My uncle and Satyajit Ray's son were (and still are) great friends. I met Mr. Ray (senior) a few times, and I remember him as a wonderfully gentle man, who took the time to talk to a six year old me as if I was an adult. He didn't talk down to me, he sat and told me stories.
I didn't know then that he was such a famous man. I just knew him as the sweet man who told great stories - and he did tell great stories! He also asked me about my life (my six-year-old life), and genuinely listened to everything I said. He was just a great guy.
One of my prize possessions is a sketch he did for me - he saw me reading a comic book (Tintin - The Secret of the Unicorn), and asked me to name my favorite character. I pointed to a panel showing Snowy (Tintin's dog) running. He whipped out his pad, and sketched that panel for me. I remember watching with amazement as Snowy came to life!
I still have that sketch, carefully framed. I wish I had been older and gotten to know him better, but I'm glad I met him. My uncle grew up with Sanjit (Ray Junior), and has a treasure trove of stories, but I can't share those.
This illustration said to be made by Satyajit Ray is 90% fake and definitely not an original. I have the exact replica set of papers with signatures, pictorgrams drawn purportedly from Ivan Lendl, Marlon Brando and other famous people. In fact I recall buying it as a booklet in a curio store in India
Yes, you're right. My uncle calls him by a nickname (it's a Bengali thing - you have a public name and a private name, and your private name is only used by family and close friends),hence the error.
This is a story worth reading. Despite the title, it is a commentary on Ray and his movies and is almost a Cliff Notes for those who are unfamiliar with this movie maker.
Satyajit Ray was a master storyteller. In the same league as Kurusova or Miyazaki.
His stories seemed simple and yet had some unknown power that gripped your heart. I remembering crying the first time I saw the Pather Panchali trilogy as a kid. I never understood why.
Some little know facts about Ray :
1. His first movie Pather Panchali (Song of the Road) faced financial issues. A good friend of Ray convinced the Communist Chief Minister of his state to provide some funding. Upon learning the name of the movie the Minister (who was art blind) asked the Public Works Department (Road construction department) to finance it. (because there is a Road in the name)
2. The Chief minister was furious to see the ending. He demanded the ending should be changed and they must show that the family finally gets benefited from a communist government scheme where they get free house and everything. Ray however flat out refused.
3. Satyajit ray penned down Feluda who is Indian Sherlock Holmes told from the perspective of his teenage sidekick. Feluda movies were utterly brilliant.
4. Satyajit Ray also wrote a number of science fiction stories. He would easily feature among the top 5 Sci-Fi writers from India any day.
5. Though India has such a vibrant movie industry called Bollywood, Satyajit Ray never became mainstream. A lot of his contemporaries hated him for unknown reasons and one even called his movies "poverty porn".
6. Ray introduced some great actors to the world. From Sharmila Tagore to
Western movie makes very often make poverty porn movies about India, the best example being Slumdog Millionaire. Here is a wonderful comparison of Boyle and Ray.
I didn't know then that he was such a famous man. I just knew him as the sweet man who told great stories - and he did tell great stories! He also asked me about my life (my six-year-old life), and genuinely listened to everything I said. He was just a great guy.
One of my prize possessions is a sketch he did for me - he saw me reading a comic book (Tintin - The Secret of the Unicorn), and asked me to name my favorite character. I pointed to a panel showing Snowy (Tintin's dog) running. He whipped out his pad, and sketched that panel for me. I remember watching with amazement as Snowy came to life!
I still have that sketch, carefully framed. I wish I had been older and gotten to know him better, but I'm glad I met him. My uncle grew up with Sanjit (Ray Junior), and has a treasure trove of stories, but I can't share those.