Satyajit Ray: Much more than Apu

Satyajit Ray, one of the towering intellects in the literary and cinematic world has left behind a legacy that very few across the world can even match. But I feel that only a very miniscule part of his genius has been showcased to the world through the Apu trilogy of movies (Pather Panchali - 1955, Aparajito - 1956 and Apur Sansar - 1959).

In my many conversations with non-Bengali friends and colleagues, I have found that outside the Bengali community, Satyajit Ray is primarily defined by the Apu Trilogy and maybe by some of the other very serious movies like Devi and Charulata. While the Apu Trilogy movies were cinematic masterpieces and put Indian film making on the world map, I personally don’t like them. I feel a genius like Ray is much better represented by his numerous other more positive works, both cinematic and literary. For example, he was a master of science fiction writing and was considered a friend and peer by none other than Aurthur C. Clarke (2001 Space Odyssey). In fact one of the most iconic science fiction films of all time was likely based on one of Ray's stories. So, this article is an attempt to introduce the true genius of a master who had the magic of storytelling in his very genes.

Let us get introduced to him properly.

Lineage

Satyajit Ray (son of Sukumar Ray and grandson of Upendrokishore Ray Chaudhury) was a multifaceted genius who made significant contributions to cinema, literature, music, and art as a director, screenwriter, documentary filmmaker, author, essayist, lyricist, magazine editor, illustrator, calligrapher, and composer. You can say that he literally had genius in his genes. His father and grandfather too were literary legends in their own right.

Work

Satyajit Ray was far ahead of his time. His unique blend of Eastern and Western influences, his humanistic approach, and his mastery of various art forms made him a pioneer in several fields. His work continues to inspire and influence artists and audiences worldwide. Today, a man of his genius would undoubtedly be lauded worldwide for his significant contributions to literature and cinema. But his peak was from the 50’s to the 80’s - a time when India was not yet out of the struggles of British occupation and newly earned independence. Communication and media technology was also not what it is today. It was a very different world. Hence the true brilliance of his work did not really reach the world, just flashes and glimpses made it through.

Awards

Even with these flashes of his work, Ray received many major awards in his career, including a record

thirty-six Indian National Film Awards, a Golden Lion, a Golden Bear, two Silver Bears, many additional awards at international film festivals and ceremonies, and an Academy Honorary Award in 1992. Ray’s work had a profound influence on filmmakers around the world, including Wes Anderson, Martin Scorsese, James Ivory, François Truffaut, Carlos Saura, and Christopher Nolan. His films were culture-specific, but they managed to transcend beyond language and socio-cultural barriers to affect international audiences.

Acclaimed filmmaker Martin Scorsese once said: “Ray’s magic, the simple poetry of his images and their emotional impact will always stay with me”

Setbacks

But India did not have the influence it has today on the international stage. Due to this, Ray suffered a lot of disappointment and suffering due to exploitation by the western film industry.

One such incident (outlined in his book “Travails with the Alien: The Film That Was Never Made and Other Adventures with Science Fiction” was so painful that Ray decided never to collaborate with Hollywood ever again. In the 1960’s Ray wrote the screenplay titled “The Avatar” based on his own

Bengali short story “Bonkubabur Bondhu”. His friend Arthur C. Clarke encouraged him to send it to Columbia Pictures who found it promising and agreed to back it. It was planned to be a U.S. and India co-production with Columbia Pictures, with Marlon Brando and Peter Sellers cast in the leading roles. But Columbia Pictures wanted the title ‘Avatar’ to be changed in English. So it was named ‘The Alien’.

Trouble started when Mike Wilson (who was representing Ray in Hollywood) copyrighted the script, adding his own name to the copyright and took the entire fee for himself. Then in spite of Ray’s efforts through a series of trips to US, UK and France, the project failed to materialize for some unknown reason.

Fifteen years later, in 1982, Steven Spielberg’s films ET: The Extra-Terrestial and Close Encounters with the Third Kind released and both Ray and Clarke realized that these movies had drawn heavily from Ray’s script of “The Alien” without giving him any credit.

He wrote about this to Arthur C. Clarke. But Clarke warned Ray that, if he resorted to legal action he would have to devote his entire time travelling to USA, attending court sessions. With his ailing health, Satyajit Ray decided to abandon ‘The Alien’. The world was not as it is today and without legal action, it was very easy for someone as powerful as Spielberg to brush this under the carpet.

And guess how much ET earned worldwide - $793 million.

Also, very few know Spielberg was one of those who were instrumental in recommending Ray for the Lifetime Achievement Oscar.

Do read the book.

Literary Works

As an author, Ray’s literary works were primarily targeted at young readers, but they became popular among children and adults alike. He left an indelible mark on the literary world through his creation of iconic characters that continue to captivate readers. With his simple yet powerful storytelling style, Ray introduced us to unforgettable characters such as Feluda, Professor Shonku, and many others.

Some of Satyajit Ray’s iconic characters are:

Feluda (the detective): Ray's most beloved character, Feluda, is a brilliant detective and the epitome of intellect and charisma. Pradosh C. Mitter, better known as Feluda, effortlessly combines razor-sharp intellect with a deep understanding of human nature. Feluda's adventures, often accompanied by his quiet cousin Topshe (Tapesh Ranjan Mitter and the narrator) and the gullible novelist Lalmohan Ganguly (Jatayu), take readers on thrilling journeys filled with mystery, suspense, and intricate plotlines. Ray masterfully crafted Feluda as a character who represents intelligence, integrity, and strength, making him an enduring symbol of Bengali detective fiction. Two Feluda stories (Sonar Kella and Joy Baba Felunath) were made into films directed by Satyajit Ray himself. Feluda was portrayed by the iconic Soumitra Chatterjee. These films and books created a cult following in the Bengali cinema and literary world. Later some more Feluda stories made it on to the big screen through the efforts of Satyajit Ray’s son, Sandip Ray.

Professor Shonku (the scientist): Another remarkable creation by Ray is Professor Shonku, a brilliant scientist and inventor. Prof. Trilokeshwar Shonku, with his eccentricities and insatiable curiosity, leads readers into the world of science fiction and space exploration. The science fiction stories of Shonku are presented as the contents of a diary discovered after the scientist had mysteriously disappeared. Through Professor Shonku's adventures, Ray explores scientific concepts, fantastical inventions, and encounters with extraterrestrial beings. The character of Professor Shonku embodies Ray's fascination with the wonders of science. There are many inventions that Shonku readers will recognize like Annihillin, Miracurall, Shankoplane, Omniscope, Air-conditioning pill, Compudium, Linguagraph, Botica indica and many others. I am not going to explain what these are because it will take away the fun. You just have to read the books to find out.

Tarini Khuro (Tarini Charan Bandopadhyay - the storyteller): Tarini Khuro, an endearing and humorous character, brings forth the rich oral storytelling tradition of Bengal. The elderly and charming Tarini Khuro regales his audience with captivating tall tales of ghosts and adventures. These tales are captured in a series of short stories spread across 3 books: Tarinikhuror Kirtikolap, Golpo 101 and Tarini Khuror Abhijan.

I am not a literary critic and so I am not going to delve into the technical details of why these characters and stories are such masterpieces. I only know that I grew up on them and they bring the same joy to me when I am reading them now as they did when I was a child. All these works are available in English as well.

There are many other literary works by Ray like Today Bandha Ghorar Dim (nonsensical verse for children), Aker Pitthe Dui (a collection of 12 short stories) and Jakhan Choto Chilam (childhood autobiography) and many other short stories.

He also wrote a collection of essays on film making which are publishes as Our Films, Their Films (1976), Bishoy Chalachchitra (1976), and Ekei Bole Shooting (1979).

Now, moving on to the films of Ray. Among my favourites are the Feluda movies and the Goopi Bagha movies. But then that is fodder for my next article.

I hope you enjoyed this article and it piqued your interest in Ray literature. I have included the Amazon links wherever possible to his works. You can start your reading journey from there.