Ray, Satyajit

Satyajit Ray was one of India's most prolific film directors of this century and among the handful or so of directors that are renound for their deep impact on world cinema. Rays films depict humanistic emotions through the characters such as sorrow, joy, anger, the struggles of life and love as well as the emotional conflicts of society.

Satyajit Ray was a true auteur of cinema, in that he controlled many different aspects of his films as well as his directorial input. He was a talented story teller and wrote all the screenplays, as well as designing all the costumes and sets. As if this wasn't enough he composed all the music to his films and operated the camera on most of his films. It was through his dominating artistic control that he achieved exactly what his intended vision of the film to be.

Ray was born on May 2, 1921, into a well off and educated family in Calcutta. His father, like his father before him, was a well known writer, composer and painter and Ray later said that it was growing up in this literary and creative environment that deeply affected his later career. Unfortunately though, Rays father fell very ill and died when Ray was just three years old.

At the age of eight Ray attended the local school (prior to this he had been taught at home by his mother) and it was at this early age he first became interested in cinema and started reading about Hollywood trivia in magazines. After school, Ray went on to college and studied economics until at the age of eighteen he graduated in 1939.

Although still interested in cinema (and particularly directors) he decided to follow his love of fine art and seek a career in painting. He went on to work for various visual designers and designed many book covers among of which was the children's book of 'Pather Panchali', a classic Bengali novel. Ray was deeply influenced by the work, which became the subject of his first and possibly most well known film.

Still intent on directing films, Ray started shooting for 'Pather Panchali' in 1952. Three years later it was released and received great critical and popular success, was awarded numerous prizes and had long runs in both India and abroad. This film was the first of a trilogy - a three-part tale of a boy's life from birth through manhood. In 1956 he directed Aparajito, and finished the trilogy in 1959 with Apur Sansar.

After a string of successful releases which included such films as 'Jalsaghar' (1958), 'Devi' (1960), 'Teen Kanya' (1961), 'Charulata' (1964), and all receiving excellent world wide reviews, Satyajit now had honed his cinematic skills and signature techniques. The cinema of Satyajit Ray is a rare blend of intellect and emotions; he is controlled in his aproach, precise and meticulous with his shots, and evokes deep emotional response from the audience. Melodrama and dramatic excesses are unheard of in his films for his delicate style depicts sensitivity without going over the top. He once said "The best technique is the one that's not noticeable". Showing how his films evolved into a cinematic style that is so subtle it becomes almost invisible.
 Not only was his stylistic approach unique but also his technical crew were used time and time again in many of his films so that the signature mark of Satyajit Rays films was always apparent.

'Nayak' (1966) was his next cinematic conquest folowed a few years later by 'Asani Saket' (1973), 'Shatranj Ke Khilari' (1977) and over the years many other. In 1991 he directed his last film ever 'Agantuk', before his health started to rapidly decline. In 1992 an honourary oscar was awarded to him just days before his death. He died in hospital on the 23 of April.


Satyajit Ray Filmography

Pather Panchali / Song of the Little Road [1955]
Aparajito / The Unvanquished [1956]
Jalsaghar / The Music Room [1958]
Parash Pathar / The Philosopher's Stone [1958]
Apur Sansar / The World of Apu [1959]
The Devi Goddess [1960]
Teen Kanya / Three Daughters [1961]
Abhijan / The Expedition [1962]
Kanchenjungha / Kanchenjungha [1962]
Mahanagar / The Big City [1963]
Charulata / Charulata [1964]
Kapurush-O-Mahapurush / Coward & Holy Man [1965]
Nayak / The Hero [1966]
Chiriakhana / The Zoo The [1967]
Goopy Gyne Bagha / Adventures of Goopy & Bagha [1968]
Aranyer Din Ratri / Days & Nights In The Forest [1969]
Pratidwandi / The Adversary [1970]
Seemabaddha / Company Limited [1971]
Ashani Sanket / Distant Thunder [1973]
Sonar Kella / The Golden Fortress [1974]
Jana Aranya / The Middle Man [1975]
Shatranj Ke Khilari / The Chess Players [1977]
Joi Baba Felunath / Elephant God [1978]
Hirak Rajar Dese / The Kingdom of Diamonds [1980]
Sadgati / Deliverance [1981]
Ghare Baire / The Home and the World [1984]
Ganashatru / An Enemy of the People [1989]
Shakha Proshakha / Branches of a Tree [1990]
Agantuk / The Stranger [1991]


Documentaries and Short Films

Rabindranath Tagore [1961]
Two [1964]
Sikkim [1971]
The Inner Eye [1972]
Bala [1976]
Pikoo [1980]
Sukumar Ray [1987]



Above: Satajyit Ray on cinema



Above: Tribute to the Ray (by other cinema greats) with highlights of his work