View Poll Results: What does appeal to you most in Satyajit Ray movies

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  • no deviation from topic of discussion

    1 16.67%
  • analysis of human relations

    5 83.33%
  • depiction of reality

    0 0%
  • poetry style story telling

    0 0%
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Thread: Satyajit Ray: The finest film maker.

  1. #11
    Senior Member Diamond Hubber kid-glove's Avatar
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    "Any filmmaker who while at work bears any resemblance to the popular conception of artist as a withdrawn individual in rapt communication with his muse is obviously shirking & has no business to be within miles of movie camera" Ray, 'Our films, their films'.
    ...an artist without an art.

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  3. #12
    Senior Member Seasoned Hubber tamizharasan's Avatar
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    Making of Pather Panchali


    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 Cinémathčque 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

    A still from Bimal Roy's Do Bigha Jamin, 1953
    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

    Ray filming Pather Panchali
    ©Bansi Chandragupta
    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

    Ray rehearsing 80-year old Chunibala Devi
    ©Bansi Chandragupta
    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.
    A page from the script of Pather Panchali ©Ray Family

    Apu

    Durga


    Indir Thakrun and Durga
    ©Teknica


    Sketches by Ray, Durga and Apu discover a train
    ©Ray Family


    Durga & Apu in a field of Kaash flowers ©Teknica


    Chunibala Devi, an 80-year old, retired theatre actress played Indir Thakrun


    Durga & her parents ©Teknica


    Apu ©Teknica



    It was a marathon session and left us exhausted but happy, because most of the music sounded wonderful.


    - Satyajit Ray,
    about music recording for Pather Panchali, 1955


  4. #13
    Senior Member Seasoned Hubber tamizharasan's Avatar
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    Triumph of Pather Panchali


    1955, A huge success
    A few months later, on August 26, 1955, Pather Panchali was finally released in Calcutta. Using his advertising experience, ray had designed five billboards including a full-sized 8ftX20ft. one. It had Apu and Durga running in vast landscape of dark monsoon clouds with Pather Panchali being the only legend. The film did only moderately well in the first two weeks. By third week however, the word spread and it was running packed at three cinema houses. The cinema house, however, had only booked for six weeks. It was then shown in another chain for seven more weeks. It was a box-office success.

    Ray and his crew were feted at numerous functions. Dr. B.C. Roy, who had seen the film earlier, organised a screening for Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the Prime Minister of India who was on a visit to Calcutta. Nehru was moved by the film and ensured that Pather Panchali was entered in the Cannes Films festival, 1956, despite a move by some to oppose the entry.

    The screening at Cannes took place on one of the festival holidays at midnight. As result, most of the jury members did not turn up. On the insistence of a few film critics and Ray's friends, Lindsay Anderson and Andre Bazin among them, another screening was held with the full jury. The film won the special jury prize for "the Best Human Document". Pather Panchali went on to win a dozen odd prizes at home and film festivals abroad, including Best Actress for Chunibala for her role as Indir Thakrun at Manila.

    The recognition persuaded him to take the plunge. He decided to give up advertising and turn to film making as a full time career. And thus began a long and illustrious career. His first film, Pather Panchali had established Satyajit Ray as a world-class director.

  5. #14
    Senior Member Diamond Hubber kid-glove's Avatar
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    Interview with One of Ray's stellar collaborators, on One of Ray's best films. Acting by the ensemble cast is uniformly good. Soumitra Chatterjee was good (and charismatic), but it's fair to say that the women (Sharmila Tagore and Kaberi Bose) steal the show remarkably in far lesser footage. Except perhaps Simi Garewal as tribal girl, Duli - rather perplexing why Ray would cast her in one of the decidedly "non-acting" parts. Why hire her if you want to paint the whole body dark. Rather unnerving.



    Ray writes quite a lot on Renoir in "Our films, their films", and in gushing praise for "The Rules of the game", he definitely had that film in mind before making this one. Even if it doesn't reach the summits of that undoubted masterpiece, "Days and Nights in the forest" is a superlative film (IMHO his best!).
    ...an artist without an art.

  6. #15
    Senior Member Seasoned Hubber tamizharasan's Avatar
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    Oscar clip of Satyajit Ray. Interesting speech.


  7. #16
    Senior Member Seasoned Hubber tamizharasan's Avatar
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    Movie on satyajit ray by shyam benegal


  8. #17
    Moderator Platinum Hubber P_R's Avatar
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    Of Charulata

    Thanks for the link to this Thilak.

    Lovely interview. Thanks thamizharasan.

    I am still under the sway of Charulata.

    The characters and the relationships are brought out so well. The personal vocabulary - arguably the loveliest manifestation of a relationship is brought out with such great control. Charu calls Amal Thakurpo (b-i-l) but on multiple occasions calls him 'dhikkach babu' (does dhikkach mean 'clever?'). For instance in the swing scene (which has amazing frames) she calls him thakurpo and when he doesn't respond he calls him 'o dhikkach babu'. The 'nabina' versus traditional woman - classification they playfully talk to each other about.

    Of writing
    The emotions in the act of writing - sequence is just fantastic. There is condescension in 'encouraging' her to write. She is piqued by the 'betrayal' felt by her when Amal publishes his work. he didn't take his promise to her seriously precisely because he thinks little of her judgement and fails to understand what the promise of the writing remaining in the embroidered notebook, meant to her. The coldness and frenzy of her writing is just marvellously well brought out. What is the point she has proven? Her 'worth' to Amal? What is her tragedy? That he has been such a blockhead that she had to go through such a 'demonstration'? What does her refusal to write mean? (As in feminisaum, role of nabina-wise: "talends are there to command but why would I need to if 'my man' knows me" seems the point to me). Amal is thoroughly shaken by her writing. He is totally confused about her reaction about publication. He's not had the realization yet...only later (after Bhupathi is betrayed by Umapada). And remember his PS in the letter: Charu should keep writing. How innocent and yet, within the vocabulary that only they two know, how strong a rejection. One can imagine Charu going livid.

    Measured Catfight
    The competing for attention that Charu's sil is awesome. She rejects her favorite kulfi when it comes only second hand. Charu and she cross swords ever so subtly, samosas, pan flinging (I know him better), Charu showing who's the boss (getting the laundry herself). She has a self-admitted non-nabini and makes no bones about it. Charu is judgemental of her (card game, where she rejects it's a no-brainer and then proudly 'wins' even that game). Such traditional poignance (that I am quite a sucker for) is her parting line to Amol where she says she'd like to see the magazine: 'even if I cannot read (and make sense) of your essay, I can atleast read your name'. How lovely!

    Bhupathi
    Bhupathi could have easily been caricatured but he is shown as a man of life and blood. Yes, with his won obsessions, but still a real man. His childlike trust of Umapada. Giving responsibility to a disinterested man!! The scene with the paper-merchant. He is mildly judgemental of Charu's Bonkim romance fascinations. But at the same time is truly 'each to his own'. The harshest thing he can summon himself to say (to Amol) is: "(political) suffering is real. Not this Romeo and Juliet stories" His inadequacies, his misgivings are things he is open about. "I was hurt" he plainly tells Charu about learning about her publication at the party only. When she slyly guilt-trips him he is quick to take the blame for that too. In the penultimate beach scene he struggles to say pleasantries to his wife: "perhaps it would be easier if I read Bonkim". What a thing to say! He does not say that with a cynical superiority, but with a earnest warmth, that he has to make his effort to relate to Charu.

    And in his childlike enthusiasm he is taken by Charu's idea and moves to: "People talk about the roar of the waves, there is nothing as sweet as the sound of a printing press".

    The words (Sentinel - fallen soldier in a play), the impromptu alliterations (Burdwan, Britain, Bristol, then back to Bengal and Bonkim babu) that so easily flow in their conversations was excellent.

    Cinematography
    The cinematography I guess would've been written by many periyavAs. The swing scene (no steadycam then, how did they do?) is awesome. The one with Amol in the foreground and Charu swinging the length of Amal is so memorable. The piano song has Amol executing small hops and looking at Charu and the camera hops!! The diagonal moves in the stage of indoor action make for wonderful scenes.A simple simple frame, just by lowering it by a few inches is made to include the bed railings in the frame. So when it moves across there is a heightened pace in the visual. idhellAm set property-ai paathu dhaanE yOsikkavE mudiyin

    The scene where they return from the beach holiday. The letter is in focus slowly, the actors are in the fringe. We are uneasy about the frame as it is slowly and slowly excludes them more and more (what 'natural' dialogues in that scene, she is concerned about the homecoming, Bhupathi is already concerned about the 'new start')

    I don't think I have had this satisfactory a movie experience in a loooong time.
    Must sink my teeth into this man from now
    மூவா? முதல்வா! இனியெம்மைச் சோரேலே

  9. #18
    Moderator Platinum Hubber P_R's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by PR
    'dhikkach babu' (does dhikkach mean 'clever?')
    naanE kELvi, naanE badhil. Apparently it means Mr.know-it-all. Whatay!
    மூவா? முதல்வா! இனியெம்மைச் சோரேலே

  10. #19
    Senior Member Diamond Hubber kid-glove's Avatar
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    Excellent post P_R.
    ...an artist without an art.

  11. #20
    Moderator Platinum Hubber P_R's Avatar
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    Pratidwandi - spellbinding film.

    Actually respect for Bengal now
    Quite of my prejudice that I may not like these movies.
    It was absolutely engaging from start to finish.
    The writing, the performances, the 'moments', the filming - every damn thing was impressive !

    More later..
    மூவா? முதல்வா! இனியெம்மைச் சோரேலே

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