Nemai Ghosh: Satyajit Ray and Beyond

Made after a five-year hiatus from filmmaking owing to Ray’s failing health, Ganashatru is not considered among his finest works. The film entails a strong storyline that explores the idea of religious fanaticism and greed.

Satyajit Ray sketching the costumes, possibly for Ghare Baire (Home and the World). He designed every single element of his films, even those which would feature as apparently tiny, insignificant details.

Satyajit Ray behind the camera with crew and assistant director Suhasini Mulay for Jana Aranya on location on Calcutta’s streets. This image has remained firmly etched in public memory as one of the most publicised and iconic photographs taken by Ghosh, illustrating Ray's hands-on approach to shooting his films.

Nemai Ghosh took this photograph of Ray rehearsing with actors Tapen Chatterjee who plays Goopy and Robi Ghosh who plays Bagha (back to the camera) on location during the filming of Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne (The Adventures of Goopy and Bagha) in Bengal’s Birbhum district.

Made after a five-year hiatus from filmmaking owing to Ray’s failing health, Ganashatru is not considered among his finest works. The film entails a strong storyline that explores the idea of religious fanaticism and greed.

Satyajit Ray sketching the costumes, possibly for Ghare Baire (Home and the World). He designed every single element of his films, even those which would feature as apparently tiny, insignificant details.

Satyajit Ray behind the camera with crew and assistant director Suhasini Mulay for Jana Aranya on location on Calcutta’s streets. This image has remained firmly etched in public memory as one of the most publicised and iconic photographs taken by Ghosh, illustrating Ray's hands-on approach to shooting his films.

Nemai Ghosh took this photograph of Ray rehearsing with actors Tapen Chatterjee who plays Goopy and Robi Ghosh who plays Bagha (back to the camera) on location during the filming of Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne (The Adventures of Goopy and Bagha) in Bengal’s Birbhum district.

Made after a five-year hiatus from filmmaking owing to Ray’s failing health, Ganashatru is not considered among his finest works. The film entails a strong storyline that explores the idea of religious fanaticism and greed.

Satyajit Ray sketching the costumes, possibly for Ghare Baire (Home and the World). He designed every single element of his films, even those which would feature as apparently tiny, insignificant details.

Satyajit Ray behind the camera with crew and assistant director Suhasini Mulay for Jana Aranya on location on Calcutta’s streets. This image has remained firmly etched in public memory as one of the most publicised and iconic photographs taken by Ghosh, illustrating Ray's hands-on approach to shooting his films.

Nemai Ghosh took this photograph of Ray rehearsing with actors Tapen Chatterjee who plays Goopy and Robi Ghosh who plays Bagha (back to the camera) on location during the filming of Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne (The Adventures of Goopy and Bagha) in Bengal’s Birbhum district.

Made after a five-year hiatus from filmmaking owing to Ray’s failing health, Ganashatru is not considered among his finest works. The film entails a strong storyline that explores the idea of religious fanaticism and greed.

Satyajit Ray sketching the costumes, possibly for Ghare Baire (Home and the World). He designed every single element of his films, even those which would feature as apparently tiny, insignificant details.

Satyajit Ray behind the camera with crew and assistant director Suhasini Mulay for Jana Aranya on location on Calcutta’s streets. This image has remained firmly etched in public memory as one of the most publicised and iconic photographs taken by Ghosh, illustrating Ray's hands-on approach to shooting his films.

Saeed Jaffrey (left) as Mir Roshan Ali and Sanjeev Kumar (right) as Mir Sajjad Ali play chess in a well-known scene from the film, Shatranj ke Khiladi (The Chess Players), based on a short story by Hindi writer Munshi Premchand.

Ray discusses a scene with Benode Behari Mukherjee during the shoot of his biopic on the artist, The Inner Eye. One of the best-known artists of Kala Bhavana in Santiniketan, Mukherjee struggled with his sight all through his life, and suffered a total loss in his late 50s. His passion for art remained undiminished, however, as he experimented with different forms, including collage.

The still is from Bala’s famous rendition of 'Krishna Nee Begane Baro' shot on location at the beach at Mahabalipuram by the Shore Temple. Her first attempt was not captured on camera and she had to re-perform it. Balasaraswati was known for the pliancy of her movements and her resplendent abhinaya or emoting.

Pictured here are actors Robi Ghosh (in glasses), Sharmila Tagore, Subhendu Chatterjee, Kaveri Bose, Soumitra Chatterjee and Samit Bhanja (counter clockwise). The characters in this sequence engage in a memory game during a picnic in the film Aranyer Din Ratri (Days and Nights in the Forest).

Saeed Jaffrey (left) as Mir Roshan Ali and Sanjeev Kumar (right) as Mir Sajjad Ali play chess in a well-known scene from the film, Shatranj ke Khiladi (The Chess Players), based on a short story by Hindi writer Munshi Premchand.

Ray discusses a scene with Benode Behari Mukherjee during the shoot of his biopic on the artist, The Inner Eye. One of the best-known artists of Kala Bhavana in Santiniketan, Mukherjee struggled with his sight all through his life, and suffered a total loss in his late 50s. His passion for art remained undiminished, however, as he experimented with different forms, including collage.

The still is from Bala’s famous rendition of 'Krishna Nee Begane Baro' shot on location at the beach at Mahabalipuram by the Shore Temple. Her first attempt was not captured on camera and she had to re-perform it. Balasaraswati was known for the pliancy of her movements and her resplendent abhinaya or emoting.

Pictured here are actors Robi Ghosh (in glasses), Sharmila Tagore, Subhendu Chatterjee, Kaveri Bose, Soumitra Chatterjee and Samit Bhanja (counter clockwise). The characters in this sequence engage in a memory game during a picnic in the film Aranyer Din Ratri (Days and Nights in the Forest).

Saeed Jaffrey (left) as Mir Roshan Ali and Sanjeev Kumar (right) as Mir Sajjad Ali play chess in a well-known scene from the film, Shatranj ke Khiladi (The Chess Players), based on a short story by Hindi writer Munshi Premchand.

Ray discusses a scene with Benode Behari Mukherjee during the shoot of his biopic on the artist, The Inner Eye. One of the best-known artists of Kala Bhavana in Santiniketan, Mukherjee struggled with his sight all through his life, and suffered a total loss in his late 50s. His passion for art remained undiminished, however, as he experimented with different forms, including collage.

The still is from Bala’s famous rendition of 'Krishna Nee Begane Baro' shot on location at the beach at Mahabalipuram by the Shore Temple. Her first attempt was not captured on camera and she had to re-perform it. Balasaraswati was known for the pliancy of her movements and her resplendent abhinaya or emoting.

Pictured here are actors Robi Ghosh (in glasses), Sharmila Tagore, Subhendu Chatterjee, Kaveri Bose, Soumitra Chatterjee and Samit Bhanja (counter clockwise). The characters in this sequence engage in a memory game during a picnic in the film Aranyer Din Ratri (Days and Nights in the Forest).

Saeed Jaffrey (left) as Mir Roshan Ali and Sanjeev Kumar (right) as Mir Sajjad Ali play chess in a well-known scene from the film, Shatranj ke Khiladi (The Chess Players), based on a short story by Hindi writer Munshi Premchand.

Ray discusses a scene with Benode Behari Mukherjee during the shoot of his biopic on the artist, The Inner Eye. One of the best-known artists of Kala Bhavana in Santiniketan, Mukherjee struggled with his sight all through his life, and suffered a total loss in his late 50s. His passion for art remained undiminished, however, as he experimented with different forms, including collage.

The still is from Bala’s famous rendition of 'Krishna Nee Begane Baro' shot on location at the beach at Mahabalipuram by the Shore Temple. Her first attempt was not captured on camera and she had to re-perform it. Balasaraswati was known for the pliancy of her movements and her resplendent abhinaya or emoting.

On an off day during the shoot of Aranyer Din Ratri (Days and Nights in the Forest), Nemai Ghosh, in his own words, was ‘kidnapped’ by Sharmila Tagore who asked him to do a photo shoot with her. She was the first professional actor who asked Ghosh to do so.

Hema Malini and Amitabh Bachchan in a song from the film Naseeb (Destiny). Though not a regular onscreen couple, Hema Malini and Bachchan’s performance in the film was widely admired, as it has been in a more recent pairing as an elderly couple in Baghban (2003).

Smita Patil at Ashok Hotel, New Delhi, when she had come to the capital to receive the National Award for Best Actress for the 1981 Hindi film Chakra.

Veteran Bengali actor Soumitra Chatterjee was a regular with Ray and collaborated with him on fourteen films. The association is reminiscent of Mifune and Kurosawa, Mastroianni and Felini, Max von Sydow and Bergman, and Jery Stuhr and Kieslowski, to mention a few.

On an off day during the shoot of Aranyer Din Ratri (Days and Nights in the Forest), Nemai Ghosh, in his own words, was ‘kidnapped’ by Sharmila Tagore who asked him to do a photo shoot with her. She was the first professional actor who asked Ghosh to do so.

Hema Malini and Amitabh Bachchan in a song from the film Naseeb (Destiny). Though not a regular onscreen couple, Hema Malini and Bachchan’s performance in the film was widely admired, as it has been in a more recent pairing as an elderly couple in Baghban (2003).

Smita Patil at Ashok Hotel, New Delhi, when she had come to the capital to receive the National Award for Best Actress for the 1981 Hindi film Chakra.

Veteran Bengali actor Soumitra Chatterjee was a regular with Ray and collaborated with him on fourteen films. The association is reminiscent of Mifune and Kurosawa, Mastroianni and Felini, Max von Sydow and Bergman, and Jery Stuhr and Kieslowski, to mention a few.

On an off day during the shoot of Aranyer Din Ratri (Days and Nights in the Forest), Nemai Ghosh, in his own words, was ‘kidnapped’ by Sharmila Tagore who asked him to do a photo shoot with her. She was the first professional actor who asked Ghosh to do so.

Hema Malini and Amitabh Bachchan in a song from the film Naseeb (Destiny). Though not a regular onscreen couple, Hema Malini and Bachchan’s performance in the film was widely admired, as it has been in a more recent pairing as an elderly couple in Baghban (2003).

Smita Patil at Ashok Hotel, New Delhi, when she had come to the capital to receive the National Award for Best Actress for the 1981 Hindi film Chakra.

Veteran Bengali actor Soumitra Chatterjee was a regular with Ray and collaborated with him on fourteen films. The association is reminiscent of Mifune and Kurosawa, Mastroianni and Felini, Max von Sydow and Bergman, and Jery Stuhr and Kieslowski, to mention a few.

On an off day during the shoot of Aranyer Din Ratri (Days and Nights in the Forest), Nemai Ghosh, in his own words, was ‘kidnapped’ by Sharmila Tagore who asked him to do a photo shoot with her. She was the first professional actor who asked Ghosh to do so.

Hema Malini and Amitabh Bachchan in a song from the film Naseeb (Destiny). Though not a regular onscreen couple, Hema Malini and Bachchan’s performance in the film was widely admired, as it has been in a more recent pairing as an elderly couple in Baghban (2003).

Smita Patil at Ashok Hotel, New Delhi, when she had come to the capital to receive the National Award for Best Actress for the 1981 Hindi film Chakra.

Shabana Azmi, Om Puri and Patrick Swayze on location during a break from filming. A strong missionary impulse drives the narrative, explicit in the role of the foreigners, which gained a lot of political and critical opprobrium.

Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi in a still from the same sequence. The film is set in Bihar and is a story of systemic exploitation and subsequent retaliation.

A still from the experimental and lauded film by Mrinal Sen featuring a young man who walks in and out of different time periods, remaining the same age of twenty, and is killed each time for fighting poverty and degradation.

A wonderfully composed shot from a scene in the film that deals with the friendship between an itinerant showman or juggler and a young boy, Phatik, who suffers from amnesia. The film, directed by Sandip Ray, was based on one of Satyajit Ray's stories.

Shabana Azmi, Om Puri and Patrick Swayze on location during a break from filming. A strong missionary impulse drives the narrative, explicit in the role of the foreigners, which gained a lot of political and critical opprobrium.

Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi in a still from the same sequence. The film is set in Bihar and is a story of systemic exploitation and subsequent retaliation.

A still from the experimental and lauded film by Mrinal Sen featuring a young man who walks in and out of different time periods, remaining the same age of twenty, and is killed each time for fighting poverty and degradation.

A wonderfully composed shot from a scene in the film that deals with the friendship between an itinerant showman or juggler and a young boy, Phatik, who suffers from amnesia. The film, directed by Sandip Ray, was based on one of Satyajit Ray's stories.

Shabana Azmi, Om Puri and Patrick Swayze on location during a break from filming. A strong missionary impulse drives the narrative, explicit in the role of the foreigners, which gained a lot of political and critical opprobrium.

Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi in a still from the same sequence. The film is set in Bihar and is a story of systemic exploitation and subsequent retaliation.

A still from the experimental and lauded film by Mrinal Sen featuring a young man who walks in and out of different time periods, remaining the same age of twenty, and is killed each time for fighting poverty and degradation.

A wonderfully composed shot from a scene in the film that deals with the friendship between an itinerant showman or juggler and a young boy, Phatik, who suffers from amnesia. The film, directed by Sandip Ray, was based on one of Satyajit Ray's stories.

Shabana Azmi, Om Puri and Patrick Swayze on location during a break from filming. A strong missionary impulse drives the narrative, explicit in the role of the foreigners, which gained a lot of political and critical opprobrium.

Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi in a still from the same sequence. The film is set in Bihar and is a story of systemic exploitation and subsequent retaliation.

A still from the experimental and lauded film by Mrinal Sen featuring a young man who walks in and out of different time periods, remaining the same age of twenty, and is killed each time for fighting poverty and degradation.