“If you could only shake Hollywood out of your system and evolve your own style, you would be making great films here”
Guess who gave this advice to whom? No idea? Some of you might have…….
It was a precious advice fondly cherished by the greatest film director of India and after his passing away no film director of India could not reach up to his stature up till now.
In his younger days, Satyajit Ray kept on dreaming about becoming a great film director.
“One day I will become a film director”- Satyajit was quite young that time. His optimism was unlimited. But even his well-wishers could not suppress their laughter. But that didn’t take him aback. He was quite determined. Rest is history.
In his youthful days while fondling the dreams of becoming a film director one day Bollywood was running at its peak. True it still reigns supreme in the Indian film world. He saw umpteen of them all run-of-the-mill ones - love triangle, sex, stunt, violence, cheap comedy and what not. Picturesque locations. Glitterati. Beautifully clad hero running after the sensuous heroine frequently changing clothes like chamelons changing colours, singing, dancing, embracing, getting separated, then re-united, followed by emotional outpourings, the hero thrashing the villain till he bleeds. Villain running for cover, a chasing hero and in the end over coming all the hurdles, both of them live happily thereafter. It was quite natural for a serious young man who always wanted to be a serious film maker who wanted to approach the medium with all dedication, sincerity and commitment, Satyajit Ray soon got fed up with the bollywood money churners, with no substance or message whatsoever.
An optimist to the core he wanted to make a film but to plunge into the venture he had to start from the scratch. With not much funds in hand, without getting disappointed or disillusioned, he slugged it out forming a dedicated team of those who viewed the art of film making with all the seriousness it demanded stood with him through thick and thin.
Even in the face of trials and tribulations never did he go for a compromise in the art of film making.
The whole-hearted support he always got from his loving and caring wife Bijoya was a matter of immense relief to him.
Satyajit’s foreign tours first to London, then to Italy and later to Paris with Bijoya and his watching of innumerable films, meeting with great film personalities of the time and the invaluable lessons he learned from them on the various aspects of film-making served as catalysts in his future ventures.
By the time both of them reached Calcutta Satyajit Ray had completed the script of Pather Panchali which later turned out to be an epoch-making film seen and appreciated world wide.
His dedicated team always standing behind him rock-solid, they were in dire straits those days due to monetary problems - they didn’t back-track in those difficult times and for making of his dream project he had to pawn the gold ornaments of his wife without the knowledge of his mother Suprabha. Being an orthodox and traditional Bengali old woman, Ray knew she wouldn’t allow the pawning of Bijoya’s ornaments particularly at a moment she was expecting a child. Hence one gentle man Anil Chaudhary of his team borrowed some gold ornaments from one of his friend’s better-half and handed it over to Bijoya as a stop-sap arrangement to make Satyajit’s mother unaware of the whole episode. Suprabha was aware of all the goings on but she played ignorance even the pawning of a bracelet worn by Brijoy. All she revealed in the end to the surprise of ‘Ray and his trusted friend.
Pather Panchali created ripples across the film-world and Satyajit Ray remained a household name across Bengal, as also India and film fraternity abroad. The film drew wide applauses; Ray was scripting a new chapter among the Indian film-community. Pather Panchali was screened at various film festivals abroad and won coveted prizes for the best feature film and in India the nation honored Satyajit Ray awarding President’s National Award for his debut film. Wide applauses, appreciations and recognitions came pouring in from across the world.
The film is a realistic and touching portrayal of a Middle class Bengali family centered on a child Apu his sister Durga, father Harihar and mother Sarbojaya. It is a mirror to then stark realities prevailing in Bengal over a bygone period. Along with the profuse appreciations, Pather Panchali faced criticisms in equal measure for displaying the widespread poverty through the film from a cross-section of elite Bengali society who took it as an insult to an “enlightened prosperous” Bengal.
Pather Panchali Aparajito, Apur Sansar (Apu’s world)- Apu trilogy as it is called Devi Abhijan, Kanchenjunga, Alien Tagore’s famous drama ‘Post-Man’, ‘Jal Sagar’ to name a few and a number of documentary films. Ray continues to be a legend of our times and will continue to be so among the future generations.
Sorry I have not yet revealed the identity of the person who had passed on the precious advice to Satyajit Ray. It was none other than Jean Renoir, the world renowned film personality.
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