife for the last time as they leave the
house with all the jewels.
The husband is puzzled at the missing
wife and the jewels. He is haunted by what
seems to be her ghost. After a series of
such incidents, he finds himself facing the
ghost of his wife, a black silhouetted figure.
The black figure claims be his wife. Afraid,
he reaches for a jewel box that he had
brought for her on his last trip. The black
figure, still wearing gold bangles, charges to
grab the jewel box with a horrible laugh.
After listening to the tale, the hooded man
says that he has enjoyed the story but it has
many errors. He reveals that he is the
husband in the story and disappears.
Samapti Monihara: Manimalika
• Amulya (Soumitra Chatterjee) is returning
to his village after passing his exams in
Calcutta to spend some time with his
widowed mother. After getting down from
the boat as he struggles in the muddy path,
he senses that someone is following him.
Soon he finds out it is a tomboyish teenager
Mrinmoyee (Aparna). She bursts into
giggles at his plight and runs away.
Samapti: Mrinmoyee
The mother has arranged for him to marry the
daughter of a respectable family. Much against his
wishes he goes to visit the girl in a nearby village,
carrying an umbrella and wearing shinning shoes. The girl
is very conventional and he is forced to admire her
needlework, singing and her other skills.
Suddenly, Mrinmoyee, known as Paglee (madcap)
charges in following her pet squirrel. Then he finds his
shoes gone. As he sets out to walk back to his village, he
finds one of his missing shoes in the mud path. Amulya
captures the culprit, Mrinmoyee. It is now her turn to fall
in the slushy mud. Amulya is amused and probably also
in love. Samapti: Mrinmoyee
Against his mother's wishes, he marries Mrinmoyee. On
their first night together, she escapes by climbing down a and Amulya
tree and spends the night on her favorite swing on the
riverbank. It is scandal. She is locked in her room and in
a childish tantrum throws thing at Amulya. He returns to
Calcutta and she is sent back to her mother's house. .
Once he is gone, she realize how much she really loves
him.
His mother makes Amulya come back on a false pretext
of her illness. Amulya goes in search of Mrinmoyee in
rain. Unable to find her he returns, only to find her in his
room. He asks her how she managed to sneak in. She
replies, 'By climbing the tree, but I'll not do it again'. She
is no longer a childish madcap but a grown woman in Samapti: Mrinmoyee
love..
Comments
The Postmaster is definitely one among the
best films by Satyajit Ray. Simple narrative,
straightforward story telling and brilliant
performances by Chandana Banerjee as Ratan
and Anil Chatterjee as the postmaster, Nandalal.
Very touching but without any hint of
melodrama, the parting of the postmaster and
Ratan is pure cinema at its best. The sequence
has very little dialogue.
All three stories are individual films in their own
right and representative of Ray's many films.
What others say...
"The Postmaster - a story of betrayal - is a

pure and simple small masterpiece; the second,
"The Conclusion," has some memorable scenes,
beauty, and wit but also has some defects of
rhythm, so it is merely wonderful..."
- Pauline Kael
"If I were forced to pick only one work by Ray
to show to someone unfamiliar with him, it would
have to be Three Daughters"
- Andrew Robinson (Ray's Biographer)
Awards
• President's Silver Medal, New Delhi, 1961 (for Samapti)

• Golden Boomerang, Melbourne, 1962 (for the Two
Daughters)
• Selznik Golden Laurel Award, Berlin, 1963
BACK
Rabindranath Tagore
1961, India. Documentary, 54 min,
B/W
Credits:
Producer:Films Division, Govt. of
India
Script. commentary &
Direction:Satyajit Ray
Cinematography:Soumendu Roy
Editing:Dulal Dutta
Music:Jyotirindra Moitra
Cast:Raya Chatterjee, Sovanlal
Ganguli, Smaran Ghosal,
Purnendu Mukherjee, Kallol Rabindranath Tagore
Bose, Subir Bose, Phani Nan,
Norman Ellis
Summary
The documentary details the life and work of
the celebrated Bengali writer Rabindranath
Tagore (1861-1941). He was awarded the
Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913 “because of
his profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful
verse, by which, with consummate skill, he
has made his poetic thought, expressed in his
own English words, a part of the literature of
the West.” Rabindranath Tagore was the
youngest son of Debendranath Tagore, born
in Calcutta. He was educated at home. At
seventeen he was sent to England for formal
schooling, which he did not complete. Tagore
was knighted by the ruling British Government
in 1915, but within a few years he resigned
the honor as a protest against British policies
in India. The documentary was made to
celebrate Tagore’s birth centenary in May
1961. Ray was conscious that he was making
an official portrait of India’s celebrated poet
and hence the film does not include any
controversial aspects of Tagore’s life.
However, it is far from being a propaganda
film.
The film comprises dramatized episodes
from the poet’s life and archived images and
documents. A sketch of Tagore by Ray
Comments
The dramatized
sequences of boy Rabi
(Rabindranath Tagore)
and young Tagore in his
twenties are moving and
lyrical. Ray has been
reported to have said,
“Ten or twelve minutes of
it are among the most
moving and powerful Young Rabindranath at
Jorasanko
things that I have
produced.
Young Rabindranath
Awards
• Golden Seal, Locarno, 1961
• Special Mention, Montevideo, 1962
BACK
Kanchenjungha
• 1962, India. 102 min., Color, In Bengali with subtitles.
• Credits:
Producer:NCA Productions
Screenplay & Direction:Satyajit Ray
Editing:Dulal Dutta
Music:Satyajit Ray
Indranath Roy:Chhabi Biswas Manisa and Ashoke
Labanya, wife:Karuna Bannerjee
Anil, son:Anil Chatterjee
Monisha, unmarried daughter:Alaknanda Roy
Anima, elder daughter:Anubha Gupta
Ashoke, young man from Calcutta:Arun Mukherjee
Sankar:Subrata Sen
Tuklu:Sibani Singh
Anil's girlfriend:Vidya Sinha
Jagadish:Pahari Sanyal
Bannerjee:N. Viswanathan
Jagadish and Ashoke
Summary
A wealthy family from Calcutta is on the last day of
their vacation in Darjeeling, a hill station at the foot of
Mount Kanchenjungha, the second highest peak of the
Himalayas. Until now, they have been unable to catch a
glimpse of the peak Kanchenjungha.The family
members are dominated by the father, Indranath
(Chhabi Biswas), an industrialist. He wants his daughter
to marry a man of his choice and hopes that the man will
propose if they are left together alone for some time.
Several long walks and long conversations form the
main body of the film. The real-time drama unfolds the
daughter's feelings about her father's idea, and the
negative reactions to this by her mother and others.
By accident, she meets an outsider, Ashoke, a young
student who has refused a job offer from Indranath. Manisa and Sankar
Though nothing develops between them, his presence
coupled with the setting of mountains and the failure of
her sister's marriage, prompt her to reject the proposed
suitor.
At the end of his walk, the industrialist arrives at a
rendezvous point, expecting to meet his family and the
successful suitor. None of them is present to greet him.
As the mist clears, the peak of Kanchenjungha is
revealed in its full glory. But Indranath is too pre-
occupied to admire it.
A map of locations by Ray

Comments
Kanchenjungha was Ray's first original
screenplay and for the first time, he was shooting
in color. The film shows about 100 minutes (in
real time) in the life of a group of rich Bengalis on
vacation.Unlike the usual Ray films, it has a
fragmented narrative with no central characters,
and no straight narrative in the classical sense.
It is a very structured and composed film that
uses color and nature to heighten the drama.
Ray told his biographer Andrew Robinson: "The
idea was to have the film starting with sunlight.
Then clouds coming, then mist rising, and then
mist disappearing, the cloud disappearing, and
then the sun shining on the snow-peaks. There
is an independent progression to Nature itself, Ray, Soumendu Roy and
and the story reflects this." Subrata Mitra on location
As the weather becomes misty - the young
daughter and the suitor part at that point,
Indranath meets Ashoke, and the elder daughter,
Amina and her husband have a bitter moment
between them. And then when the sun appears
again - Amina's daughter comes back to her
parents and they accept her, the
misunderstanding is cleared up, and the younger
daughter and Ashoke develop a tentative
relationship with a hint of future prospects.
The characters and the Nature are interrelated in mood. In his later film
Asani Sanket (Distant Thunder, 1973), Ray attempted quite the opposite.
While the Nature is shown in its full glory and lushness, in contrast, the
characters starve and do inhuman things.
As the characters do not change the clothes during the film (it being
depiction of a real time event that happens in 100 odd minutes), the colors
of clothes too add a dimension to the characters.
About Kanchenjungha, Ray told in an interview to Cineaste magazine,
"(It was) a very personal film. It was a good ten to fifteen years ahead of its
time... Kanchenjungha told the story of several groups of characters and it
went back and forth. ... It's a very musical form, but it wasn't liked. The
reaction was stupid. Even the reviews were not interesting. But, looking
back now, I find that it is a very interesting film."
Excellent camerawork by Subrata Mitra.

BACK
Abhijan (The Expedition)
• 1962, India. 150 mins., B/W, In Bengali with subtitles
• Credits:
Producer:Abhijatrik,
Screenplay & Direction:Satyajit Ray form the novel “Abhijan” by Tarasankar Banerjee,
Cinematography:Soumendu Roy,
Editing:Dulal Dutta,
Art Direction:Bansi Chandragupta,
Sound:Durgadas Mitra, Nripen Paul, Sujit Sarkar,
Music:Satyajit Ray
Narsingh:Soumitra Chatterjee,
Gulabi:Wahida Rehman,
Neel:Ruma Guha Thakurta,
Joseph:Ganesh Mukherjee,
Sukhanram:Charuprasash Ghosh,
Rama (Narsingh's assistant):Rabi Ghosh,
Naskar:Arun Roy,
Rameswar:Sekhar Chatterjee,
Banerjee:Ajit Banerjee,
Joseph's mother:Reba Devi,
Lawyer:Abani Mukherjee
Summary
Ray's favorite actor Soumitra Chatterjee
plays Narsingh, a taxi driver. Narsingh is a proud
and hot-tempered Rajput with a passion for his
car, a vintage 1930 Chrysler. He recklessly
passes the car of a powerful, local policeman
and has his permit taken away. It forces him to
take refuge in a small town on the borders of the
states of Bengal and Bihar.
Sukhanram, a shady merchant, offers him a
handsome fee to transport some merchandise,
and soon he finds himself into trafficking in
opium. The two main women characters Neeli
and Gulabi form a contrast. Narsingh is attracted
to Neeli, a reserved Catholic schoolteacher. She
has no interest in Narsingh. The other female Narsingh and Rama
character is warm, demonstrative and beautiful
prostitute Gulabi. Gulabi has an instinctive liking
towards Narsingh.
Unaware that Neeli has already
committed herself to another man, a
cripple, for Neeli’s sake, Narsingh begins
to reform himself and even takes interest
in her religion. But soon finds himself
helping Neeli elope with her cripple lover.
He also is seduced by Sukhram and his
lawyer friends to enter into a partnership
and is even willing to sell off of his car to
invest in the smuggling venture.
Confronted by Gulabi, his assistant Rama
and finally by Neeli’s brother Joseph,
Narsingh realizes his mistake.
Despite the romantic disillusion, he finds
spiritual redemption when in climatic Narsingh and Joseph
sequence of events he splits with his
smuggler associates and rescues Gulabi
from them. Narsingh is united with the
woman he truly loves.
Comments
Abhijan was Satyajit Ray's biggest box-office success
in his native Bengal. Soumitra Chatterjee appears a
miscast for the rugged character of Narsingh. He seems
too sophisticated for the role and his passion for his car
seems a bit contrived. Superb performance by Rabi
Ghosh (Rama), Charuprasash Ghosh (Sukhanram),
Ruma Guha Thakurta (Neeli ) and Wahida Rehman
(Gulabi).
The film was originally conceived by his friends. A
producer friend, Bijoy Chatterjee was to direct it. He had
persuaded Ray to write the script and help in pre-
production of the film. As a friendly gesture Ray agreed
to direct the first scene on the first day of the shoot. By
end of the day Bijoy Chatterjee and friends had
persuaded Ray to direct the complete film. “They lost
their nerve,” Ray said. Ray, who is usually associated
with gentle and contemplative films, added a fight scene Gulabi and Narsingh
to Abhijan. He later admitted the fight should have been
better staged. The filming took place in 114-degrees
weather with the actors wearing heavy clothes to
simulate winter. So did he want more violence? "Oh,
yes," Ray said. "I'd have very much liked a John Ford-
type rough-and-tumble."
Awards
BACK
Mahanagar (The Big City)
• 1963, India. 131 min, B/W, In Bengali with subtitles
• Credits:
Producer:RDB & Co (R.D. Bansal / (RDB Productions)
Screenplay & Direction:Satyajit Ray, Based on a short story
"Abataranika" by Narendranath Mitra
Editing:Dulal Dutta
Sound:Debesh Ghosh, Atul Chatterjee, Sujit Sarkar
Subrata ,his sister &Arati
Music:Satyajit Ray
Arati Mazumdar:Madhabi Mukherjee
Subrata Mazumdar:Anil Chatterjee
Priyogopal, Father:Haren Chatterjee
Sarojini, mother:Sefalika Devi
Bani, Sister:Jaya Bhaduri
Pintu, son:Prasenjit Sarkar
Mukherjee, Arati's boss:Haradhan Bannerjee
Edith Simmons:Vicky Redwood
Arati and Edith
Summary
Calcutta, mid 1950s. The film opens with a vignette of a lower middle-class
family. We meet the joint-family: Subrata Mazumdar (Anil Chatterjee), his wife
Arati (Madhabi Mukherjee), their young son, Subrata's unmarried sister Bani
(Jaya Bhaduri), his father, a retired schoolmaster, and his mother.Subrata
Mazumdar, a bank employee, with his meagre income finds it difficult to provide
for his large joint family. His father needs a new pair of prescription glasses,
younger sister Bani's school fee is due, and mother needs a new can of Zardah
(tobacco)...
Arati is like an anchor holding the family together. Subrata talks about a couple
where the woman too is going to work. Soon, Arati makes up her mind to take up
a job to supplement the household income. With some help from Subrata, and
much against established custom and opposition of the elders, she finds a job of
selling sewing machines door-to-door.
Going out to work, Arati discovers a new life. She proves successful in her work
and gains self-confidence. Subrata now feels insecure and resentful. His father
too puts pressure on his son to force Arati to quit the job. Subrata asks Arati to
quit as he plans to earn more by moonlighting.
Subrata's father, Arati's father and Subrata
The next morning, before Arati can give in her resignation, Subrata telephones
her and asks her not to resign as he has lost his job. Now, Arati is the only
earning member of the family. Subrata suffers as he watches his wife go out while
he sits in bed and scans newspapers for jobs' columns. They begin to grow apart.
Arati has found a new friend in a colleague - Edith, an Anglo-Indian woman. Her
boss does not like Edith due to her being an offspring of 'our ex-rulers.' Blinded by
his prejudice, he accuses Edith of loose character and fires her. Arati asks her
boss to apologise to Edith. He refuses and warns her about her own job. Arati
hands over her old resignation letter and walks away.Now neither Arati nor her
husband has a job. On her way out, she meets Subrata. After the initial shock,
they reconcile and are close to each other once again. Subrata understands her.
Arati ponders that in such a big city at least one of them is sure to find a job. As
they walk into the city crowd, the camera tilts up to a street lamp.
Subrata & Arati
Comments
In her first Ray film, Madhabi Mukherjee, gives a
wonderful portrayal of Arati. Contrary to the general
belief, She was not a discovery of Satyajit Ray. It was
her performance in Mrinal Sen's Baisey Sravan (1959)
that prompted Ray to cast her as Arati. She appeared
in two other films of Ray: Charulata (The Lonely Wife,
1964) and Kapurush. (The Coward, 1965).
Uncharacteristically for Ray, this collaboration came to
an end with Kapurush though she continued to work
as an actress.
The confined and gloomy but intimate atmosphere of
the joint family was created with the sets for the house
having very small rooms with fixed walls. Ray told his
biographer, Andrew Robinson, " In those days I don't
think anyone built four-walled rooms. It gave us very
little room to move about, so there are no long shots
at all."
Arati
What others say...
" The film does what it sets
out to do, and it's perceptive and
revealing; it stays with one. Yet it is
very quiet and rather thin; it lacks the
depths and richness and creative
imagery of the best of Satyajit Ray."
- Pauline Kael
Arati and Edith
" Ray has an unmatched feeling for
the moments when a situation caches
people unawares and minds
perceptibly expand or contract when
confronted with some infinitesimal
stress."
- Penelope Houston, Spectator, May
17, 1968
Ray rehearsing
Madhabi Mukherjee
Awards
• Certificate of Merit, New Delhi, 1964
• Silver Bear For Best Direction, Berlin,1964
BACK
Charulata (The Lonely Wife)
• Credits:
Screenplay & Direction:Satyajit Ray form the short
novel "Nastanirh" by Rabindranath Tagore
Editing:Dulal Dutta
Sound:Nripen Pal, Atul Chatterjee, Sujit Sarkar
Music:Satyajit Ray
Charulata (Charu):Madhabi Mukherjee
Amal:Soumitra Chatterjee
Bhupati:Sailen Mukherjee Charu (Madhabi Mukherjee) observes
Umapada:Syamal Ghosal the outside world
Mandakini (Manda):Gitali Roy
Braja:Bholanath Koyal
Nisikanta:Suku Mukherjee
Sasanka:Dilip Bose
Summary
Charulata is based on a story by
Rabindranath Tagore, Nastanirh (The broken
Nest) and set in Calcutta in the late
nineteenth century. Bengal Renaissance is
at its peak and India is under the British rule.
The film revolves around Charulata / Charu
(Madhabi Mukherjee), the childless,
intelligent and beautiful wife of Bhupati
(Sailen Mukherjee). He edits and publishes a
political newspaper. Bhupati is an upper
class Bengali intellectual with a keen interest
in politics and the freedom movement.
Charu is interested in the arts, literature and
poetry. Though Bhupati loves his wife, he
has no time for her. She has little to do in the
house run by a fleet of servants. Senescing
her boredom, Bhupati invites Charu's elder
brother Umapada and wife Manda to live
with them. Umapada helps in running of the
magazine and the printing press. Manda with Charu amuzes herself with opera glasses
her silly and crude ways is no company for
the sensitive and intelligent Charulata.
Amal (Soumitra Chatterjee),
Bhupati's younger cousin comes on a visit.
Bhupati asks him to encourage Charu's
cultural interests. Amal is young, handsome
and is of the same age group as Charu. He
has literary ambitions and shares her
interests in poetry. He provides her with
much needed intellectual companionship
and attention. An intimate relationship
develops between Charulata and Amal.
There is a hint of rivalry when she publishes
a short story on her own without his
knowledge. He realizes that Charulata is in
love with him but is reluctant to reciprocate
due to the guilt involved.
Meanwhile, Charu's brother and sister-in-
law who were guests in the house swindle
Bhupati of his money and run away. It
destroys Bhupati's newspaper and the
press. The episode shatters Bhupati who
admits his hurt to Amal. He tells Amal that
now Amal is the only one he can trust.
Amal and Charu

Amal is overcome with guilt of betraying his
cousin. He is also uncomfortable with Charu's
higher intellect that he has helped nurture. He
leaves unannounced, to marry and go away
to England for higher studies. He leaves
behind a letter to Charu.
Charu is heartbroken but hides her
disappointment. Bhupati accidentally enters
her room and finds her crying over Amal.
Bhupati realizes Charu's feelings for Amal. He
is broken, shocked and bewildered by it.
He rushes out of the house, wanders
aimlessly in his carriage. On his return, Charu
and Bhupati make a hesitant gesture to reach
out, but their extended hands remain frozen in
a tentative gesture.
Amal and Charu

Comments
Charulata (The Lonely Wife) was Ray's
twelfth feature film. It was also the director's
favorite. Ray described the film as the one
which has the least defects. In an interview
with 'Cineaste' magazine, when asked about
his most satisfying film, Ray said, "Well, the
one film that I would make the same way, if I
had to do it again, is Charulata."
It stands out among Ray's films. After
Pather Panchali, it is my most favorite. Ray
film.
Certain details, such as references to and
use of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee the most
popular Bengali novelist of the period, bits of Amal and Charu
songs, literary allusions, etc. may be missed
by the western audience. But the film works
on many levels and like most Ray films,
Charulata is universal in its appeal.
In Charulata as in Ghare Baire (The Home and the World,
1984), Satyajit Ray explores the emergence of the modern
woman in the upper-class of colonial India. One can not help
drawing parallels with Ibsen's A Doll's House.
The context is suggested by important details. The opening
sequence is a piece of cinematic poetry. We see the young wife
Charulata moving from one window to another in her house. She
observes the activities of the outside world through the window
blinds using opera glasses. She is like a caged bird in her
mansion. We sense her curiosity and desire to know the outside
world.
As she moves to the interior corridor of the house, we see her
intellectual husband. He is too engrossed in a book and walks
past her without even noticing her presence. She watches him
as he walks away and stands reading. Charu raises her opera
glasses and looks again as if he too belongs to the outside
world. As Bhupati disappears from the view, she is
expressionless and lets the opera glasses slip down. The Amal and Bhupati
camera is pulled back sharply, "like a flourish with a pen at the
end of an essay..." in Ray's words. Without a dialogue being
spoken, we know Charulata is condemned to her loneliness and
boredom.
Ray conveys the innermost feelings and thoughts of his
characters without any dazzling technique and with minimal
dialog. An another wonderful sequence is the swing
sequence in the garden. In this scene Charu, who has been
resisting her feelings for Amal, gives in and admits her love
to herself. It is about eight-minute long sequence with almost
no dialogue. With innovative camera and narrative style, Ray
depicts Charu's state of mind and her dilemma.
In the final sequence, as Bhupati returns home after
wandering aimlessly, Charu opens the door. Gently and with
hesitation, she asks him to enter. A wavering Bhupati enters
the door and reaches toward her hand. The shot is frozen
and is followed with still images of Charu's half-lit face,
Bhupati's half-lit face, a servant holding a lamp, a mid-shot of
Charu and Bhupati and finally a long-shot of them. As the
music rises the words "Nastanirh" (Bengali, The Broken
Nest) fill the screen. It was ray's cinematic answer to
Tagore's original ending in which Bhupati has to go out of
town and Charu asks him to take her with him. He hesitates Bhupati, Amal and Charu
to which Charu says "Thak" meaning "Let it be". As Ray
explained later, it was his visual equivalent of the word
"Thak". "The two are about to reconcile and then prevented
from doing so."
All the interiors were shot in studio.
The sets are meticulously researched
and detailed to create an authentic
atmosphere. All the three major
characters - Charulata played by
Madhabi, Amal played Soumitra
Chatterjee and Bhupati played by
Sailen Mukherjee - have performed
brilliantly.
Madhabi Mukherjee appeared in two
other films of Ray: Mahanagar (The
Big City, 1963) and Kapurush. (The Bhupati finds Charu crying over Amal
Coward, 1965).
The film has an understated
background score by Satyajit Ray.
What others say...
"...The interplay of
sophistication and
simplicity is
extraordinary."
- Penelope Houston,
Sight and Sound,
1965 Bhupati and Charu
Awards
• Silver Bear For Best Direction, Berlin, 1965
• Catholic Award, Berlin, 1965
• Best Film, Acapulco, 1965
BACK
Two
• 1964, India. 15 mins., B/W, no
spoken language
• Credits:
Producer:Esso World Theater
Original Screenplay &
Ray on location of Two
Editing:Dulal Dutta
Sound:Sujit Sarkar
Music:Satyajit Ray
• Cast:Ravi Kiran and a street child
Summary
In a fairy tale like treatment, the film shows an encounter of two
boys - a rich kid living in big house and a boy living in a slum. The
rich boy’s window overlooks the slum.
The film moves through the attempts at one-upmanship evident in
their successive display of their toys. When the slum boy takes out a
flute, the rich boy drowns its sound by his loud toy-trumpet; when
the slum boy switches to a home-made mask and spear, the rich
boy becomes a cowboy with a gun; when the slum boy tries to fly a
humble kite, the rich boy shoots it down by his toy rifle… The slum
boy gives up trying to be friends with the rich boy and the rich boy
seems proud of his victory. Not for long, though…
Notes of the slum boy’s flute are heard again as the rich boys noisy
toy-robot trips and breaks down. The film ends with the rich boy
pondering over his unspoken defeat.
Comments
Two was made as part of a trilogy of short films from India that were
commissioned by the US Public Television under the banner of Esso World
Theater. The other two films featured Pandit Ravi Shankar and a ballet
troupe from Bombay.
Ray was asked make a film in English in a Bengali setting. Not very happy
with the prospect, he opted to do away with the spoken word. A great
admirer of the silent cinema, Ray pays a tribute to the genre.
The film “packs quite a punch in its ten (actually 15) minutes”, Ray wrote to
Marie Seton at the timing of making the film.
BACK
Kapurush - O - Mahapurush (The
Coward & The Holy Man)
• 1965, India. A double bill. Kapurush (The Coward): 74 min.; Mahapurush (The Holy Man): 65min. B/W, In Bengali
with subtitles
• Credits:
Screenplay & Direction:Satyajit Ray, Based on the short stories: 'Janaiko Kapuruser Kahini' by Premendra
Mitra (The Coward) and 'Birinchibaba' by Parashuram (The Holy Man)
Editing:Dulal Dutta
Music:Satyajit Ray.
Kapurush
Amitabha Roy:Soumitra Chatterjee
Bimal Gupta:Haradhan Bannerjee
Karuna Gupta:Madhabi Mukherjee
Mahapurush
Birinchi Baba:Charuprakash Ghosh
His assistant:Rabi Ghosh
Gurupada Mitter:Prasad Mukherjee
Buchki:Gitali Roy
Satya: Satindra Banerjee
Nibaran:Somen Bose
Professor Nani: Santosh Dutta
Professor's wife:Renuka Roy
Summary
• Kapurush (The Coward)
Amitabha Roy (Soumitra Chatterjee)
is a Calcutta based scriptwriter who is
driving around in the country to collect
material for a film. His vehicle breaks
down in a small town. A tea planter, Bimal
Gupta, offers hospitality for the night.
Amitabha is forced to accept the offer as
he has no alternative.
At Gupta's house, he is introduced to his
wife Karuna (Madhabi Mukherjee).
Amitabha is shocked to find her to be the
girl he once loved and had let down.
Unaware of their past relationship, Gupta
entertains Amitabha. He comes across as Karuna (Madhabi Mukherjee)
a simple man with none of the physical or
intellectual charms of Roy.
Amitabha manages to steal a few moments alone with
Karuna. He conveys to her about his love and asks her to
leave her husband. Karuna hides her own feelings. Unable
to regain the old intimacy with her, he remembers his
betrayal. It was the last time he saw her. Forced by her uncle
who did not approve of the relationship and wanted to send
her away, She came to him. Even though Roy was a poor
student, she had made up her mind to accept his situation
and confront her family's disapproval. Roy, however, proved
to be a coward. Now that he is a successful man, Amitabha
asks Karuna to leave her husband for him. Karuna, however,
does or says a little to encourage him.
The next morning, Amitabha decides to take the train
instead of waiting for the vehicle to be repaired. He writes
note to Karuna, requesting her to meet him at the railway
station if she still cared for him.
Amitabha waits for Karuna at the station. Karuna does arrive
but only to snub him before going back to her husband.
Karuna (Madhabi Mukherjee) and
Amitabha Roy (Soumitra Chatterjee)
• Mahapurush (The Holy Man)
After the death of his wife, Gurupada Mitter
(Prasad Mukherjee), an advocate, has not
been at peace. He and his daughter Buchki
(Gitali Roy), meet Birinchi (Charuprakash
Ghosh). Birinchi Baba claims to be ageless.
He tells stories from the past; about his
arguments with 'Pluto' about time, how he
taught E=mc2 to Einstein, and was on first-
name terms with Jesu (Christ) and Gautam
(Buddha). Birinchi Baba has a growing band
of rich devotees.
Gurupada decides to patronize the holy man
and become his disciple. Daughter Buchki is
disappointed with her lover Satya. To teach
him a lesson, she tells Satya that she is going
to leave him and become a disciple of Birinchi
Baba.
Satya turns to his friend Nibaran for his help.
It does not take Nibaran long to realize that
Birinchi Baba is a fraud. Nibaran and friends
expose Birinchi Baba. The devotees feel
foolish and perhaps have learnt a lesson.
Birinchi Baba (Charuprakash Ghosh)
and disciples
Comments
Kapurush, though the story is

quite simple, a love triangle,
beneath the surface a complex
range of emotions are felt.
Performances, the
camerawork and the
imagination of the audience
bring out the tensions and the
emotional under currents
among the three characters.
We are never sure if Karuna's Nibaran (Somen Bose) and friends plot
to expose Birinchi Baba
husband is aware of her affair
with Roy.
What others say...
"Kapurush reveals Ray at his very sharpest as

a psychologist; every scene is model of supple,
lifelike dialogue and probing, telling camerawork.
... there is much below the surface that does not
strike the casual gaze.
Although Mahapurush is near to straight farce, it
still has a rich script carried off with much
aplomb and relish by its cast."
- Andrew Robinson (Ray's Biographer)
BACK
Nayak (The Hero)
• Credits:
Producer:RDB & Co (R.D. Bansal / RDB
Productions)
Original Screenplay & Direction:Satyajit Ray
Editing:Dulal Dutta
Music:Satyajit Ray
Arindam Mukherjee:Uttam Kumar Arindam
Aditi Sen Gupta:Sharmila Tagore
Mukunda Lahiri:Bireswar Sen
Sankar:Somen Bose
Jyoti:Bimal Ghosh
Biresh:Premangsu Bose
Promila Chatterjee:Sumita Sanyal
Aditi and Arindam

Summary
A famous film actor Arindam (Uttam Kumar), a star of
Bengali films, has been invited to the capital to receive a
prestigious award. As all the flights are booked, he is forced
to travel by a train from Calcutta to New Delhi. He is in a foul
mood as the morning's papers are filled with his being
involved in an altercation and his latest film is slated to
become his first flop.In the restaurant car, he meets Aditi
(Sharmila Tagore), a young journalist who edits a serious
women's magazines. Filled with contempt for the likes of
him, she secretly plans to interview him because she thinks
it would make a saleable 'copy'. It soon leads to him pouring
out his life history. Aditi takes notes, surreptitiously. Critical
of the star, she interrogates him and the star ends up re-
examining his life. In a series of conversations with Aditi, he
reveals his past and guilt.
He talks about Shankarda, his mentor, taking us back to
his early youth. His selling out to films and giving up theatre Aditi and Arindam
against the wishes of his old teacher... His first day's shoot,
and he being snubbed by a successful actor Mukunda
Lahiri. A few years later Mukunda Lahiri, now a forgotten
actor after a series of flops, comes to him to beg for a small
part. He rejects the ageing actor in revenge. His taking
refuse in alcohol. And his refusing to help a friend in politics.
In the fag end of the train journey, he
is drunk and contemplates suicide. He
asks the conductor to fetch Aditi. He
begins to confess an affair with a
married woman. But Aditi stops him. It
was an affair with a heartless and
ambitious Promila, which ended in a
brawl with her husband.
As the star re-lives and examines his
life with Aditi, a bond develops between
them. Aditi realises that in spite of his
fame and success, Arindam is a lonely
man, and needs her sympathy and Aditi
understanding. Out of respect for his
frank confession, she chooses to
suppress the story and tears up the
notes she has written. She lets the hero
preserve his public image.
Comments
Based on his second original
screenplay, Nayak is not among his best,
but is a delight to watch and far superior
to average cinema. He cast Uttam Kumar
in the title role of the hero (star). Uttam
Kumar was a star of the commercial
cinema in Bengal at that time. The film
takes place in a period of twenty-four
hours on a train. The hero's life is
revealed through a series of flashbacks
and dreams. The film explores the
psychology of the star and his admirers.
The best part of the film lies in its form.
The train journey becomes a metaphor Biresh (Premangsu Bose) and
for the star's life. The best scenes involve Arindam (Uttam Kumar)
the star's interaction with fellow
passengers, a slice of affluent Bengali
society.
Both Uttam Kumar as the star and
Sharmila Tagore as the young journalist
gave superb performances.
Awards
• Best Screenplay and Story, New Delhi, 1967

• Critics' Prize (Unicrit award), Berlin, 1966
• Special Jury Award, Berlin, 1966
BACK
Chiriakhana (The Zoo)
• 1967, India. 125 mins., B/W, In Bengali
• Credits:
Producer:Star Productions (Harendranath Battacharya)
Screenplay & Direction:Satyajit Ray, based on the novel: Chiriakhana by Saradindu Banerjee
Editing:Dulal Dutta
Music:Satyajit Ray
Byomkesh Bakshi:Uttam Kumar,
Ajit:Sailen Mukherjee,
Nisanath Sen:Susil Majumdar,
Damyanti:Kanika Majumdar
Bijoy:Subhendu Chatterjee,
Dr. Bhujangadhar Das:Syamal Ghosal,
Nepal Gupta:Prasad Mukherjee,
Mukul:Supira Roy,
Nazarbibi:Subrata Chatterjee,
Muskil Mia:Nripati Chatterjee,
Banalakshmi:Gitali Roy
Summary
Chiriakhana is a minor ray film rarely
seen outside Bengal. A whodunit, the
story revolves around a private
detective Byomkesh Bakshi (Uttam
Kumar) solving two murders.
The action takes place in a colony
outside Calcutta, set up for the benefit
of outcasts by a retired judge, who is
also director of the colony. He contacts
detective Byomkesh to conduct an
investigation. The director is soon
assassinated. This is followed with
murder of a deaf-mute witness…
As Byomkesh solves the murders, he A still from Chiriakhana
tells his associates that he could solve
the mystery because he trusts no one.
That is absolutely no one except his
pet snake.
Comments
Like Abhijan, Ray was forced by circumstances to direct this film.
Some of his assistants were supposed to do the film, but they
suddenly lost confidence and asked him to take it on. He had no
input in the choice of the story and casting.
In an interview with Cineaste magazine, Ray described Chiriakhana
(The Zoo) as his most unsatisfying film. He said, "Chiriakhana's a
whodunit, and whodunits just don't make good films. I prefer the
thriller form where you more or less know the villain from the
beginning. The whodunit always has this ritual concluding scene
where the detective goes into a rigmarole of how everything
happened, and how he found the clues which led him to the
criminal. It's a form that doesn't interest me very much".
Awards
• Best Direction, West Bengal Government, 1968
BACK
Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne
(The Adventures of Goopy and Bagha)
• 1968, India. 132 min, B/W & color, In Bengali with subtitles.
• Credits:
Producer:Purnima Pictures (Nepal Dutta, Asim Dutta)
Screenplay & Direction:Satyajit Ray, from the story - 'Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne' by
Upendrakishore Ray (Roychowdhury)
Cinematography:Shoumendu Roy
Editing:Dulal Dutta
Sound:Nripen Paul, Atul Chatterjee, Sujit Sarkar
Music:Satyajit Ray
Dance Director:Sambhunath Bhattacharya
Goopy Songs sung by:Anup Kumar Ghoshal
Goopy:Tapen Chatterjee
Bagha:Rabi Ghosh Goopy and Bagha enjoy their own music in field
King of Shundi/ King of Halla: Santosh Dutta
Barfi, the Magician:Harindranath Chatterjee
Prime Minister of Halla:Jahar Roy
Commander-in-Chief of Halla: Santi Chatterjee
Spy from Halla:Chinmoy Roy
King of Amloki:Durgadas Banerjee
Goopy's father:Govinda Chakravarty
King of Ghosts:Prasad Mukherjee
Village Elders:Haridhan Mukherjee, Abani Chatterjee, Khagen Pathak, Binoy Bose, Prasad
Mukherjee
Singers at the court of Shundi: Joykrishna Sanyal, Tarun Mitra, Ratan Banerjee, Kartik
Chatterjee
Executioner:Gopal Dey
Goopy and Bagha perfom

for the King of Shundi
Summary
Goopy, a young farmer’s son with a passion to sing
and marked absence of talent, is banished by the king
from the kingdom, as Goopy has the audacity to disturb
the king in his slumber with dreadful singing. Crestfallen
Goopy arrives in a forest riding a donkey. He meets
Bagha, a drummer from a neighbouring kingdom, who too
has been banished by his king for his terrible drumming.
Goopy and Bagha soon are good friends and start their
terrible music. They encounter a bizarre dance of the
forest ghost. They manage to please the king of the
ghosts, who grants them three boons – instant food and
clothing, instant travel and musical talent that can Goopy and Bagha with the King of Shundi
spellbind audiences. The key to all the magic is in two pair
of slippers.
Wearing the magic slippers, they arrive in the kingdom of
Shundi. At a music contest held by the good king of
Shundi, they enchant the audiences and win the contest
and are given positions as court musicians.
Meanwhile, the bad king of Halla, twin brother of the
king of Shundi, wants to declare a war. The king of Halla
is not really a bad king but is drugged and being controlled
by the court magician Barfi. He works for the greedy and
ambitious Prime Minister. With their magic powers, Goopy
and Bagha avert the war. The twin brothers, kings of
Shundi and Halla are reconciled and they offer to reward
Goopy and Bagha with their daughters in marriage. Ghost dance, a sketch by Ray
Comments
Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne is a delightful, fun film
for children of all ages. The film ran to packed
houses in Bengal for a record fifty-one weeks and
was by far the most commercially successful Ray
film. Tapen Chatterjee, then a newcomer, admirably
plays the role of Goopy and Rabi Ghosh, an
experienced performer, plays Bagha in this musical
fantasy inhabited by ghosts, kings, crafty ministers,
soldiers, magicians, generals, courtiers, princesses,
horses and tigers.
About six months after its release in Bengal, ray
wrote to Marie Seton, “It is extraordinary how quickly
it has become part of popular culture. Really there
isn’t a single child in the city who doesn’t know and The king and Prime Minister of Halla Bagha and Goopy
sing the songs (from the film).” The film was not well
received abroad though. Andrew Robinson, Ray’s
biographer attributes this to its legends, dialogues,
wit and lyrics that cannot be translated effectively.
The film derives its inspiration from Ray’s
grandfather - Upendrakisore Ray’s story - 'Goopy
Gyne Bagha Byne'. Ray meticulously designed its
characters and composed the music.
The special effects are definitely not like that of
Hollywood films of the era. Its 6 1/2 minute ghost
dance is a sequence to watch out for. The
imaginative vitality of the visualization and execution
make the sequence a visual and aural treat. Ray
combined live action, shadow puppets and Indian
percussion instruments –Ghatam, Mridamgam,
Mursring and Ganjra to create the mesmerizing Barfi the magician, a
sequence. sketch by Ray
Awards
• Award for Best Direction, New Delhi, 1968
• President's Gold and Silver Medals, New Delhi, 1970
• Silver Cross, Adelaide, 1969
• Best Director, Auckland, 1969
• Merit Award, Tokyo, 1970
• Best Film, Melbourne, 1970
BACK
Aranyer Din Ratri (Days and
Nights in the Forest)
• 1969, India. 115 min, B/W, In Bengali with subtitles
• Credits:
Producer:Priya Films (Asim Dutta and Nepal Dutta)
Screenplay & Direction:Satyajit Ray, based on the novel:
'Aranyer Din Ratri' by Sunil Ganguly
Cinematography:Soumendu Roy, Purnendu Bose
Editing:Dulal Dutta
Sound:Sujit Sarkar
Music:Satyajit Ray
• Cast & Characer:
Asim:Soumitra Chatterjee
Hari, Harinath:Samit Bhanja
Sanjoy:Subhendu Chatterjee
Sekhar:Rabi Ghosh
Sadashiv Tripathi:Pahari Sanyal
Aparna:Sharmila Tagore Aparna and Asim
Jaya:Kaveri Bose
Duli:Simi Garewal
Hari's former lover, Atasi:Aparna Sen
Summary
Four friends from Calcutta city venture out to the
forests of Palmau for a holiday excursion in car. They
arrive at a little village in the state of Bihar. Not
having made any arrangements for their stay, they
come across a rest house. As they have not made
reservations, they bribe the caretaker, who risks his
job, as he needs the money for his wife’s illness.
The four young men are full of the over-confidence
of the big city and scant respect for the rural
villagers. The group is led by Ashim (Soumitra
Chatterjee), the richest of the four. Sanjoy (Subhendu
Chatterjee) is a timid person who always plays it
safe. The sportsman, non-intellectual Hari (Samit
Sekhar and Duli
Bhanja) wants to forget a girl who recently rejected
him. Shekhar (Robi Ghosh) is self-confident and
comical. The journey into the forest turns out to be a
journey of self-discovery.
They spend their first night getting drunk at a local
liquor shop. Hari is drawn towards one of tribal
women, Duli (Simi Garewal), whose untamed quality
enhances her appeal.
The following morning, while debating
whether to shave or not, they spot some other
women from Calcutta, they locate the women’s
cottage and introduce themselves to the family.
Asim is interested in Aparna (Sharmila Tagore),
a cool, self-confident young woman whose
widowed father jokes that he never knows what
she is thinking. Sanjoy is attracted to her
widowed sister-in-law, Jaya (Kaberi Bose).
A series of episodes reveal the characters.
Drunken sprees, social embarrassments,
adventures with servants, officials, romance. The
four friends’ youthful arrogance gets them into a Duli (Simi Garewal)
series of disastrous and often hilarious
adventures.
Hari makes love with Duli, the servant Lakha
ambushes him in revenge. The inhibited Sanjoy
does not dare to respond to Jaya's bold
seduction while Aparna leaves Asim after giving
him her address - perhaps a promise of love.
The friends depart again for the city, each with a
better appreciation of life.
Comments
It is a familiar premise - men in
unfamiliar situation discover themselves as
they interact with others - but what makes it
compelling is the volatility of the narrative
and characters, masterly juxtaposition of
urban and tribal, and brilliant performances.
Look out for the picnic scene, a complex and
engrossing interplay of the characters – pure
cinema. On surface they play a simple game,
but it explores psychological probing through
use of acting, dialogue and editing.
Ray described the film to Marie Seton in a
letter, “The first half has the appearance of a
light comedy but there’s a steady modulation
to a serious key.” It starts as a spree and Asim, Hari, Sekhar, Jaya,
ends up changing lives of three of the men. Aparna and Sanjoy
What others say...
"On the surface, this Satyajit Ray film is a lyrical
romantic comedy about four educated young men from
Calcutta, driving together for a few days in the country,
and the women they meet. The subtext is perhaps the
subtlest, most plangent study of the cultural tragedy of
imperialism; the young men are self-parodies—clowns
who ape the worst snobberies of the British. A major film
by one of the great film artists, starring Soumitra
Chatterji and the incomparably graceful Sharmila
Tagore.
- Pauline Kael in Reeling
"... every word and gesture is recognizable,
comprehensible, true … Ray’s work at its best, like this,
has an extraordinary rightness in every aspect of its Aparna (Sharmila Tagore),
selection and presentation – the timing, performance, Sekhar (Rabi Ghosh)and
cutting, music – which seem to place it beyond
discussion." Asim (Soumitra Chatterjee)
- David Robinson, Financial Times, 15 October 1971
BACK
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Ray on location
Pratidwandi (The Adversary)
• Pratidwandi (The Adversary) 1970, India. 110
min., B/W, In Bengali with subtitles.
• Credits:
Producer:Priya Films (Nepal Dutta, Asim Dutta)
Screenplay & Direction:Satyajit Ray, Based on the
novel: 'Pratidwandi' by Sunil Ganguli.
Cinematography:Soumendu Roy, Purnendu Bose
Editing:Dulal Dutta
Sound:J. D. Irani, Durgadas Mitra
Music:Satyajit Ray
Siddartha Chowdhury:Dhritiman Chatterjee
Sutapa, his sister:Krishna Bose Siddartha and other interviewees
Sarojini:Indira Devi
Siben:Kalyan Chowdhury
Keya:Joysree Roy
Tunu:Debraj Roy
Lotika:Sefali
Sanyal:Soven Lahiri
Keya's father:Pisu Majumdar
Summary
Siddartha (Dhritiman Chatterjee) is forced to
discontinue his medical studies due to unexpected and
brutal death of his father. He has to now find a job in stead.
In one job interview, he is asked to name the most
significant world event in the last ten years. His reply is 'the
plain human courage shown by the people of Vietnam',
instead of the expected - man landing on moon. The
interviewer asks is he is a communist. Needles to say that
he does not get the job.
He reaches a coffee shop where he is offered to work for
the communist party. When he does not show any interest
the party leader tells him about an opening for a medical
representative. To escape from the heat and have a snooze,
he goes in to a cinema. As a government propaganda Siddartha and Sutyapa
newsreel is being shown before the feature, a bomb
explodes in the cinema hall. In the stampede that follows,
Siddartha, breaks his watch. He goes to a watchmaker but
he cannot afford the repairs.
Waiting to cross the road, he notices a sexy girl. He drifts
back to his days as a medical student in a flashback. The
professor is explaining anatomy of female breast. Many
flashbacks and dreams occur to Siddartha through the film.
On his way to hostel, he has an encounter with some
hippies. Along with an ex-classmate, he goes out to see
a porn film but to their disappointment, the film turns out
to be not-so-pornographic.
In such constant wandering in a Calcutta,
disintegrated relationships with his sister and a Naxalite
(militant communist) brother, his friendship with Keya is
only thing that keeps him sane.
Keya is a simple girl. They enjoy each other's
company but they cannot make any commitment to each
other due to the circumstances.
After yet another attempt at a job interview, Siddartha
leaves the big city to take a modest job of a salesman in
a far off small town. He writes to Keya that he still
cherishes their relationship. And that he has heard that Keya and Siddartha
bird call again but this time it is for real, and not his
mind. After completing the letter, he comes out to the
balcony of his modest room. The bird calls again. He
also hears the sombre chants of a funeral procession.
As he turns to the camera, the picture is frozen.
Comments
This is the first film of the Calcutta Trilogy. The other two were and
Seemabaddha\ (Company Limited, 1971) and Jana Aranya (The Middle
Man, 1975). All the three films study the effect the big city of Calcutta has
on the educated youth and the price it extracts from them.
The seventies were a difficult period for India and West Bengal. The
Corruption was rampant; the Naxalite movement had created havoc in
Calcutta. In fact, they had turned parts of Calcutta into 'liberated zones'. By
the time the Naxalite movement died down, in 1975, Mrs. Indira Gandhi
(then, Prime Minister of India) suppressed the fundamental rights and
declared "Emergency" for her own political survival. Her son, Sanjay
Gandhi became a dictator of sorts without any official designation. The
opposition leaders were thrown into prisons.
About his social responsibilities as a filmmaker, in an interview with
Cineaste magazine, Ray commented, "You can see my attitude in The
Adversary where you have two brothers. The younger brother is a Naxalite.
There is no doubt that the elder brother admires the younger brother for his
bravery and convictions. The film is not ambiguous about that. As a
filmmaker, however, I was more interested in the elder brother because he
is the vacillating character. As a psychological entity, as a human being
with doubts, he is a more interesting character to me. The younger brother Siddartha
has already identified himself with a cause. That makes him part of a total
attitude and makes him unimportant. The Naxalite movement takes over.
He, as a person, becomes insignificant."
In a letter to Seton in 1970, Ray wrote that Pratidwandi was the most
provocative film he had made till then. The film is said to have evoked
extreme reactions. "People either loved the film or hated it", Dhritiman
Chatterjee told Andrew Robinson, Ray's biographer.
Awards
• Special Award, New Delhi, 1971

• President's Silver Medal, New Delhi,1971
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Seemabaddha (Company Limited)
• Credits:
Producer:Chitranjali (Bharat Shamsher and Jung
Bahadur Rana)
Screenplay & Direction:Satyajit Ray, based on the
novel: 'Seemabaddha' by Mani Shankar
Mukherjee
Editing:Dulal Dutta
Art Direction:Ashoke Bose
Sound:J. D. Irani, Durgadas Mitra Music:Satyajit
Ray
Shyamal (Shyamalendu) Chatterjee:Barun Chanda
Sir Baren Roy:Harindranath Chatterjee
(Chattopadhyaya)
Dolan, Shyamal's wife:Parumita Chowdhury
Tutul (Sudarsana):Sharmila Tagore
Talukdar:Haradhan Bannerjee
Shyamal's mother:Indira Roy
Shyamal's father:Promod Ganguli Tutul and Shyamal at race course
Summary
This powerful psychological drama follows a
young executive's climb up the corporate ladder and
his slow immersion into corruption, seen through the
eyes of his young sister-in-law.
Shyamal (Barun Chanda) is an ambitious
Marketing Manager in a British firm in Calcutta,
manufacturing fans. He's married to Dolan, and lives
in a company flat. He aspires to become the
company director. For this he has to compete with a
colleague who has a relative in the board of
directors.
His sister-in-law Tutul (Sharmila Tagore) arrives
from Patna to spend a few days with them. She has
been a great admirer of the ideologist Shyamal and
was envious of her sister's marriage with him. Tutul
is Shyamal’s conscience. Shyamal shows her the Dolan, Shyamal's wife and her sister Tutul
delights of city life - the cocktail parties, the clubs
and horse racing.
Life goes on smoothly for Shyamal until he learns
that a consignment of fans meant for exports is
defective. There is not much time to rectify the fans.
It could result in cancellation of the export contract
and an end to his dream of becoming a director.
Hopeless, Shyamal takes Tutul in
confidence though not his wife. Late at
night, he hatches a plan with the labor
officer to provoke a strike at the factory.
A factory watchman is badly injured and
a lockout is declared. The export
contract is saved.
Shyamal becomes a director but he
has fallen low both in the eyes of Tutul
and his own. Shyamal
Comments
This is the second film of the Calcutta
Trilogy. The other two were and Pratidwandi (The
Adversary, 1971) and Jana Aranya (The Middle
Man, 1975). All the three films study the effect the
big city of Calcutta has on the educated youth and
the price it extracts from them.
With an effortless conviction, Ray builds up the
narrative, and characters including the minor ones.
The film has a poetic and understated ending. As
triumphant Shyamal returns home after being
named a director, the elevator is out of order. A
joyous Shyamal begins to climb the stairs. As he
ascends his steps become slower. When he
reaches the top, both physically and metaphorically,
his joy has vanished. Tutul who has witnessed fall of Tutul and Shyamal
her hero, sits beside him, they exchange glances.
Without making a sound Tutul removes the watch
that he had gifted her. She places it on the table. We
see Shyamal from above a ceiling fan, with his head
bowed in his hand and Tutul fading away.
Awards

• PIPRESCI Award, Venice, 1972
BACK
SIKKIM
1971, Documentary, India. 60 min., B/W
Credits:
Producer:The Chogyal of Sikkim
Script, commentary &Direction:Satyajit Ray
Editing:Dulal Dutta
Sound:Satyajit Ray
Music:Satyajit Ray
Summary
Sikkim was a small princely state in the
Himalayas. This documentary was
commissioned by - then ruler of Sikkim -
Chogyal of Sikkim and his then wife, an
American, Hope Cook
Comments
The film suffered double censorship of the film's commissioners and of the
Indian government, when Sikkim was reconnected to India in 1975.
For a long time the film had been lost. Recently (Jan, 2003) a good quality
print was found safe in the British Film Institute (BFI).
Despite the censorship, Ray reportedly did manage to retain its seven-
minute opening and the ending. The opening sequence is an evocation of
atmosphere - beginning with a shot of a parallel ropeway with two carriages
advancing towards each other, prompted Ray to note, "While they're
reaching this point, I cut to a shot of a piece of telegraph wire. It's raining
and there are two drops of rain approaching on a downward curve. It's a
very poetic seven minutes. And the end is also very lively, very optimistic,
with children, happy, laughing, smoking, singing. The whole thing builds up
into a paean of praise for the placer".
BACK
The Inner Eye
• 1972, India. 20 min,
Documentary, Colour.
• Credits:
Producer:Films Division, Govt.
of India
Script, commentary &
Cinematography:Soumendu
Roy
Editing:Dulal Dutta
Sound:Satyajit Ray
Music:Satyajit Ray
Sitar composition:Pt. Nikhil Binode Bihari Mukherjee
Banerjee
Summary
At the age of 54, Binode
Bihari Mukherjee, an
accomplished painter,
lost his sight following an
unsuccessful cataract
operation. He continued
to create art despite his
loss of sight. The
documentary explores
Binode Bihari’s inner eye A painting by Binode Bihari Mukherjee
that guides his fingers to

create art.
COMMENTS
Ray was a great admirer of the
painter's work and had been his
student when he was at
Shantiniketan, the university
founded by Rabindranath Tagore.
The film ends with a moving
sequence of images of Binode
Bihari creating wax sculptures and
his paintings underscored with a
radiant composition in Raga
Asavari on sitar played by Pt. A drawing by Binode Bihari Mukherjee
Nikhil Banerjee. The sequence
ends with a frozen shot of the
painter in dark glass and the
following words:
"Blindness is a new feeling, a new
experience, a new state of being".
- Binode Bihari Mukherjee.
What others say...
"The Inner Eye… is a small masterpiece. It is
quite simply the finest short documentary
about a creative artist I have seen…"
- Andrew Robinson, Ray's Biographer
(Author of “Satyajit Ray - The Inner Eye)
Awards
• President's Gold Medal, new Delhi, 1974
BACK
Asani Sanket (Distant Thunder)
• 1973, India. 101 min, Color, In Bengali with subtitles.
• Credits:
Producer:Balaka Movies (Sarbani Bhattacharya)
Screenplay & Direction:Satyajit Ray, Based on the
novel: 'Asani Sanket' by Bibhutibhushan Banerjee
Editing:Dulal Dutta
Sound:J. D. Irani, Durgadas Mitra
Music:Satyajit Ray
Gangacharan Chakravarty:Soumitra Chatterjee Gangacharan and Ananga
Ananga, his wife:Babita
Biswas:Ramesh Mukherjee
Moti:Chitra Banerjee
Dinabandhu:Govinda Chakravarty
Chutki:Sandhya Roy
Jadu (scarface):Noni Ganguli
Summary
The film is set in 1943-44, when the famine
struck Bengal during the British rule in India. It was
a man made famine. As the British government
cornered the civilian food supply for its armies, the
people starved. The famine claimed the lives of
five million people. The story takes place in a small
village during the World War II. The famine affects
the lives of the families in different ways.
Gangacharan, an educated Brahmin, has
recently arrived to settle in the village with his wife.
He decides to teach and conduct religious
ceremonies in exchange for being supported by
the villagers. The villagers readily agree. His wife,
Ananga, is a sensuous woman. She is sensitive,
giving, and devoted to her husband.
The distant World War II changes the village. Ananga
Gangacharan is only little more informed than the
villagers. He knows that Japan has taken over
Singapore but he has no idea where it is. As a few
aeroplanes disturb the peaceful sky, the word goes
around that the war will result in a scarcity of rice.
The price of rice soars as the traders hide their
stocks to make huge profits.
To eat, the villagers are reduced to animal-
like existence, forced to beg for food. Gangacharan,
shrewd and stingy, has managed to keep himself
supplied with food but it may not last long. Ananga
offers to work for food but Gangacharan is shocked
at the idea of her doing manual labour. Soon, he is
forced to change his views and Ananga goes to work
with other village women.
A man with burnt face (scarface) offers a married
village woman - Chutki - a bribe of rice to go with
him. She refuses but later the hunger drives her to
agree.
Ananga offers her gold bangle to Gangacharan to
exchange it for rice. As he goes to a nearby village Jadu (scarface) and Ananga
to in search of rice, she goes into the forest with
Chutki and another woman to look for wild potatoes.
Not used to manual labour, Ananga sees a flower
and goes for it. The village women find some
potatoes. A man tries to take Ananga; Chutki kills the
man with the bar she used to dig out the potato.
But Chutki herself would rather
live in dishonour than die of hunger.
Once again, she joins the scarface
despite her revulsion towards him.
An untouchable-caste woman dies
of hunger; the first starvation death in
the village. Gangacharan, breaking
the taboo, picks up her hand take her
pulse. He feels obliged to give her a
proper cremation. Ananga and Chutki
Even as we learn that Ananga is
pregnant, we see the villagers leave in
search of food in silhouettes. The
screen is filled with a statement -
"Over five million died of starvation
and epidemics in Bengal in what has
come to be known as the man-made
famine of 1943."
Comments
Soumitra Chatterji, a Ray regular, who played Apu in
Apur Sansar, plays Gangacharan. The film is based on
the novel 'Asani Sanket' by Bibhutibhushan Banerjee. He
also wrote 'Pather Panchali' and 'Aparajita', which were
adapted by Ray for the Apu Trilogy films. Ray uses color
to contrast between the Nature filled with life and
lushness and gradual slipping away of life from the
people. They are dying despite a good rice crop. The film
begins with an image of Ananga in a pond with her hand
projecting out of water like a water lily.
The film is not about the famine but the events leading
to it at a micro scale. In stead of rotting dead bodies,
what we see is the changing life and the behaviour of the
villagers.
What others say...
"... full of feeling and astonishingly

beautiful; the women are conceived as in a
dream of the past - moving in their thin,
clinging saris, they create sensuous waves
of color in the steamy air." - Pauline Kael
Awards
• Presidents Gold Medal for Music Direction, New
Delhi, 1973
• Best Regional Film, New Delhi, 1973
• Golden Bear, Berlin, 1973
• Golden Hugo, Chicago, 1974
BACK
Sonar Kella (The Fortress)
• Credits:
Producer:Govt. of West Bengal
Based on the novel: 'Sonar Kella' by Satyajit Ray
Editing:Dulal Dutta
Sound:J. D. Irani, Anil Talukdar
Music:Satyajit Ray
Pradosh Mitter, called Felu:Soumitra Chatterjee
Lalmohan Ganguli, called Jotayu:Santosh Dutta
Tapesh Mitter, called Tapesh:Siddartha Chatterjee
Mukul Dhar: Kusal Chakravarty
Dr. Hemanga Hajra:Sailen Mukherjee
Amiyanath Burman:Ajoy Banerjee
Mandar Bose:Kamu Mukherjee
Mukul 2:Santanu Bagchi Feluda and villagers
Uncle Sidhu:Harindranath Chatterjee
Mukul’s father:Sunil Sarkar
Mukul’s mother:Siuli Mukherjee
Tapesh’s mother:Rekha Chatterjee
Tapesh’s father:Hardhan Banerjee
Journalist:Asok Mukherjee
Advocate:Bimal Chatterjee
Summary
Mukul, a young boy, is
being haunted by memories of his
previous life. He is taken to Dr.
Hajra, a parapsychologist, for
treatment. On discovering some
drawings by Mukul that represent
scenes from the past, Dr. Hajra
believes that a fortress in the
drawings may be in Rajasthan. Dr.
Hajra decides to take Mukul on a
trip to Rajasthan in the hope that it
might be a cure.
A newspaper reports alerts some Amiyanath Burman and Mandar Bose
bandits. They kidnap Mukul in
hope of getting their hands on the
treasure. The detective Feluda is
engaged, along with his assistant
Tapesh, to recover the child.
Comments
Sonar Kella is a bewitching comedy-thriller for

children of all ages. An exciting and fun-filled
journey that takes audiences from Calcutta to
Jaisalmer in Rajasthan including Felu and
friends chasing a train on a camelbacks.
Beautiful color photography and use of color for
dramatic effect.
Awards
• President's Silver Medal, Best Screenplay,
Direction, New Delhi, 1974
• Best Film, Direction and Screenplay,
Government of West Bengal, 1974
• Best Feature Film for Children and Young
Adults, Tehran, 1975
BACK
Jana Aranya (The Middleman)
• 1975, India. 131 min., B/W, In Bengali with subtitles.
• Credits:
Producer:Indus Films (Subir Guha)
Screenplay & Direction:Satyajit Ray, Based on the novel: 'Jana
Aranya' by Mani Shankar Mukherjee.
Editing:Dulal Dutta
Sound:J. D. Irani, Anil Talukdar, Adinath Nag, Sujit Ghosh
Music:Satyajit Ray
Somnath Banerjee:Pradip Mukherjee Somnath
Somnath's father:Satya Banerjee
Bhombol:Dipankar Dey
Kamala, Bhombol's wife:Lily Chakravarti
Sukumar:Gautam Chakravarti
Somnath's girlfriend:Aparna Sen
Sukumar's sister Kauna, called Juthika:Sudesna Das
Bisu:Utpal Dutt
Mr. Mitter:Rabi Ghosh
Adok:Bimal Chatterjee
Bisu, Adok and Somnath

Summary
The film begins with blatant cheating in
the examination hall. Somnath (Pradip Mukherjee),
an honest student, finds himself doing badly in the
exams due to an overworked examiner, without his
glasses who is unable to read his small
handwriting. As he is in no position to marry, his
girlfriend gets married to someone else due to
pressure from her family.
A bright and idealistic young man, Somnath begins
search of a job along with his more realistic friend
Sukumar (Gautam Chakravarti). With the job
market flooded with thousands of hopefuls,
Somnath faces some absurd interviews. He gives
up his search after an interview in which he asked,
'what is the weight of the moon?' Later, he Somnath and Sukumar
encounters an older man, the street-smart
businessman, Bisuda (Utpal Dutta). On Bisuda's
advise, Somnath becomes a middleman, an order
supplier paid on commission. His father, an upright
middle-class man considers this business to be
disgraceful to the family reputation.
Somnath, soon, finds himself earning through petty
deals but he is ambitious and wants to grow his
enterprise. His friend Sukumar, however, has not
had much luck and now works as a taxi driver.
Somnath and Mr. Mitter

There is chance of Somnath landing up
with a big order but the client seems to be in
no hurry to sign the deal. An acquaintance,
Mr. Mitter, advises him to supply the client
with a prostitute to clinch the deal. After
much hesitation, he agrees.
They go in search of a prostitute. After
visiting two brothels, they finally find a girl.
She turns out to be his friend Sukumar's
sister. Somnath asks her to take the money
and leave, but she is a professional and Juthika and Somnath
would not take money with out earning it.
Somnath agrees and delivers her to his
client's room in a hotel.
He gets the contract but it does not bring
him any happiness. Finally, as he enters his
family house through a dark door, he is no
longer an innocent boy but a corrupt man
who has discovered the advantages of
corruption.
Somnath with his father

Comments
This is the final film of trilogy known as
the Calcutta Trilogy. The first two were
Pratidwandi (The Adversary, 1970) and
Seemabaddha (Company Limited, 1971). All
the three films study the effect the big city of
Calcutta has on the educated youth and the
price it extracts from them.
Ray told in an interview to Cineaste that the
only bleak film he had made was The Ray rehearses Utpal Dutt
Middleman. The film is about corruption of a
young man; from an idealistic individual to a
corrupt businessman who ends up offering
his best friend's sister to a client for a
business favor.
Superb performances by all the leading
actors.
Ray paints a wall-poster

What others say...
... few of Ray's films have
offered so wide a range of
quick, exact
characterizations.
- Penelope Houston
Film Poster by Ray

Awards
• Best Direction New Delhi, 1975
• Best Film, Direction, Screenplay, Government of
West Bengal, 1975
• Karlovy Vary Prize, 1976
BACK
Bala
1976, India. 33 min,
Documentary, Color
• Credits:
Producer:National Centre for
Performing Arts, Bombay
and Govt. of Tamil Nadu
Script, commentary and
direction:Satyajit Ray Bala
Cinematography:Soumendu
Roy
Editing:Dulal Dutta
Sound:S. P. Ramanathan, Sujit
Sarkar
Music:Satyajit Ray
Summary
The film is portrait of a
dancer of Bharata
Natyam,Balasaraswati.
Balasaraswathy
affectionately called
Bala was one of the
greatest exponents of Bala and her daughter with Satyajit Ray
Bharat Natyam.
BACK
Shatranj Ke Khilari (The Chess
Players)
• 1977, India. 113 min., Color, Urdu/Hindi and English (The Indian
characters speak in Urdu/Hindi while the British speak in English)
• Credits:
Producer:Devki Chitra Productions (Suresh Jindal),
Screenplay & Direction:Satyajit Ray, Based on the short story:
'Shatranj Ke Khilari' by Munshi Premchand,
Dialogues:Satyajit Ray, Shama Zaidi, Javed Siddiqi,
Cinematography:Soumendu Roy,
Editing:Dulal Dutta,
Art Direction:Bansi Chandragupta & Ashoke Bose,
Sound:Narinder Singh, Samir Majumdar,
Music:Satyajit Ray,
Choreography:Birju Maharaj. Mirza Sajjad Ali & Mir
• Cast & Character: Roshan Ali
play Chess oblivious to
Mirza Sajjad Ali:Sanjeev Kumar their wives
Khurshid, Mirza's wife:Shabana Azmi and the world
Mir Roshan Ali:Saeed Jaffrey
Nafeesa, Mir's wife:Farida Jalal
Wajid Ali Shah, Nawab (king):Amjad Khan
Ali Naqi Khan, the prime minister:Victor Bannerjee
General Outram:Sir Richard Attenborough
Captain Weston:Tom Alter
Summary
It is 1856, the eve of the first
Indian struggle for independence (The
Mutiny of 1857). A British firm, "The East
India Company" rules much of India;
directly or indirectly through 'treaties of
friendship.'The kingdom of Avadh is under
such a treaty of friendship with the British
Company. Its ruler, Nawab Wajid Ali Shah
(Amjad Khan), is an indifferent ruler, who
prefers arts to the matters of state or
politics. He is a poet, composer, singer,
dancer and a choreographer. In reality, he
is merely a figurehead. The British
Company has allowed the landlords to
become fairly independent of the state.
The Company, in addition to collecting the Mirza Sajjad Ali (Sanjeev Kumar)
riches from the state, also takes a share and Mir Roshan Ali(Saeed Jaffrey)
of the taxes collected by the landlords. play Chess oblivious to their wives
and the world
The king's able Prime Minister, Ali Naqi
. Khan
(Victor Banerjee), is pained at the situation. But he
does not do anything drastic due to his respect and
loyalty to the king. Mirza Sajjad Ali (Sanjeev
Kumar) and Mir Roshan Ali (Saeed Jaffrey) are two
landlords living in the capital city of Lucknow. They
too are part of the same culture and live off
ancestral wealth and taxes collected from people.
They do nothing, and are addicted to the game of
chess. They play as per the ancient Indian rules of
the game, ignorant of a different kind of chess
played by the British; both literally and
metaphorically. Mirza's wife, Khurshid (Shabana
Azmi), feels neglected. Mirza no longer responds to
her feminine charms due to his obsession with Mirza's wife, Khurshid (Shabana
chess. Mir's wife, Nafeesa (Farida Jalal) too faces a Azmi) feels neglected
similar fate. But she has found solace in a wild love
affair with a young nephew. On discovering the
affair, Mir opts to ignore it rather than confront the
situation and disturb his routine of playing chess.
The British are strengthening their grip on
the country and are playing a bigger game of
chess. Lord Dalhousie, the Governor General,
sends General Outram (Sir Richard
Attenborough), the British Resident of
Lucknow, to take over Avadh under the pretext
of Nawab's misrule.
The king, Wajid Ali Shah faces a political
checkmate. He has only two options, either to
give up his throne or to fight a battle. He has
neither the will nor the means to fight the
British, for he has a tiny and ill equipped army.
The state has felt no need to maintain an army
as the Avadh is under a 'treaty of friendship'
with the British Company. Mirza's wife, Khurshid
Mir and Mirza learn about the British
Company's troops marching towards Lucknow.
Scared that they may be called to fight the
British forces, they run off to a remote village to
continue playing chess.
Fearing blood shedding of his
people in a hopelessly unequal
battle, the king opts to hand over the
kingdom to the British with out a
fight, singing to himself a Thumari
that he has composed –
(Roughly translated: As we leave

our beloved city of Lucknow, see
what we have to go through...)
For Mir and Mirza, the chess Mir's wife, Nafeesa find solace in a affair with a
continues even as the British troops young nephew
march into the city until they have a
fight over the game. Mir, who has
nearly shot Mirza and is ashamed of
his behavior, says, "We cannot even
cope with our wives, so how can we
cope with the company's army?" .
Comments
Shatranj Ke Khilari was Ray's most
expensive film boasting of stars from
western and Hindi cinema of
Bombay. It was reported to have
cost about two million rupees in
comparison of his earlier films that
were made under half a million
rupees. This, however, was still a
shoestring budget when compared
with the average budgets of the Nawab Wajid Ali Shah (Amjad Khan)
contemporary Hindi films of Bombay,
ranging from 4 to 10 million rupees. It
is also his one of the two non-
Bengali films; other being Sadgati
(Deliverance) also based on a short
story by Munshi Premchand.
While Munshi Premchand's story focuses
on the two chess players Mirza and Mir, Ray
expanded the story by elaborating the
characters of Wajid Ali Shah and General
Outram and adding a few more characters.
Ray was attracted to the story by the parallel
that Munshi Premchand draws between
chess games of Mir and Mirza, and the
crafty moves by the British to capture the
king.
The film has no heroes or villains. Like in
most of his films, he sympathizes with better
attributes of both the British and the King,
Wajid Ali Shah. General Outram is troubled
with the illegal means he must follow to take
over Avadh despite a treaty of friendship
with the kingdom. But he feels bound by his
duty to the British Empire. The King, Wajid
Ali Shah, is shown as an accomplished poet, Nawab Wajid Ali Shah (Amjad Khan)
musician and choreographer with no interest and his Prime Minister, Ali Naqi Khan
in political matters. He has relied on the (Victor Banerjee)
treaty of friendship with the British to pursue
the arts in stead of maintaining an army.
It is interesting to note that the film
was made during the darkest period of
modern Indian democracy when the
Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi declared
"Emergency" from 1975 to 1977, and
suppressed the fundamental rights for
her political survival. This was made
possible by her crafty moves and initial
noninvolvement by people; like Mir and
Mirza in the film.
All the lead players, Sanjeev Kumar Captain Weston (Tom Alter)
and General Outram (Sir Richard
(Mirza Sajjad Ali), Saeed Jaffrey (Mir Attenborough)
Roshan Ali), Amjad Khan (Wajid Ali
Shah, Nawab), Victor Banerjee (Ali
Naqi Khan, the Prime Minister) and Sir
Richard Attenborough (General
Outram) give their finest performances.
The non Bengali audience also gets
to appreciate Ray's dialogue writing
skills in a few scene that are in English,
though the Urdu dialogues that were
written by collaborators do not rise to
the same standards. A scene that takes
place between General Outram (Sir
Richard Attenborough) and Captain
Weston (Tom Alter) prompted V. S. General Outram (Sir Richard
Naipaul to comment, "It's like a Attenborough) meets Nawab
Wajid Ali Shah
Shakespeare scene. Only three
hundred words (actually over 500
words) are spoken but goodness! -
terrific things happen."
Awards
• Best Feature Film in Hindi, New Delhi, 1977
• Best Color Photography, New Delhi, 1977
BACK
Joi Baba Felunath (The Elephant
God)
• Credits:
Producer:R.D. Bansal & Co. (R. D. B. Productions)
Screenplay & Direction:Satyajit Ray, based on the novel: 'Joi Baba
Felunath' by Satyajit Ray
Editing:Dulal Dutta
Sound:Robin Sen Gupta
Music:Satyajit Ray
Pradosh Mitter, called Felu or Feluda:Soumitra Chatterjee Ambika Ghoshal and grandson
Lalmohan Ganguli, called Jotayu:Santosh Dutta
Tapesh Mitter, called Tapesh:Siddharta Chatterjee
Maganlal Meghraj:Utpal Dutta
Ruku Ghosal:Jit Bose
Umanath Ghosal:Haradhan Banerjee
Ambika Ghosal:Bimal Chatterjee
Bisash Sinha:Biplab Chatterjee
Nibaran Chakravarty:Satya Banerjee
Gunomoy Bagchi:Moloy Roy
Machli Baba:Manu Mukherjee
Arjun:Kamu Mukherjee
Inspector Tewari:Indubhusan Gujra
lSasi Pal:Santosh Sinha
Machli Baba
Awards
• Best Children's Film,

New Delhi, 1978
• Best Feature Film,
Hong Kong Film
Festival, 1979 Felu, Jotayu and others
BACK
Ray rehearses actors on the sets
Hirak Rajar Deshe (Kingdom of
Diamonds)
• Credits:
Original screenplay & Direction:Satyajit Ray
Editing:Dulal Dutta
Sound:Robin Sen Gupta, Durgadas Mitra
Music:Satyajit Ray
• Cast &Character:
Professor Udayan:Soumitra Chatterjee
King Hirak:Utpal Dutta
Goopy:Tapen Chatterjee
Bagha:Rabi Ghosh
King of Shundi, the inventor Gabesak:Santosh Dutta King of Shundi and Goopy
Udayan's father:Promod Ganguli
Udayan's mother:Alpana Gupta
Charandas:Rabin Majumdar
Fazl Mia:Sunil Sarkar
Balaram:Nani Ganguli
Bidusak:Ajoy Banerjee
Court poet:Kartik Chatterjee
Court astrologer:Harindhan Mukherjee
Ministers:Bimal Deb, Tarun Mitra, Gopal Dey, Sailen Ganguli,
Samir Mukherjee
Goopy and Bagha

Awards
• Best Music, Director, New Delhi, 1980

• Best Lyrics, New Delhi, 1980
• Special Award, Cyprus, 1984
BACK
Pikoo (Pikoo's Day)
• 1980, India. Short, 26 mins., Color
• Credits:
Producer:Henri Fraise (FR3)
Screenplay & Direction:Satyajit Ray, based on
the short story: 'Pikur Diary' by Satyajit Ray
Editing:Dulal Dutta
Pikoo, grandfather and Seema
Sound:Robin Sen Gupta
Music:Satyajit Ray
Pikoo:Arjun Guha Thakurta
Seema, Pikoo's mother:Aparna Sen
Ranjan:Soven Lahiri
Granfather Loknath:Promod Ganguli
Uncle Hitesh:Victor Banerjee
Comments
"Pikoo is a very complex film. It
is a poetic statement which cannot be
reduced to concrete terms. One statement
the film tries to make is that, if a woman is
to be unfaithful, if she is to have an
extramarital affair, she can't afford to have
soft emotions towards her children, or, in
this case, her son. The two just don't go
together. You have to be ruthless. Maybe
she's not ruthless to that extent. She's Pikoo
being very Bengali. A European in the
same circumstances would not behave in
the same way."
- Satyajit Ray, in an interview to Cineste
magazine
BACK
Sadgati (The Deliverance)
1981, India. 52 min, Color, In Hindi with subtitles.
• Credits:
Producer:Doordarshan, Govt. of India (Indian
National Television)
Screenplay & Direction:Satyajit Ray, based on the
short story: 'Sadgati' by Munshi Premchand
Editing:Dulal Dutta
Sound:Amulya Das Jhuria and Dukhi
Music:Satyajit Ray
Dukhi Chamar:Om Puri
Jhuria, Dukhi's wife:Smita Patil
Dhania, Dukhi's daughter:Richa Mishra
Ghashiram, the Brahmin:Mohan Agashe
Lakshmi, Ghashiram's wifeGita Siddharth
Summary
An untouchable Dukhi (an out-caste, played by Om
Puri) approaches the village Brahmin to request him to
set an auspicious date for his daughter's upcoming
wedding according to the Hindu astrology. The Brahmin
promises to perform the task in exchange of Dukhi
slaving over household chores in return.
Already ailing and weak due to a recent fever, Dukhi
agrees and begins with cleaning the Brahman's house
and stable. When he is asked to chop a huge block of
wood, Dukhi’s anger increases with each blow. Working
Ghashiram, the Brahmin looks
in scorching sun, hungry and malnourished, the he dies. over the corpse of Dukhi
The corpse lies close to the road used by the Brahmins to
go to the village well. The untouchables shun it for fear of
police investigation. What can be done with the corpse of
an untouchable that no one will touch?
Late in the evening, when no one looking, Brahmin ties a
noose around its ankle, slides it out of the city limits and
sprinkles holy water on the spot on the road to cleanse it
of the untouchable’s touch.
Jhuria
Awards
• Special Jury Award, New Delhi, 1981
BACK
Ghare-Baire (Home and the World)
• 1984, India. 140 min., Color, In Bengali with subtitles
• Credits:
Producer:NFDC, National Film Development Corporation
of India
Screenplay & Direction:Satyajit Ray, Based on the novel
"Ghare Baire" by Rabindranath Tagore
Editing:Dulal Dutta
Sound:Robin Sen Gupta, Jyoti Chatterjee, Anup Mukherjee Bimala
Music:Satyajit Ray
Sandip Mukherjee:Soumitra Chatterjee
Nikhilesh Choudhury (Nikhil):Victor Banerjee
Bimala Choudhury:Swatilekha Chatterjee
Headmaster:Manoj Mitra
Amulya:Indrapramit Roy
Kulada:Bimala Chatterjee
Miss Gilby, English governess:Jennifer Kapoor
Nikhil's sister-in-law:Gopa Aich Bimala and Nikhil
Summary
1905. Winter. Bengal, India. The period of British rule in
India. Following the 'divide-and-rule' policy, Lord Curzon
has decided to partition Bengal; one for Hindus and
another for Muslims. The people launch a nationalist
movement - Swadeshi, appealing for a boycott of foreign-
made goods. The movement is symbolised by public
burning of foreign-made goods, mainly the British textiles.
Bimala (Swatilekha Chatterjee) is the wife of a landlord-
king Nikhil (Victor Banerjee) who has had a Western
education in England and has liberal views. She is content
to live in seclusion of her inner apartments and has no
desire break the custom to explore the outside world.
Nikhil is the only man she has ever interacted with. She
met him first on their wedding day.
Nikhil wants her to come out of Purdah into the outside
world. They share a loving relationship, but he convinces
her that he will never know if she really loves him unless
she has opportunity to meet others and prefer him over
other men.
At his coaxing, she begins to take lessons from an
English governess, and takes the symbolic walk down the
corridor to the outside world for the first time.
Bimala and Sandip
Nikhil introduces her to his radical friend Sandip
(Soumitra Chatterjee). Sandip is a charismatic
nationalist leader, staying as a guest in the palace. He
is leading the boycott of foreign made goods, but his
ire seems to be directed against traders who sell
imported goods who are mostly Muslims.
Sandip overwhelms Bimala. He is a contrast to her
quiet, reasonable and passive husband. Sandip is
also a Parashite, borrowing money from Nikhil to Bimala
sustain his lavish life style while leading the Swadeshi
movement.
Soon it becomes apparent to Nikhil that the two of
them are in love. Bimala even takes her husband's
money to finance Sandip's taste for the first-class
travel. And all this time Nikhil stands-by, letting
Sandip stay in his palace. He does nothing even
though he is opposed to Sandip's ideas, being aware
that the traders in foreign goods are mostly poor
Muslims and the boycott will further divide the two
communities... For, Bimala has to find out the duplicity
of Sandip's motives and behaviour by herself.
Sandip, Bimala and Nikil
Comments
Ghare-Baire is adapted from a Rabindranath
Tagore novel by the same title. The novel is based on
Tagore's own experiences as a Swadeshi leader.
During this period, Tagore composed many songs for
the cause. Sandip sings one such song in the
film.Central to the film is the changing character of
Bimala. She moves from total seclusion to acting
recklessly with courage. Like in Charulata (The Lonely
Wife, 1964), Ray explores the emergence of the
modern woman by moving away from the traditional
expectations. Nikhil introduces Bimala
In comparison with Charulata, though, Ghare-Baire to western kiss
lacks the cinematic poetry. It is very verbal instead.
And yet these lengthy scenes of conversations
generate a spark.
Sandip, the radical leader, is played by Soumitra
Chatterjee, a Ray regular, and the husband Nikhil
played by Victor Banerjee (Prime Minister in Ray's
Satranj Ke Khilari; Dr. Aziz in David Lean's "A
Passage to India. ").
What others say...
... the main

characters talk, and the
camera just stays on them
and waits until they finish, Ray with Soumitra Chatterjee
yet these conversations in & Swatilekha Chatterjee
golden light and shadows

have their own kind of
voltage."
- Pauline Kael
Sandip Ray puts finishing touches to

the set as Soumitra Chatterjee looks on
Awards
• Best Bengali Film, New Delhi, 1984
• Best Costume design, New Delhi, 1984
BACK
Sukumar Ray
• 1987, India. Documentary, 30 min, Color
• Credits:
Narration:Soumitra Chatterjee
Cinematography:Barun Raha
Editing:Dulal Dutta
Sound:Sujit Sarkar
Music:Satyajit Ray Sukumar Ray
• Cast:
Soumitra Chatterjee,
Utpal Dutt,
Santosh Dutt,
Tapen Chatterjee
Summary
The film presents the life
and work of the writer
Sukumar Ray, Satyajit
Ray's father. Ray made this
film as a tribute to celebrate
the centenary of his birth.
The film comprises still
photographs and readings
from Sukumar Ray's
writings.
Sketches by Sukumar Ray

Comments
Sukumar Ray (1887-1923), the eldest son of Upendra Kishore,
studied printing technology in England and joined the family
business. He was an eminent poet, writer and illustrator of
nonsense literature in the tradition of Lewis Carroll and Edward
Lear.
Sukumar Ray fell ill the year Satyajit Ray was born with a
dreaded tropical disease of the time - Kala-azar. He regularly
contributed poems, stories and illustrations to 'Sandesh', a
children's magazine in Bengali which Satyajit Ray's grandfather
had started publishing and printing.
BACK
Ganashatru (Enemy of the
People)
• 1989, India. 100 min., Color, In Bengali with
subtitles.
• Credits:
Producer:NFDC, National Film Development
Corporation of India
Screenplay & Direction:Satyajit Ray; Adapted
from the play: 'An Enemy of the People' by
Henrik Ibsen.
Editing:Dulal Dutta
Sound:Sujit Sarkar
Music:Satyajit Ray Indrani and Maya
Dr. Ashoke Gupta:Soumitra Chatterjee
Maya, Dr. Gupta's wife:Ruma Guha Thakurta
Indrani, Dr. Gupta's daughter:Mamata Shankar
Nisith:Dhritiman Chatterjee
Haridas Bagchi:Dipankar Dey
Biresh:Subhendu Chatterjee
Adhir:Manoj Mitra
Summary
The film is an adaptation of a play by Henrik
Ibsen: An Enemy of the People.It is set in a small
town in Bengal. Dr. Ashoke Gupta (Soumitra
Chatterjee) is the head of a town hospital.
Gupta's younger brother, Nisith (Dhritiman
Chatterjee), is the head of the committees
running the hospital and a temple. Both were built
by a local Industrialist. The temple is also a big
tourist attraction.
Dr. Gupta is convinced that the holy water of the
temple is contaminated due to faulty pipe-laying.
It is causing an epidemic in the town. He warns
his brother Nisith.
Dr. Gupta and family
Nisith, the Industrialist and other town officials
reject the idea that holy water might be the cause
of the epidemic. They refuse to close the temple
to carry out the repairs.
Dr. Gupta wants to write an article in the
newspaper to warn people, but giving-in to the
pressure from the powerful people, the editor
refuses to publish it.
Left with no alternative, Dr. Gupta organises a
public meeting that is also sabotaged. And Dr.
Gupta is proclaimed an enemy of the people. Shooting of Ganashatru
Comments
Due to his medical condition after a heart-
attack during making of Ghare-Baire, Satyajit
Ray was told by the doctors not to do any
location work. He was forced make a film totally
in studio. For this, he thought a play would be
more suitable rather than a story or a novel.
Unfortunately, this constraint of shooting only in
studio does mar the film as a whole. Ironically,
when he began making films, Ray himself had
said that he wanted to remove "the last trace of
theatricality" from his work. In fact, Pather
Panchali was so refreshingly fresh due to its Nitish and Dr. Gupta
location sequences.
Having said that, Ganashatru has its merits. As
Ray commented in an interview with Andrew
Robinson, his biographer:
"I found that for once one could play with
human faces and human reactions, rather than
landscapes, Nature in its moods, which I have
done a lot in my films. Here I think it is the
human face, the human character which is
predominant."
Satyajit Ray, on the
sets of Ganashatru.
This is true of not only
Ganashatru but also Shakha
Prashakha (Branches of the Tree)
and Agantuk (The Stranger).
Soumitra Chatterjee, the young
romantic Apu of Apur Sansar, now
much matured and many more lines
on his face, plays Dr. Gupta. As
always, a superb performance. Soumitra Chatterjee (Dr. Gupta) on the sets
Ruma Guha and Mamata Shankar,
as Dr. Gupta's supportive wife and
daughter, also give commendable
performances.
Satyajit Ray,on the Sets of Ganashatru.

What others say...
Its message, about the perils of

greed, religious fanaticism, and
environmental pollution, may be
topical, but the film is too static to
have total impact. Still, there are
enough flashes of Ray's
brilliance to make it worthwhile. Mamata Shankar (Indrani)
on the sets
- Leonard Maltin
Awards
BACK
Shakha Proshakha (Branches of
the Tree)
• Credits:
Producer:Satyajit Ray Productions, Gerard Depardieu (D.
D. Productions), Daniel Toscan Du Plantier (Erato Films)
and Soprofilms
Original Screenplay & Direction:Satyajit Ray
Editing:Dulal Dutta
Art Direction:Ashoke Bose Proshanto and Ananda Majumder
Sound:Pierre Lenoir, Sujit Sarkar, Jyoti Chatterjee
Music:Satyajit Ray, Bach, Beethoven
Ananda Majumder:Ajit Bannerjee
Probodh, the eldest son:Haradhan Bannerjee
Proshanto, the second son:Soumitra Chatterjee
Probir, the third son:Deepankar Dey
Protap, the fourth son:Ranjit Mullik
Uma, Probodh's wife: Lily Chakravarty
Tapti, Probir's wife:Mamata Shankar
BACK Tapti and Probir

Agantuk (The Stranger)
• 1991, India. 120 min., Color, In Bengali with subtitles
• Credits:
Producer:National Film Development Corporation of India
Screenplay & Direction:Satyajit Ray, Based on the short story:
'Atithi' by Satyajit Ray
Editing:Dulal Dutta
Sound:Sujit Sarkar
Music:Satyajit Ray
Songs:S. Banerjee Manomohan Mitra and Anila
Distributed on video:First Run Features
Manomohan Mitra:Utpal Dutt
Anila Bose:Mamata Shankar
Subindra Bose:Deepankar De
Ranjan Rakshit:Rabi Ghosh
Chanda Rakshit:Subrata Chatterjee
Prithwish Sen Gupt, the lawyer:Dhritiman Chatterjee
Satyaji:Bikram Bannerjee
Tridib Mukherjee:Promod Ganguli
Sital Sarkar:Ajit Banerjee
SUMMARY
Anila receives a letter from a man who claims to be her
uncle. This uncle had disappeared 35 years ago. He is a
stranger to the family and had been given up for dead. He
has written to her about his desire to spend a few days with
her. He arrives and stays over...The uncle claims to be an
anthropologist. He has traveled through out the world. He
claims to have visited the European continent, then the
U.S. where he lived with the native Americans and wrote a
book, "An Indian Among Indians". Later he went to South
America where he spent time with the indigenous people.
He now claims to be on his way to Australia to stay with the
Aborigines.
Anila's son and Manomohan Mitra
Anila's husband is suspicious of the stranger. Driven by his
suspicions, the family suspects that he might be an
impostor who has come to claim the inheritance. So various
kinds of tests are devised to find out the truth. The husband
invites a lawyer friend to probe him. The uncle shows legal
acumen when questioned by the lawyer...
The Anila's little son accepts the uncle from the beginning.
Anila also gradually comes to accept him, but her husband
can not understand this mysterious visitor. The uncle
leaves as unexpectedly as he arrived, leaving some
insightful observations...
Comments
This was the last film by Satyajit Ray. The
film is based on a short story he wrote many
years before the making of the film. The
comments by the uncle question the urban
values... In a reply to a question posed by a
probing friend of the husband - "What about
cannibalism? Have you yourself had human
flesh? Is this not the most barbaric, savage,
uncivilized practice?", the uncle says, "No, I
have not eaten human flesh, though I have
heard that it has a certain taste. Yes,
cannibalism is barbaric. But do you know
what is even more barbaric and uncivilized?
- The sight of homeless people and drug Anila's husband and Anila
addicts in a city like New York. The ability of
one civilization to vanquish others by the
mere push of a button. That is a hundred
times more barbaric!"
Though not among Ray's best, the film
displays the master's command over the
medium. The scenes of the uncle being
interrogated by various characters present a
rare insight into the urban values.
What others say...
"Nothing, it seems, can take away the
old fire. Ray's eye for detail and the old
magic of his genius can't let go of The
Stranger, a tour-de-force. The camera is
wielded like a conductor's baton as it
strikes chords deep in the mind."
- London Times
"A graceful comedy made in a serene, Anila, her husband and son observe the stranger
classical style... we can still hear in its
message the voice of a great artist!"
- The New Yorker
"a gentle, exquisitely realized comedy,
beautifully observed, sweet and
enriching!"
- Vincent Canby, New York Times
"One of Satyajit Ray's best." - John Hartl,
Seattle Times
Film publicity poster designed by Ray

Awards
• FIPRESCI Award, Venice, 1991

• Best Film, New Delhi, 1991
• Best Director, New Delhi, 1991
BACK
Films with Contributions by Satyajit
Ray
• As Screenplay writer and Composer:
Baksa Badal (feature), Director - Nityananda
Dutta
Phatikchand (feature), Director - Sandip Ray
Satyajit Ray Presents (13 shorts for TV,
Stories by Satyajit Ray), Director - Sandip Ray
Satyajit Ray Presents 2 (a TV series based on
2 long stories and a Feluda novel by Satyajit
Ray), Director - Sandip Ray.
• As Composer:
Shakespeare Wallah (feature), Director –
James Ivory
• As Screenplay Writer:
Uttaran (Broken Journey) Director - Sandip Ray
Target (1995): a feature directed by – Sandip

Ray
Goopy bagha fira alo: Director - Sandip Ray
MAIN
AWARDS
• AWARDS FOR FILMS
• AWARDS FOR RAY
MAIN
AWARDS FOR FILMS
Pather Panchali (Song of the Little Road), 1955
• President's Gold & Silver Medals, New Delhi, 1955
• Best Human Document, Cannes 1956
• Diploma Of Merit, Edinbugh, 1956
• Vatican Award, Rome, 1956
• Golden Carbao, Manila, 1956
• Best Film and Direction, San Francisco, 1957
• Best Film, Vancouver, 1958
• Critics' Award - Best Film, Stratford, (Canada), 1958
• Best Foreign Film, New York, 1959
• Kinema Jumpo Award: Best Foreign Film, Tokyo 1966
• Bodil Award: Best Non-European Film of the Year, Denmark, 1966
Aparajito (The Unvanquished), 1956
• Golden Lion of St. Mark, Venice, 1957
• Cinema Nuovo Award, Venice, 1957
• Critics Award, Venice, 1957
• FIPRESCI Award, London, 1957
• Best Film and Best Direction, San Francisco, 1958
• International Critic' Award, San Francisco, 1958
• Golden Laurel for Best Foreign Film of 1958-59, USA
• Bodil Award: Best Non-European Film of the Year,
Denmark, 1967
Jalsaghar (The Music Room), 1958
• Silver Medal for Music, Moscow, 1959
Apur Sansar (The World Of Apu), 1959
• Sutherland Award for Best Original And
Imaginative Film, London, 1960
• Diploma Of Merit, 14th International Film festival,
Edinburgh, 1960
• Best Foreign Film, National Board of Review of
Motion Pictures, USA, 1960
Apu Trilogy (Pather Panchali, 1955; Aparajito, 1956; Apur
Sansar, 1959)
• Wington Award for each film, London Festival, 1980
Devi (The Goddess), 1960
Teen Kanya (Three Daughters /Two Daughters), 1961
• President's Silver Medal, New Delhi, 1961 (for Samapti)
• Golden Boomerang, Melbourne, 1962 (for the Two
Daughters)
• Selznik Golden Laurel Award, Berlin, 1963
Rabindranath Tagore
(Documentary film), 1961
• President's Gold Medal, New
Delhi, 1961
• Golden Seal, Locarno, 1961
• Special Mention, Montevideo,
1962
Abhijan (The Expedition), 1962
• President's Silver Medal, New
Delhi, 1962
Mahanagar (The Big City), 1963
• Certificate of Merit, New Delhi,
1964
• Silver Bear For Best Direction,
Berlin, 1964
Charulata (The Lonely Wife), 1964
• Silver Bear For Best Direction, Berlin, 1965
• Catholic Award, Berlin, 1965
• Best Film, Acapulco, 1965
Nayak (The Hero), 1966
• Critics' Prize (Unicrit award), Berlin, 1966
• Special Jury Award, Berlin, 1966
Chiryakhana (The Zoo), 1967
Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne (The Adventures of Goopy and Bagha),
1968
• Award for Best Direction, New Delhi, 1968
• Silver Cross, Adelaide, 1969
• Best Director, Auckland, 1969
• Merit Award, Tokyo, 1970
• Best Film, Melbourne, 1970
Pratidwandi (The Adversary) 1970
Seemabaddha (Company Limited), 1971
• PIPRESCI Award, Venice, 1972
The Inner Eye, 1972
Asani Sanket (Distant Thunder), 1973
• Presidents Gold Medal for Music Direction, New Delhi, 1973
Sonar Kella (The Golden Fortress), 1974
• President's Silver Medal, Best Screenplay, Direction, New Delhi,
1974
• Best Film, Direction and Screenplay, Government of West Bengal,
1974
• Best Feature Film for Children and Young Adults, Tehran, 1975
The Inner Eye, 1972
Asani Sanket (Distant Thunder), 1973
• Presidents Gold Medal for Music Direction, New Delhi, 1973
Sonar Kella (The Golden Fortress), 1974
• President's Silver Medal, Best Screenplay, Direction, New Delhi,
1974
• Best Film, Direction and Screenplay, Government of West Bengal,
1974
• Best Feature Film for Children and Young Adults, Tehran, 1975
Jana Aranya (The Middleman), 1975
• Best Direction, New Delhi, 1975
• Best Film, Direction, Screenplay, Government of West
Bengal, 1975
Shatranj Ke Khilari (The Chess Players), 1977
Joi Baba Felunath (The Elephant God), 1978
• Best Children's Film, New Delhi, 1978
• Best Feature Film, Hong Kong Film Festival, 1979
Hirak Rajar Deshe (The Kingdom of Diamonds), 1980
Sadgati (Deliverance), 1981
Ghare-Baire (The Home and the World), 1984
Ganashatru (An Enemy of the People), 1989
Agantuk (The Stranger), 1991
BACK
Awards for Satyajit Ray
Abhijan (The Expedition)
Aparajito (The Unvanquished)
• GoIden Lion of St Mark, Cinema Nuovo and Critics' Award, Venice, 1957
FIPRESCI Award, London, 1957
Critics' Award for Best Film and Direction, San Francisco, 1958
Golden Laurel for Best Foreign Film 1958-9 USA
Selznick Golden Laurel, Berlin, 1960
Best Non-European Film, Denmark, 1967
Apur Sansar (The World of Apu)
• Gold Medal, New Delhi, 1959
Sutherland Award for Best Original and Imaginative Film, London Film, 1960
Diploma of Merit, XIV International Festival, Edinburgh, 1960
Best Foreign Film of 1960, National Board of Review of Motion Pictures, USA
Ashani Sanket (Distant Thunder)
• For Music and Direction, President's Gold Medal, New Delhi, 1972.
Golden Bear, Berlin, 1973
Golden Hugo, Chicago, 1974
Charulata (The Lonely wife)
Silver Bear for Best Direction, Berlin, 1965
Catholic Award, Berlin, 1965 Best Film, Acapulco, 1965
Chiria Khana (The Zoo)
Devi (The Goddess)
Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne (The Adventures of Goopy and Bagha)
Silver Cross Award, Best Direction and Originality, Adelaide and Auckland,
1969
Merit Award, Tokyo, 1970
Best Film, Melbourne, 1970
The Inner Eye
• Prime Minister's Gold Medal, New Delhi, 1974
Jalsaghar (The Music Room)
Silver Medal for Music, Moscow, 1959
Jana Aranya (The Middle Man)
Best Film, Direction, Screenplay, West Bengal
Government, 1975
Karlovy Vary Prize, 1976
Joi Baba Felunath (The Elephant God)
Mahanagar (The Big City)
• Certificate of Merit, New Delhi, 1964
Silver Bear for Best Direction, Berlin, 1964
Nayak (The Hero)
Critics' Prize and Special Jury Award, Berlin, 1966
Pather Panchali (Song of the Little Road)
Best Human Document, Cannes, 1956
Diploma of Merit, Edinburgh, 1956
Vatican Award, Rome, 1956
Golden Carbao, Manila, 1956
Best Film and Direction, San Francisco, 1957
Selznick Golden Laurel, Berlin, 1957
Best Film, Vancouver, 1958
Critics' Award, Stafford, 1958
Best Foreign Film of 1959, Afro Arts Theater, New York
Best Foreign Film, Tokyo, 1966
Best Non-European Film, Denmark, 1966
Pratidwandi (The Adversary)
President's Silver Medal, New Delhi, 1971
Rabindranath Tagore
• President's Gold Medal , New Delhi, 1961
Golden Seal, Locarno, 1961
Seemabaddha (Company Limited)
Shatranj ke Khiladi (The Chess Players)
Sonar Kella (The Golden Fortress)
• President's Silver Medal, New Delhi 1974
Best Direction, and Screen Play, West Bengal Govemment, 1974
Best Feature Film for Children and Young Adults, Teheran, 1975
Jana Aranya (The Middleman), 1975
• Best Film, Direction, Screenplay, Government of West Bengal, 1975
Shatranj Ke Khilari (The Chess Players), 1977
Joi Baba Felunath (The Elephant God), 1978
• Best Feature Film, Hong Kong Film Festival, 1979
Hirak Rajar Deshe (The Kingdom of Diamonds), 1980
Sadgati (Deliverance), 1981
Ghare-Baire (The Home and the World), 1984
Ganashatru (An Enemy of the People), 1989
Agantuk (The Stranger), 1991
• FIPRESCI Award, Venice, 1991
• Best Film, New Delhi, 1991
• Best Director, New Delhi, 1991
Teen Kanya (Three
Daughters) 1961
• President's Silver Medal,
New Delhi, 1961
(Samapti)
Golden Boomerang,
Melbourne, 1962
Selznick Golden Laurel
Award, Berlin, 1963
(Samapti and The
Postmaster) Ray accepting his Oscar for the Honorary Lifetime
Achievement Award in a Kolkata hospital.
BACK
HIS INTERESTS
• In his Radio talk in 1970 on ‘what Beethoven means to me’, he
made a very profound comparison between Western Classical
music and filmmaking. He said “I have always believed that a
filmmaker is greatly helped by a knowledge of Western Classical
Music. I say Western and I say classical, because I am thinking here
of music that is not improvised but exists for all time in the shape in
which it has been conceived. This happens in cinema too. Both exist
in time, both have their rhythms, both their variations of moods and
pace and accent. I knew music before I knew the cinema and the
first piece of Western Classical I got to know and love was
Beethoven’s. I can therefore say with complete honesty that I owe
an immeasureable debt of gratitude to Beethoven. He drove me to
the study of miniature scores, which opened for me the complex and
wonderful world of orchestration. This was the basic for my eventual
work as composer of functional music for my films.”
MAIN
WRITER RAY
This is no longer unknown that the
main creative field of satyajit ray was
cinema. In this field his creations are
world class & unforgettable. But when
that man become superior in the field of
literature, It amazes us. He came from a
family which was already a devote in
bengali literature.
In 1941,he wrote two short stories
“abstraction” & “Shades of gray”. Those
were in english.But he started writing
bengali literature for “Sandesh”, a
magazine for children which was
founded by his grandfather
Upendrakishore Roy Choudhury &
refounded by him.In “sandesh” most of
his memorable works published. He
created characters like ‘feluda’, ‘prof.
shanku’,’tarinikhuro’ which are loved by
eight to eighty of not only bengal but
also in the whole world.
In fact , he started his literary
carrier at age of 41 ,like
parashuram.
Beside of writing ‘feluda’ &
‘shanku’ stories he wrote
numerous short stories. His
articles on films & scripts of his
own films are also very much
revered by film appreciators.
MAIN
HIS CREATIONS ON THE FIELD
OF LITERATURE
• PROF. SHANKU
• FELUDA
• ARTICLES OR SCRIPTS
• OTHER STORIES
BACK
PROF. SHANKU
The first story of Prof. Shanku “Byomjatrir
diary” published in the pages of “Sandesh”. Year
1961 . That was the start. Right from the
beginning Prof Shanku won the hearts of million
teenagers & made a permanent place in bengali
science fiction.
This scientist & inventer Shanku is genuine
bengali. He lived in giridi.He was the prof. of
Scotish church college in Calcutta. In numerous
fierce expedditions he was fearless, but self-
forgetful. He was a well knowned character in
international field of science. He was honoured
by “Swedish Academy of Science”. Like his way
of inventions, the names of invented things are
peculiar. Like anaelene (a pistol which can
vanish any animal) , Miracule(a medicine which
can cure any disease), Narvigare (it is also a
medicine to calm nerve quickly), linguagraph(it
can translate any language in english),
Mangorange(a fruit with the taste of mango &
organge).
BOOK COVERS OF PROF. SHANKU

All stories of prof. Shanku has wrote in
form of diary where he narrate his stories
himself. The chief characteristics of these
stories is a complete amalgamation of
fantasy & thrill for which it is still a
bestseller. With of course the imaginative
power, brilliancy of conception & powerful
ability of Satyajit Ray. Till 1992, 38 complete
& 2incomplete diary of Prof. Shanku
founded. Few famous stories of Prof
Shanku is “EKSRINGHA ABHIJAN”, “MORU
RAHASA”, “PROF. SANKUR SUBARNA
SUJOG ”,”COMPU” ,”SARNAPORNI”.
Satyajit ray got Academy award for the

book “Prof. Shanku” As the best juvenile
literature in 1965.
BACK
FELUDA
“Sandesh” published first two
stories of feluda.”Feludar
Goandagiri” & “Badshahi Angti”.
Year 1965. After byomkesh bokshi
& parashar barma bengali thriller
readers found another detective
character who is completely
different from the above two.
Prodosh C. Mitter. Well known as
Feluda.
Many people say that, feluda is
more like his creator Satyajit
Ray.Like his creator feluda has tall
height, sharp observation power,
huge knowledge in various
subjects & last but not least love
for bengali tradition.
All adventure of feluda is written by
his cousin “Topshe”. He also takes a
important part in the adventures.From
“Sonar Kella” Lalmohan ganguly also
takes a huge part in their expedition on
various places in india & outside india.
Few people thinks that “Lal mohan
ganguly” is the best creation of satyajit
ray in the detective stories in bengali.
The main attraction of feluda stories is
a beautiful style of story telling. The
whole story is told in very cinematic
manner. The language of this stories is
fluent like real life language. That’s
why it is still popular among the all
ages. In a word feluda is a wonder ful
creation Satyajit Ray. It can be said
that feluda’s comparison is feluda
itself.
From 1965 to 1992, 35
complete & 2 incomplete stories of
feluda was published in
“Sandesh”. Few popular stories of
feluda are “Badshahi
Angti”,”Londona feluda”,”Tintorator
Jishu”,”Sonar Kella”,”Joy baba
felunath”.The list is endless.
“SONAR KELLA” & “JOY BABA
FELUNATH” is filmed by ray
himself. After that feluda has
taken the looks of actor soumitra
Chatterjee. At last, in Lalmohan
babu’s word feluda is A.B.C.D.
“Asia’s Brightest Crime Detector ”
BACK
ARTICLES OR SCRIPTS
The main field of ray was film making. So it is
almost expected director ray will be appear on the
pens of writer ray. Besides being a successful
author of fictions, he wrote many articles on films.
The book ‘OUR FILMS THEIR FILMS’ is composion
of those. On those articles he made some useful
statement about his vision towards Indian films,
Hollywood, European films, & Soviet films. Names
of some legendary directors like ‘Ja Renoa’,’Di
sicca’,’Kurosoa’,’Billy wilder(his all time favorite
director)’ comes very fluently on those articles. Any
young film-maker caan learn some useful objects
from them. On the other hand he described his
struggle & different experience during making of
‘Pather Panchali’, ‘Aparajito’& ‘Apur sonsar’ in the
book ‘MY YEARS WITH APU’ which can inspire
any person who is attached or wants to attach with
film futernity.
Like his stories & articles his scripts has been read
by many of his film lovers. Some of his scripts was
published by a monthly magazine called ‘AKHON’.
But till date there is no composition of his scripts
yet.
FEW COMMENTS OF RAY
• “It was the most exciting period. I had discovered a New World. When I watched a film I was no
longer interested in what the stars were doing, but was also observing how the camera was being
deployed, when the cuts came, how the narrative unfolded, what were the characteristics that
distinguished the work of one director from another.”
- Satyajit Ray in 'My Years with Apu', about his developing interest in Cinema in college
• “All through my stay in London, the lessons of Bicycle Thieves and neo-realist cinema stayed
with me.”
- Satyajit Ray, in Our Films, Their Films
• … What Indian cinema needs today is not more gloss (unlike Hollywood films), but more
imagination, more integrity, and more intelligent appreciation of the limitations of the medium...
The raw material of cinema is life itself. It is incredible that a country which has inspired so much
painting and music and poetry should fail to move the film maker. He has only to keep his eyes
open, and his ears. Let him do so.
-Satyajit Ray, 1948

What is wrong with the Indian films, published in the Statesman, an English daily.
BACK
OTHERS STORIES
Besides the Feluda & Shanku stories
Satyajit Ray wrote numerous short stories
for sandesh. These have a different taste &
a different reflection of ray’s talent &
intellectualism. He also wrote two Novel.
“Fatik Chand” & “Master Anshuman” .
According to critics in ray’s short stories we
can’t find the typical daily problems. But we
found the invitation of space, call of the wild,
challenge of ocean.
Few of his popular stories is
“KHAGAM”, “FRITS”, “PATALBABU
FILMSTAR”, “BANKUBABUR BANDHU”,
“SUJAN HARBOLA”, “NIL ATANKO”,
“ATITHI” etc. His another creation is “Tarini
Khuro” which is also a popular character.
These stories are found in books like
“GALPO EKSHO EK”, “EK DAJAN
GOPPO”,”ARO EK DAJAN”,”EKER PITHA
DOE” etc. His created short stories are as
memorable as Feluda & Shanku stories.
TRANSLATION BY RAY
Ray also translate some of
his favorite stories in bengali.
Like Arthur Konan Doell’s “THE
TERROR OF BLUE JONE
GAP”,”THE BRAZILIAN CAT”,
“THE JEW’S BREASTPLATE”;
Ray Bradberry’s “MARS IS
HEAVEN”; Arthur c. Clarks
“THE NINE BILLION NAMES
OF GOD” etc. He also
translates his bengali stories in
english.
BACK
THE END
In 23 April 1992, at the age of 71, Satyajit
Ray died on the Belleview nursing home of
calcutta. It is the end of an era. Although he is
immortal by his works but whole of the world still
thinks in tears that for a man of ray caliber an
age of 71 is not enough.
MAIN
BIBLIOGRAPHY & REFERENCES
• www.satyajitray.org
• www.satyajitray.com
THANK YOU

The Great Master Satyajit Ray

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The Great Master Satyajit Ray

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What were Satyajit Ray's interests and influences growing up?

What were Satyajit Ray's interests and influences growing up?

What were some of Satyajit Ray's notable films and contributions?

What were some of Satyajit Ray's notable films and contributions?

A PRESENTATION ON

Boy Satyajit Ray

On 27 October 1952, he set out to take the first

The following Sunday when they returned to shoot,

The cast was a mix of professional actors

Chunibala Devi, an 80-year old, retired

Pather Panchali was to be shot in sequence as Ray had realized

The shooting began in the village. Ray recalls this period

Ray was back to work at Kaymer. The footage was later

In the autumn of 1954, Monroe Wheeler, a director of Museum of

The first film by the masterly Satyajit

• President's Gold & Silver Medals, New

Apu and Nanda Babu

Sarbajaya and Apu

A sketch of Headmaster by Ray

• Golden Lion of St. Mark, Venice, 1957

Like all great filmmakers, Ray belonged to the world as

Apu and Aparna arrive in Calcutta

Aparna and Apu in Calcutta

• President's Gold Medal, New Delhi, 1959

Ray's feeling for the

• President's Gold Medal, New Delhi, 1961

"The Postmaster - a story of betrayal - is a

• President's Silver Medal, New Delhi, 1961 (for Samapti)

A map of locations by Ray

• President's Silver Medal, New Delhi, 1962

Amal and Charu

Amal and Charu

Kapurush, though the story is

"Kapurush reveals Ray at his very sharpest as

Aditi and Arindam

• Best Screenplay and Story, New Delhi, 1967

Goopy and Bagha perfom

• Special Award, New Delhi, 1971

• President's Gold Medal, New Delhi, 1972

that guides his fingers to

"... full of feeling and astonishingly

Sonar Kella is a bewitching comedy-thriller for

Bisu, Adok and Somnath

Somnath and Mr. Mitter

Somnath with his father

Ray paints a wall-poster

Film Poster by Ray

(Roughly translated: As we leave

• Best Children's Film,

Goopy and Bagha

• Best Music, Director, New Delhi, 1980

... the main

yet these conversations in & Swatilekha Chatterjee

golden light and shadows

Sandip Ray puts finishing touches to

Sketches by Sukumar Ray

Satyajit Ray,on the Sets of Ganashatru.

Its message, about the perils of

• Best Bengali Film, New Delhi, 1989