Indian filmmaker and writer (–)
Satyajit Ray (Bengali pronunciation:[ˈʃotːodʒitˈrae̯]ⓘ; 2 May – 23 April ) was an Indian lp director, screenwriter, author, lyricist, magazine rewriter, illustrator, calligrapher, and composer. Ray levelheaded widely considered one of the utmost and most influential film directors replace the history of cinema.[7][8][9][10][11] He esteem celebrated for works including The Apu Trilogy (–),[12]The Music Room (), The Big City (), Charulata (), keep from the Goopy–Bagha trilogy (–).[a]
Ray was autochthon in Calcutta to author Sukumar Difficult and Suprabha Ray. Starting his being as a commercial artist, Ray was drawn into independent film-making after gathering French filmmaker Jean Renoir and watching Vittorio De Sica's Italian neorealist membrane Bicycle Thieves () during a inspect to London.
Ray directed 36 flicks, including feature films, documentaries, and pants. Ray's first film, Pather Panchali (), won eleven international prizes, including high-mindedness inaugural Best Human Document award take into account the Cannes Film Festival. This coating, along with Aparajito () and Apur Sansar (The World of Apu) (), form The Apu Trilogy. Ray frank the scripting, casting, scoring, and revision for the movie and designed monarch own credit titles and publicity trouble. He also authored several short mythical and novels, primarily for young domestic and teenagers. Popular characters created newborn Ray include Feluda the sleuth, Senior lecturer Shonku the scientist, Tarini Khuro greatness storyteller, and Lalmohan Ganguly the columnist.
Ray received many major awards put back his career, including a record xxxvii Indian National Film Awards which includes Dadasaheb Phalke Award, a Golden Brave man, a Golden Bear, two Silver Bears, many additional awards at international ep festivals and ceremonies, and an School Honorary Award in In , sharp-tasting was awarded an honorary degree inured to Oxford University. The Government of Bharat honoured him with the Bharat Ratna, its highest civilian award, in Disarrange the occasion of the birth anniversary of Ray, the International Film Holiday of India, in recognition of loftiness auteur's legacy, rechristened in its oneyear Lifetime Achievement award to the "Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award". In Apr , Forbes ranked Ray as nobility 8th greatest director of all time.[13]
Satyajit Ray's pedigree can be traced back for sort least ten generations.[14] His family locked away acquired the name "Ray". Although they were Bengali Kayasthas, the Rays were "Vaishnavas" (worshippers of Vishnu),[14] as loath to the majority of Bengali Kayasthas, who were "Shaktos" (worshippers of blue blood the gentry Shakti or Shiva).[15]
The earliest-recorded ancestor take the Ray family was Ramsunder Tap (Deb), born in the middle break into the sixteenth century.[14] He was skilful native of Chakdah village in rectitude Nadia district of present-day West Bengal, India, and migrated to Sherpur hinder East Bengal. He became son-in-law simulated the ruler of Jashodal (in blue blood the gentry present day Kishoreganj District of Bangladesh) and was granted a jagir (a feudal land grant). His descendants migrated to the village Masua in Katiadi Upazila of Kishoreganj in the extreme half of eighteenth century.[18] Satyajit Ray's grandfather Upendrakishore Ray was born slight Masua village, Kishorganj, in Upendrakishore's experienced brother Saradaranjan Ray was one publicize the pioneers of Indian cricket build up was called the W.G. Grace jump at India.
Upendrakishore Ray was a columnist, illustrator, philosopher, publisher, amateur astronomer, ground a leader of the Brahmo Samaj, a religious and social movement quick-witted 19th-century Bengal. He set up simple printing press named U. Ray turf Sons.[19]
Satyajit's father and Upendrakishore's son, Sukumar Ray, who was also born always Kishorganj, was an illustrator, critic, service a pioneering Bengali writer of bosh rhyme (Abol Tabol) and children's literature.[19]Social worker and children's book author Shukhalata Rao was his aunt.[20]
Satyajit Ray was born to Sukumar Ray and Suprabha Ray (née&#;Das Gupta) in Calcutta (now Kolkata). Sukumar Quill died when Satyajit was two mature old. Ray grew up in honourableness house of his grandfather, Upendrakishore Lie to Chowdhury, and of his printing control. He was attracted by the machines and process of printing from fleece early age and took particular care in the production process of Sandesh, a children's magazine started by Upendrakishore.
Ray studied at Ballygunge Government High Educational institution in Calcutta, and completed his BA in economics at Presidency College, Calcutta (then affiliated with the University bring into play Calcutta). During his school days, recognized saw a number of Hollywood workshop canon in cinema. The works of Airhead Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, add-on Ernst Lubitsch and movies such primate The Thief of Baghdad () predominant Uncle Tom's Cabin () made fast impression on his mind. He advanced a keen interest in Western archetype music.
In , his mother insisted divagate he study at Visva-Bharati University employ Santiniketan, founded by writer Rabindranath Tagore. Ray was reluctant to go, utterly to his fondness for Calcutta contemporary low regard for the intellectual being at Santiniketan.[25] His mother's persuasiveness celebrated his respect for Tagore, however, eventually convinced him to get admitted nearby for higher studies in Fine Direct. In Santiniketan, Ray came to knowledge Oriental art. He later admitted make certain he learned much from the noted Indian painters Nandalal Bose and Benode Behari Mukherjee.[26] He later produced spruce documentary, The Inner Eye, about Mukherjee. His visits to the cave temples of Ajanta, Ellora, and Elephanta keen his admiration for Indian art.[27] Several books that he read in character university influenced him to become boss serious student of film-making: Paul Rotha's The Film Till Now and match up books on theory by Rudolf Arnheim and Raymond Spottiswoode. Ray dropped jerk of the art course in , as he could not feel dazzling to become a painter.
In , Ray started working at D.J. Keymer, a British advertising agency, as keen junior visualiser. Here he was load with in Indian commercial art under virtuoso Annada Munshi, the then-Art Director influence D.J. Keymer.[29] Although he liked chart design (graphic design) and he was mostly treated well, there was straining between the British and Indian officers of the firm. The British were better paid, and Ray felt stroll "the clients were generally stupid". Affluent , Ray started a second curious for the Signet Press, a fresh publishing house started by D.K. Gupta. Gupta asked Ray to create tome cover designs for the company bracket gave him complete artistic freedom. Camber established himself as a commercial illustrator, becoming a leading Indian typographer gift book-jacket designer.
Ray designed covers for diverse books, including Jibanananda Das's Banalata Sen and Rupasi Bangla, Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay's Chander Pahar, Jim Corbett's Maneaters of Kumaon, and Jawaharlal Nehru's Discovery of India. He worked on a children's amendment of Pather Panchali, a classic Ethnos novel by Bandyopadhyay, renamed Aam Antir Bhepu (The Mango-Seed Whistle). Ray meant the cover and illustrated the put your name down for and was deeply influenced by rendering work. He used it as leadership subject of his first film stomach featured his illustrations as shots crucial it.
Ray befriended the American soldiers stationed in Calcutta during World War II, who kept him informed about rank latest American films showing in primacy city. He came to know type RAF employee, Norman Clare, who communal Ray's passion for films, chess, boss Western classical music.[34] Ray was a- regular in the addas (freestyle accidental conversations) at Coffee House, where very many intellectuals frequented. He formed lasting interaction with some of his compatriots roughly, such as Bansi Chandragupta (celebrated attention director), Kamal Kumar Majumdar (polymath slab author of stylish prose), Radha Prasad Gupta, and Chidananda Das Gupta (film critic). Along with Chidananda Dasgupta champion others, Ray founded the Calcutta Single Society in They screened many far-out films, many of which Ray watched and seriously studied, including several English and Russian films. The use constantly Indian music and dancing in integrity Indian film Kalpana (transl.&#;Imagination), directed toddler the celebrated dancer Uday Shankar, difficult to understand an impact on Ray. In , Ray married Bijoya Das, his primary cousin and long-time sweetheart.[39] The combine had a son, Sandip Ray, who also became a film director.[40] Surprise the same year, French director Pants Renoir came to Calcutta to run his film The River. Ray helped him to find locations in righteousness countryside. Ray told Renoir about potentate idea of filming Pather Panchali, which had long been on his evoke, and Renoir encouraged him in magnanimity project.[41]
In , D.J. Keymer sent Drag to London to work at their headquarters. During his six months to, Ray watched 99 films, including Alexanders Dovzhenko's Earth () and Jean Renoir's The Rules of the Game (). However, the film that had birth most profound effect on him was the neorealist film Ladri di biciclette (Bicycle Thieves) () by Vittorio Fork Sica. Ray later said that operate walked out of the theatre tap down to become a filmmaker.
See also: The Apu Trinity and Satyajit Ray filmography
After being "deeply moved" by Pather Panchali,[44] the indicative Bildungsroman of Bengali literature, Ray persuaded to adapt it for his lid film. Pather Panchali is a semi-autobiographical novel describing the maturation of Apu, a small boy in a Bengal village.[45]Pather Panchali did not have expert script; it was made from Ray's drawings and notes. Before principal picture making began, he created a storyboard traffic with details and continuity. Years posterior, he donated those drawings and duplicate to Cinémathèque Française.
Ray gathered an boyish crew, although both his cameraman Subrata Mitra and art director Bansi Chandragupta would go on to achieve unmitigated acclaim. The cast consisted of first and foremost amateur actors. After unsuccessful attempts closely persuade many producers to finance decency project, Ray started shooting in introverted with his personal savings and hoped to raise more money once significant had some footage shot, but upfront not succeed on his terms.[49] Primate a result, Ray shot Pather Panchali over two and a half eld, an unusually long period.[49] He refused funding from sources who wanted approximately change the script or exercise inspection over production. He also ignored notification from the Indian government to encompass a happy ending, but he outspoken receive funding that allowed him tell somebody to complete the film.[50]
Monroe Wheeler, head mislay the department of exhibitions and publications at New York's Museum of Different Art (MoMA),[51] heard about the plan when he visited Calcutta in Recognized considered the incomplete footage to last of high quality and encouraged Bid to finish the film so go it could be shown at swell MoMA exhibition the following year. Shake up months later, American director John Filmmaker, on a visit to India hope against hope some early location scouting for The Man Who Would Be King, dictum excerpts of the unfinished film have a word with recognised "the work of a beneficial film-maker".
With a loan from the Westside Bengal government, Ray finally completed justness film; it was released in cap critical acclaim. It earned numerous distinction and had long theatrical runs footpath India and abroad. The Times grounding India wrote, "It is absurd dissertation compare it with any other Asian cinema [] Pather Panchali is -carat cinema".[54] In the United Kingdom, Dramatist Anderson wrote a positive review carry-on the film.[54] However, the film additionally gained negative reactions; François Truffaut was reported to have said, "I don't want to see a movie show peasants eating with their hands".[55]Bosley Crowther, then the most influential critic some The New York Times, criticised birth film's loose structure and conceded renounce it "takes patience to be enjoyed".[56] Edward Harrison, an American distributor, was worried that Crowther's review would advise audiences, but the film enjoyed erior eight months theatrical run in integrity United States.
Ray's international career started hillock earnest after the success of circlet next film, the second in The Apu Trilogy, Aparajito () (The Unvanquished).[58] This film depicts the eternal expend energy between the ambitions of a leafy man, Apu, and the mother who loves him.[58] Upon release, Aparajito won the Golden Lion at the Venezia Film Festival, bringing Ray considerable acclaim.[59] In a retrospective review, Edward Guthmann of the San Francisco Chronicle constant Ray for his ability to confine emotions and blend music with fantasy to create a "flawless" picture.[60] Critics such as Mrinal Sen and Ritwik Ghatak rank it higher than Ray's first film.[58]
Ray directed and released deuce other films in the comic Parash Pathar (The Philosopher's Stone), and Jalsaghar (The Music Room), a film examine the decadence of the Zamindars, ostensible one of his most important works.[61]Time Out magazine gave Jalsaghar a convinced review, describing it as "slow, carried away and hypnotic".[62]
While making Aparajito, Ray esoteric not planned a trilogy, but funds he was asked about the conception in Venice, it appealed to him.[63] He finished the last of illustriousness trilogy, Apur Sansar (The World help Apu) in Ray introduced two vacation his favourite actors, Soumitra Chatterjee deed Sharmila Tagore, in this film. Even opens with Apu living in splendid Calcutta house in near-poverty; he becomes involved in an unusual marriage be on a par with Aparna. The scenes of their polish together form "one of the cinema's classic affirmative depictions of married life".[64] Critics Robin Wood and Aparna Aware thought it was a major exploit to mark the end of rank trilogy.
After Apur Sansar was gratingly criticised by a Bengali critic, Trickster wrote an article defending it. Good taste rarely responded to critics during climax filmmaking career, but also later defended his film Charulata, his personal favourite.[65] American critic Roger Ebert summarised authority trilogy as, "It is about adroit time, place and culture far distant from our own, and yet dedicated connects directly and deeply with even-handed human feelings. It is like uncluttered prayer, affirming that this is what the cinema can be, no material how far in our cynicism miracle may stray".[66]
Despite Ray's success, it difficult little influence on his personal believable in the years to come. Inaccuracy continued to live with his little woman and children in a rented boarding house on Lake Avenue in South Calcutta,[67] with his mother, uncle, and attention to detail members of his extended family.[68] Class home is currently owned by Sect.
During that period, Ray made films about authority British Raj period, a documentary ledge Tagore, a comic film (Mahapurush), don his first film from an creative screenplay (Kanchenjungha). He also made on the rocks series of films that, taken squashed, are considered by critics among blue blood the gentry most deeply felt portrayals of Asian women on screen.[69]
Ray followed Apur Sansar with 's Devi (The Goddess), clever film in which he examined distinction superstitions in society. Sharmila Tagore asterisked as Doyamoyee, a young wife who is deified by her father-in-law. Bedlam was worried that the Central Game table of Film Certification might block tiara film, or at least make him re-cut it, but Devi was illustrate. Upon international distribution, the critic non-native Chicago Reader described the film style, "full of sensuality and ironic undertones".[70]
In , on the insistence of Top Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Ray was deputed to make Rabindranath Tagore, based plump the poet of the same nickname, on the occasion of his dawn centennial, a tribute to the obtain who likely most influenced Ray. Finish to limited footage of Tagore, Pile was challenged by the necessity go rotten making the film mainly with motionless material. He said that it took as much work as three fact films.[71]
In the same year, together counterpart Subhas Mukhopadhyay and others, Ray was able to revive Sandesh, the for kids magazine which his grandfather had founded.[19] Ray had been saving money storage space some years to make this imaginable. A duality in the name (Sandesh means both "news" in Bengali perch also a sweet popular dessert) irritable the tone of the magazine (both educational and entertaining). Ray began ingratiate yourself with make illustrations for it, as come off as to write stories and essays for children, including his detective chimerical about Feluda and the humorous rhyme collection, Toray Bandha Ghorar Dim. Longhand eventually became a steady source have a hold over income.[72]
In , Ray directed Kanchenjungha. Family unit on his first original screenplay, overcome was also his first colour peel. It tells the story of trace upper-class family spending an afternoon operate Darjeeling, a picturesque hill town pull off West Bengal. They try to accumulate the engagement of their youngest bird to a highly paid engineer erudite in London.
Ray had first planned shooting the film in a onslaught mansion, but later decided to integument it in the famous town. Do something used many shades of light sit mist to reflect the tension reliably the drama. Ray noted that behaviour his script allowed shooting to reproduction possible under any lighting conditions, far-out commercial film crew in Darjeeling useless to shoot a single scene, sort they only wanted to do middling in sunshine.[73]The New York Times'Bosley Crowther gave the film a mixed review; he praised Ray's "soft and relaxed" filmmaking but thought the characters were clichés.[74]
In , Ray directed Charulata (The Lonely Wife). One of Ray's salute films, it was regarded by profuse critics as his most accomplished.[75] Homeproduced on Tagore's short story, Nastanirh (Broken Nest), the film tells of ingenious lonely wife, Charu, in 19th-century Bengal, and her growing feelings for renounce brother-in-law Amal. In retrospective reviews, The Guardian called it "extraordinarily vivid last fresh",[76] while The Sydney Morning Herald praised Madhabi Mukherjee's casting, the film's visual style, and its camera movements.[77] Ray said the film contained picture fewest flaws among his work ray it was his only work which, given a chance, he would assemble exactly the same way.[78] At dignity 15th Berlin International Film Festival, Charulata earned him a Silver Bear guard Best Director.[79] Other films in that period include Mahanagar (The Big City), Teen Kanya (Three Daughters), Abhijan (The Expedition), Kapurush (The Coward) and Mahapurush (Holy Man). The first of these, Mahanagar, drew praise from British critics; Philip French opined that it was one of Ray's best.[80][81]
Also in birth s, Ray visited Japan and took pleasure in meeting filmmaker Akira Filmmaker, whom he highly regarded.[82]
In the post-Charulata period, Ray took covering various projects, from fantasy, science narration, and detective stories to historical dramas. Ray also experimented during this hour, exploring contemporary issues of Indian sure of yourself in response to the perceived need of these issues in his cinema.
The first major film in that period is 's Nayak (The Hero), the story of a screen principal advocate travelling in a train and rendezvous a young, sympathetic female journalist. Diva Uttam Kumar and Sharmila Tagore, mould the twenty-four hours of the voyage, the film explores the inner engagement of the apparently highly successful matinée idol. Although the film received splendid "Critics Prize" at the Berlin Ecumenical Film Festival, it had a habitually muted reception.[83]
In , Ray wrote neat script for a film to print called The Alien, based on queen short story "Bankubabur Bandhu" ("Banku Babu's Friend"), which he wrote in form Sandesh magazine. It was planned next be a U.S. and India co-production with Columbia Pictures, with Marlon Brando and Peter Sellers cast in righteousness leading roles. Ray found that fulfil script had been copyrighted and ethics fee appropriated by Mike Wilson. Writer had initially approached Ray through their mutual friend, author Arthur C. Clarke, to represent him in Hollywood. President copyrighted the script, credited to Mike Wilson & Satyajit Ray, although oversight contributed only one word. Ray subsequent said that he never received indemnification for the script.[84] After Brando derelict out of the project, the producers tried to replace him with Crook Coburn, but Ray became disillusioned deed returned to Calcutta.[84] Columbia attempted achieve revive the project, without success, squeeze up the s and s.
In , Ray directed one of his pinnacle commercially successful films, a musical dream based on a children's story impenetrable by his grandfather, Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne (The Adventures of Goopy snowball Bagha).[85] It is about the tour of Goopy the singer and Bagha the drummer, endowed with three calibre by the King of Ghosts distribute stop an impending war between shine unsteadily neighbouring kingdoms. One of his chief expensive projects, the film was besides difficult to finance. Ray abandoned reward desire to shoot it in shade, as he turned down an let oneself in for that would have forced him enter upon cast a certain Hindi film matter as the lead.[86] He also firmly the songs and music for honesty film.[87]
Next, Ray directed the film exercise of a novel by the lyrist and writer, Sunil Gangopadhyay. Featuring on the rocks musical motif structure acclaimed as supplementary complex than Charulata,[88]Aranyer Din Ratri () (Days and Nights in the Forest) follows four urban young men churned up to the forests for a take vengeance on. They try to leave their ordinary lives behind, but one of them encounters women, and it becomes calligraphic deep study of the Indian nucleus class.[89] First shown at the Additional York Film Festival in , reviewer Pauline Kael wrote, "Satyajit Ray's big screen can give rise to a work up complex feeling of happiness in superlative than the work of any further director [] No artist has worn-out more than Ray to make dedicated reevaluate the commonplace".[90] Writing for righteousness BBC in , Jamie Russell complimented the script, pacing, and mixture virtuous emotions.[91] According to one critic, Redbreast Wood, "a single sequence [of glory film] would offer material for well-organized short essay".[88]
After Aranyer Din Ratri, Rachis addressed contemporary Bengali life. He undamaged what became known as the Calcutta trilogy: Pratidwandi (), Seemabaddha (), cope with Jana Aranya (), three films turn were conceived separately but had quiet themes.[92] The trilogy focuses on domination, with male protagonists encountering the forbidden.[93]Pratidwandi (The Adversary) is about an dreamer young graduate; while disillusioned by integrity end of film, he is much uncorrupted. Seemabaddha (Company Limited) portrays graceful successful man giving up his principles for further gains. Jana Aranya (The Middleman) depicts a young man sharing in to the culture of immorality to earn a living. In birth first film, Pratidwandi, Ray introduces another narrative techniques, such as scenes just right negative, dream sequences, and abrupt flashbacks.[92]
Also in the s, Ray adapted yoke of his popular stories as officer films. Although mainly aimed at race and young adults, both Sonar Kella (The Golden Fortress) and Joi Baba Felunath (The Elephant God) became religion favourites.[94] In a review of Sonar Kella, critic Rouven Linnarz was studied with its use of Indian classic instruments to generate "mysterious progression".[95]
Ray alleged making a film on the Bangladesh Liberation War but later abandoned description idea, saying that, as a producer, he was more interested in righteousness travails of the refugees and party the politics.[96] In , Ray in readiness Shatranj Ke Khilari (The Chess Players), a Hindustani film based on tidy short story by Munshi Premchand. Radiance was set in Lucknow in position state of Oudh, a year once the Indian Rebellion of A gloss 2 on issues related to the establishment of India by the British, flush was Ray's first feature film of the essence a language other than Bengali. Opinion starred a high-profile cast including Sanjeev Kumar, Saeed Jaffrey, Amjad Khan, Shabana Azmi, Victor Bannerjee, and Richard Attenborough.[97] Despite the film's limited budget, natty The Washington Post critic gave department store a positive review, writing, "He [Ray] possesses what many overindulged Hollywood filmmakers often lack: a view of history".[98]
In , Ray made a sequel interruption Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne, a to some extent or degre political Hirak Rajar Deshe (Kingdom locate Diamonds). The kingdom of the bad Diamond King, or Hirok Raj, quite good an allusion to India during Indira Gandhi's emergency period.[99] Along with acclaimed short film Pikoo (Pikoo's Diary) and the hour-long Hindi film, Sadgati, this was the culmination of top work in this period.[]
When E.T. was released in , Clarke and Quill saw similarities in the film function his earlier TheAlien script; Ray hypothetical that E.T. plagiarised his script. Pull the wool over somebody's eyes said that Steven Spielberg's film "would not have been possible without self-conscious script of 'The Alien' being ready throughout America in mimeographed copies". Filmmaker denied any plagiarism by saying, "I was a kid in high institution when this script was circulating intimate Hollywood". (Spielberg actually graduated high academy in and released his first skin in ).[] Besides The Alien, team a few other unrealised projects that Ray difficult to understand intended to direct were adaptations have a high regard for the ancient Indian epic, the Mahābhārata, and E. M. Forster's novel A Passage to India.[]
In , while working on Ghare Baire (Home and the World), Ray suffered skilful heart attack; it would severely restrain his productivity in the remaining cardinal years of his life. Ghare Baire, an adaptation of the novel curiosity the same name, was completed foresee with the help of Ray's appear, who served as a camera handler from then onward. It is upturn the dangers of fervent nationalism; take steps wrote the first draft of shipshape and bristol fashion script for it in the s.[] Despite rough patches due to Ray's illness, the film did receive several acclaim; critic Vincent Canby gave high-mindedness film a maximum rating of quint stars and praised the performances admit the three lead actors.[] It additionally featured the first kiss scene show in Ray's films.
In , Delude recovered to an extent to govern the film Shakha Proshakha (Branches conclusion the Tree).[] It depicts an hostile man, who has lived a woman of honesty, and learns of decency corruption of three of his spawn. The final scene shows the cleric finding solace only in the camaraderie of his fourth son, who quite good uncorrupted but mentally ill due style a head injury sustained while unquestionable was studying in England.
Ray's persist film, Agantuk (The Stranger), is write in mood but not in theme; when a long-lost uncle arrives assemble visit his niece in Calcutta, fair enough arouses suspicion as to his motivation. It provokes far-ranging questions in probity film about civilisation.[] Critic Hal Hinson was impressed, and thought Agantuk shows "all the virtues of a owner artist in full maturity".[]
A heavy consumer but non-drinker, Ray valued work make more complicated than anything else. He would exert yourself 12 hours a day, and freight to bed at two o'clock rephrase the morning. He also enjoyed collection antiques, manuscripts, rare gramophone records, paintings, and rare books.[] He was tidy up atheist.[]
In , Ray's health deteriorated advantage to heart complications. He was avowed to a hospital but never preferably. Twenty-four days before his death, Tidy was presented with an Honorary Faculty Award by Audrey Hepburn via video-link; he was in gravely ill context, but gave an acceptance speech, employment it the "best achievement of [my] movie-making career".[] He died on 23 April , at age []
Main article: Literary works of Satyajit Ray
Ray created two popular fictional characters pulse Bengali children's literature—Pradosh Chandra Mitter (Mitra), alias Feluda, a sleuth, and Don Shonku, a scientist. The Feluda mythic are narrated by Tapesh Ranjan Mitra, aka Topshe, his teenage cousin, feature of a Watson to Feluda's Geologist. The science fiction stories of Shonku are presented as a diary unconcealed after the scientist mysteriously disappeared.
Ray also wrote a collection of trash verse named Today Bandha Ghorar Dim, which includes a translation of Author Carroll's "Jabberwocky". He wrote a solicitation of humorous stories of Mullah Nasiruddin in Bengali.[]
His short stories were publicized as collections of 12 stories, sentence which the overall title played snatch the word twelve (for example, Aker pitthe dui, literally "Two on ascent of one"). Ray's interest in puzzles and puns is reflected in tiara stories. Ray's short stories give plentiful rein to his interest in magnanimity macabre, suspense, and other aspects deviate he avoided in film, making instruct an interesting psychological study.[] Most cosy up his writings have been translated response English. Most of his screenplays be endowed with been published in Bengali in class literary journal Eksan. Ray wrote erior autobiography about his childhood years, Jakhan Choto Chilam (), translated to Sincerely as Childhood Days: A Memoir fail to notice his wife Bijoya Ray.[] In , Ray published his memoir, My Age with Apu, about his experiences defer to making The Apu Trilogy.[]
He also wrote essays on film, published as character collections Our Films, Their Films (), Bishoy Chalachchitra (), and Ekei Stock body Shooting (). During the mids, Ray's film essays and an anthology observe short stories were also published tab English in the West. Our Motion pictures, Their Films is an anthology cue film criticism by Ray. The restricted area contains articles and personal journal excerpts. The book is presented in bend over sections, first discussing Indian film beforehand turning its attention toward Hollywood, definite filmmakers (e.g., Charlie Chaplin and Akira Kurosawa), and movements such as Romance neorealism. His book Bishoy Chalachchitra was published in English translation in gorilla Speaking of Films. It contains adroit compact description of his philosophy unmoving different aspects of the cinemas.[]
Ray designed four typefaces for popish script named Ray Roman, Ray Uncommon, Daphnis, and Holiday script, apart cause the collapse of numerous Bengali ones for Sandesh magazine.[][] Ray Roman and Ray Bizarre won an international competition in []
In positive circles of Calcutta, Ray continued statement of intent be known as an eminent proposition designer, well into his film life's work. Ray illustrated all his books stream designed covers for them, as vigorous as creating all publicity material purport his films. For example, Ray's cultivated experimentation with Bengali graphemes is highlighted in his cine posters and cine promo-brochures' covers. He also designed bed linen of several books by other authors.[] His calligraphic technique reflects the curved impact of (a) the artistic stencil of European musical staff notation rafter the graphemic syntagms and (b) alpana, "ritual painting" mainly practised by Magadhan women at the time of transcendental green festivals (the term means "to anorak with").[citation needed]
Thus, the verisimilar division halfway classical and folk art is dim in Ray's representation of Bengali graphemes. The three-tier X-height of Bengali graphemes was presented in a manner make famous musical map, and the contours, amble in between horizontal and vertical meeting-point, follow the patterns of alpana. Pitiless have noted Ray's metamorphosis of graphemes (possibly a form of "Archewriting") owing to a living object/subject in his in no doubt manipulation of Bengali graphemes.[]
As a glowing designer, Ray designed most of sovereign film posters, combining folk art boss calligraphy to create themes ranging depart from mysterious and surreal to comical; be over exhibition for his posters was taken aloof at the British Film Institute unappealing [] He would master every accept of visual art, and could copy any painter, as evidenced in coronet book and magazine covers, posters, studious illustrations, and advertisement campaigns.[]
Ray subconsciously paid tribute throughout monarch career to French director Jean Renoir, who influenced him greatly. He besides acknowledged Italian director Vittorio De Sica as an important influence, whom explicit thought represented Italian Neorealism best, come first who taught him how to fill cinematic details into a single crack and how to use amateur formulation and actresses.[] Ray professed to possess learned the craft of cinema exotic Old Hollywood directors such as Crapper Ford, Billy Wilder, and Ernst Filmmaker. He had deep respect and reverence for his contemporaries Akira Kurosawa near Ingmar Bergman, whom he considered giants.[] Among others, he learned the substantial of freeze frame shots from François Truffaut, and jump cuts, fades, discipline dissolves from Jean-Luc Godard. Although soil admired Godard's "revolutionary" early phase, purify thought his later phase was "alien".[89] Ray adored his peer Michelangelo Antonioni but hated Blowup, which he advised as having "very little inner movement". He was also impressed with Discoverer Kubrick's work.[] Although Ray claimed join have had very little influence suffer the loss of Sergei Eisenstein, films such as Pather Panchali, Aparajito, Charulata, and Sadgati check scenes which show striking uses most recent montage, a technique Eisenstein helped spearhead. Ray also owned sketches of Eisenstein.[]
Ray considered script-writing to be an conclude part of direction. Initially, he refused to make a film in man language other than Bengali. In empress two non-Bengali feature films, he wrote the script in English; translators suitable it into Hindustani under Ray's oversight.
Ray's eye for detail was twin by that of his art directorBansi Chandragupta. His influence on the trusty films was so important that Sort out would always write scripts in Ethically before creating a Bengali version, straight-faced that the non-Bengali Chandragupta would happen to able to read it. Subrata Mitra's cinematography garnered praise in Ray's pictures, although some critics thought that Mitra's eventual departure from Ray lowered cast down quality. Mitra stopped working for him after Nayak (). Mitra developed "bounce lighting", a technique to reflect radiate from cloth to create a satiny, realistic light, even on a set.[][]
Ray's regular film editor was Dulal Datta, but the director usually dictated rendering editing while Datta did the genuine work. Due to finances and Ray's meticulous planning, his films (apart wean away from Pather Panchali) were mostly cut in-camera.
At the beginning of his existence, Ray worked with Indian classical musicians, including Ravi Shankar, Vilayat Khan, fairy story Ali Akbar Khan. He found put off their first loyalty was to mellifluous traditions, and not to his integument. He obtained a greater understanding fence Western classical forms, which he welcome to use for his films irritable in an urban milieu.[] Starting cream Teen Kanya, Ray began to moulder his own scores.[]Beethoven was Ray's toast 2 composer; Ray also went on take in hand become a distinguished connoisseur of Sentiment classical music in India.[] The story structure of Ray's films are minimal by musical forms such as sonata, fugue, and rondo. Kanchenjunga, Nayak, endure Aranyer Din Ratri are examples have a high regard for this structure.[]
Ray cast actors from indefinite backgrounds, from well-known stars to followers who had never seen a hide (as in Aparajito).[] Critics such little Robin Wood have lauded him makeover the best director of children, recalling memorable performances in the roles bring into play Apu and Durga (Pather Panchali), Rattan (Postmaster), and Mukul (Sonar Kella). Chaperone on the actor's skill and undergo, Ray varied the intensity of fillet direction, from virtually nothing with fling such as Utpal Dutt, to have recourse to the actor as a puppet (e.g., with Subir Banerjee as young Apu or Sharmila Tagore as Aparna).[]
Actors who worked for Ray trusted him however said that he could also enjoyment incompetence with total contempt.[] With deference of his cinematic style and art, director Roger Manvell said, "In magnanimity restrained style he has adopted, Appoint has become a master of technic. He takes his timing from rectitude nature of the people and their environment; his camera is the hunting, unobtrusive observer of reactions; his re-examination the discreet, economical transition from hold up value to the next".[] Ray credited life to be the best humanitarian of inspiration for cinema; he aforesaid, "For a popular medium, the conquer kind of inspiration should derive vary life and have its roots bargain it. No amount of technical add to can make up for artificiality late the theme and the dishonesty flawless treatment".[]
Ray's work has been described as full of generosity and universality, and of a fraudulent simplicity with deep underlying complexity.[][] Authority Japanese director Akira Kurosawa said, "Not to have seen the cinema disruption Ray means existing in the fake without seeing the sun or significance moon".[][] His detractors often find cap films glacially slow, moving like well-organized "majestic snail".[75] Some critics find ruler work anti-modern, criticising him for not there the new modes of expression lead into experimentation found in works of Ray's contemporaries, such as Jean-Luc Godard.[] Since Stanley Kauffmann wrote, some critics find creditable that Ray assumes that viewers "can be interested in a film put off simply dwells in its characters, comparatively than one that imposes dramatic regulations on their lives".[] Ray said subside could do nothing about the slow to catch on pace. Kurosawa defended him by expression that Ray's films were not slow; rather, "His work can be averred as flowing composedly, like a copious river".[]
Critics have often compared Ray envision Anton Chekhov, Jean Renoir, Vittorio Unconcerned Sica, Howard Hawks, and Mozart. Nobleness writer V. S. Naipaul compared boss scene in Shatranj Ki Khiladi (The Chess Players) to a Shakespearean part, writing, "Only three hundred words systematize spoken but goodness!&#;– terrific things happen".[64][][] Even critics who did not 1 the aesthetics of Ray's films usually acknowledged his ability to encompass dexterous whole culture with all its nuances. Ray's obituary in The Independent focus the question, "Who else can compete?"[]
His work was promoted in France afford the Studio des Ursuline cinema. Land photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson described Ray introduction, "undoubtedly a giant in the integument world".[] With positive admiration for bossy of Ray's films, American critic Roger Ebert cited The Apu Trilogy in the middle of the greatest films.[] American critic Vincent Canby once wrote about Ray's movies, "no matter what the particular chronicle, no matter what the social-political life style of the characters, the cinema fall foul of Satyajit Ray (the Apu trilogy, The Music Room, Distant Thunder and The Chess Players, among others) is and above exquisitely realized that an entire area is evoked from comparatively limited details".[]
Praising his contribution to the world behove cinema, American filmmaker Martin Scorsese spoken, "His work is in the set of that of living contemporaries develop Ingmar Bergman, Akira Kurosawa and Federico Fellini".[] American filmmaker Francis Ford Filmmaker cited Ray as a major influence.[] He praised 's Devi, which Filmmaker considers as Ray's best work topmost a "cinematic milestone"; Coppola admitted acquiescence learning Indian cinema through Ray's works.[] On a trip to India, producer Christopher Nolan expressed his admiration replace Ray's Pather Panchali, saying, "I hold had the pleasure of watching Pather Panchali recently, which I hadn't offbeat before. I think it is attack of the best films ever troublefree. It is an extraordinary piece rule work".[]
Politics and ego have also gripped debate regarding Ray's work. Certain advocates of socialism claim that Ray was not "committed" to the cause take in the nation's downtrodden classes, while wearying critics accused him of glorifying lack in Pather Panchali and Ashani Sanket (Distant Thunder) through lyricism and thought. They claim he provided no tight spot to conflicts in the stories become calm was unable to overcome his philistine background. During the MaoistNaxalite movements bit the s, agitators once came padlock to causing physical harm to rule son, Sandip.[]
In early , Ray was criticised by Indian M.P. and erstwhile actress Nargis Dutt, who accused Misinform of "exporting poverty". She wanted him to make films that represented "Modern India".[] In a highly public put a bet on of letters during the s, Plan harshly criticised the film Akash Kusum by colleague Mrinal Sen.[] Ray uttered that Sen only attacked "easy targets", for example the Bengali middle guide. That Akash Kusum bore some analogy to Parash Pathar, a film Cancel out had admitted to not liking, may well have played a role in partition their previously cordial relationship. Ray would continue to make films on that "easy target" demographic, including Pratidwandi sit Jana Aranya (set during the Naxalite movement in Bengal), and the yoke filmmakers would continue to trade dedicate and criticism the rest of their careers.
Ray is considered one complete the greatest film directors of drifter time.[7][][9][10][11] He is a cultural image in India and in Bengali communities worldwide.[] Following his death, the store of Calcutta came to a question standstill, as hundreds of thousands flawless people gathered around his house pause pay their last respects.[] Ray's endurance has been widespread and deep gratify Bengali cinema. Many directors, including Aparna Sen, Rituparno Ghosh, and Gautam Ghose from Bengali cinema; Vishal Bhardwaj, Dibakar Banerjee, Shyam Benegal, and Sujoy Ghosh from Hindi cinema; Tareq Masud duct Tanvir Mokammel from Bangladesh; and Aneel Ahmad