Friday, July 31, 2009
Editor’s Pen
Hi…
I just saw the promo of Luck, did a little bit of Googling and fell in love. No, I am not kidding. She is kind of a girl, anyone can fall for. Umm, I am talking about Shruti Hassan. Daughter of Kamal Hassan and Sarika, she is a beauty with brain talking sense and no crap on camera. I know Ali (for using this page) and my someone special (for saying this) will kill me for writing this, but I am in love with her. May be in future we will do a special on star kids… Luck was an Okay Okay with a cherry called Shruti… No offense Munnabhai.
Kambakkht Ishq was crap. Kareena and Akki assembled to create a bogus comedy. I don’t know what they want to prove. They should instead stop making movies and start writing Dummies For How To Make A Brainless Movie.
In next edition you will see some changes in our look and stuff. So just wait and watch. Till then enjoy this edition…
Just wait… Before I put my pen down… lets pray for the soul of Lila Naiduji. She earned respect with the work she did.
Love and Care…
Sujoy Ghosh
Eyes read it- SRK gets 100 crore deal for My Name is Khan
It is touted as one of the most anticipated upcoming bollywood releases, as it unites Shahrukh Khan- Kajol -Karan Johar trio, after 8 years. It is expected to release in Feb 2010.
If you are wondering why the film is called "My Name is Khan", this is what Shahrukh Khan had to say about it, "I play the character of Rizwan khan who is autistic and post 9/11, after an incident that affects him deeply, Khan gets stuck and tells everyone he meets, "Hello my name is Khan and i'm not a terrorist." "
Shahrukh Khan recently described the movie as "The journey of one family and how it changes because of 9/11".
As for the plot Shahrukh plays Rizwan khan who has Asperger's Syndrome(mild autism which makes people with the syndrome repeat the same actions again and again) and has a little queer behaviour. He meets and marries a Hindu widow Mandira (played by Kajol). Post 9/11, Khan is arrested as his actions seem "suspicious". When he gets out of jail, he sets out on a road trip across America telling everybody on the way that he is not a terroist. Finally he decides to go to Washington to tell President Obama that he is not a terrorist.
Who do you think will play obama?? Actor Christopher B. Duncan has been chosen to essay the role
He is known for his comic representaion of Obama in few shows (search "Christopher B Duncan" in
youtube, to see his funny performances). pic below shows his uncanny resemblance to Barack Obama.
We smell a hint of "Forrest Gump" in "My Name is Khan", as Khan is autistic but does still manages to accomplish seemingly impossible tasks despite his disabilty. It remains to be seen if it has an "...Gump" similarities but we are sure about is that it sure will be an interesting watch.
Written by ‘Ali Naqvi’; For ‘The Reel Mag.’
Hammers High- Is Wall-E, Short Circuit (Johnny 5) Controversy for real ??
Yup, it is shocking but it is true, Wall-E that we all fell in love with in summer of
2008 has striking design similarities with Johnny5, a robot from 1980's movie
'Short Circuit'.
As shown in the pic above, you can't but think the two are similar in design. Wall-E
is cuter in design, but it should be noted that Johnny5 was created in 1980's and
it is non-animated feature movie whereas Wall-E was created in 2008 and in
animation.
Similarities- Binocular eyes, both are adorable, Tank like treads that both use to move about, design of hands and the overall look
Diffrences- Wall-E has extending arms, Johnny5 is pretty tall, Wall-E falls in love ;) .
'Short Circuit' has a sequel too, that was even better in terms of story. If you want to checkout Short Circuit movie, here's a concise plot. A robot of type-5 gets struck by lightning once, after which it starts to understand things and starts to emote and discover world around him.
Johnny 5 soon realises if he gets into the hands of it's manufacturing factory, he will be reprogrammed. Later parts of the film shows his struggle to escape reboot with the help of a young girl.
"But is the plot similar too?" you may ask. Umm, not exactly but in 'Wall-e' and 'Short circuit 2' there is a sequence where the protagonist machionery stops working and it works after many repairs.
'Wall-E' has renewed interest in 'Short Circuit-3' and it is said the new movie is underway. But the fact remains that Wall-E is a great film, one of the best made by 'Pixar' till date.
For The Reel; Written by ‘Ali Naqvi’
As shown in the pic above, you can't but think the two are similar in design. Wall-E
is cuter in design, but it should be noted that Johnny5 was created in 1980's and
it is non-animated feature movie whereas Wall-E was created in 2008 and in
animation.
Similarities- Binocular eyes, both are adorable, Tank like treads that both use to move about, design of hands and the overall look
Diffrences- Wall-E has extending arms, Johnny5 is pretty tall, Wall-E falls in love ;) .
'Short Circuit' has a sequel too, that was even better in terms of story. If you want to checkout Short Circuit movie, here's a concise plot. A robot of type-5 gets struck by lightning once, after which it starts to understand things and starts to emote and discover world around him.
Johnny 5 soon realises if he gets into the hands of it's manufacturing factory, he will be reprogrammed. Later parts of the film shows his struggle to escape reboot with the help of a young girl.
"But is the plot similar too?" you may ask. Umm, not exactly but in 'Wall-e' and 'Short circuit 2' there is a sequence where the protagonist machionery stops working and it works after many repairs.
'Wall-E' has renewed interest in 'Short Circuit-3' and it is said the new movie is underway. But the fact remains that Wall-E is a great film, one of the best made by 'Pixar' till date.
For The Reel; Written by ‘Ali Naqvi’
Critique- ‘South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut’
We present to you the foulest ever animated comedy ever made. EVER!! we you
would say that's strange, haven't heard of it. Well that's why we're here for, aren't
we. This is our hand picked favorite, that is a MUST WATCH.
The story starts of in the mountain town of South Park. There is a new Canadian 'Terence & Philip'movie in town called "Asses on fire"(Yup, you read that right). The lead characters, 5 kids, Kenny, Kyle, Cartman, Stan, decide to watch the r-rated movie. The kids bribe a homeless guy to be their guardian, to get into the hall. As the movie in theater draws to an end all adults leave, as the movie for them is toilet humor and fart jokes. But not the kids. They stay.
They emerge from the hall, all enlightened with choisest and most imaginative abuses. They decide to show it off to their peers. Soon the whole city kids watch it and then all kids in America.This leads to tension between Canada and America. It all snow balls to World war 3 ! and to top it all Saddam Hussein and Satan are in love :O. We wont tell you the details, it will spoil all the fun. We'll let pictures below do some talking.
The movie has crude animation, but it is on purpose. The script is super, though the movie has a run time of just 80 minutes, it is so so much fun, it's jokes per minutes rate is very very high. It is also a musical with the most imaginative rude songs in it. It just shocks you on so many levels that it is an unforgettable experience. The movie is biased in all possible ways, it is racist, homophobic, sexist you name it and it is offensive in that way too. All good fun !!
The movie is rated at 81% at www.rottentomatoes.com and described as "Its jokes are profoundly bold and rude but incredibly funny at the same time." One more fact the movie is based on popular animated series "South Park" whose episodes are available on VH1 in India too :).
Verdict- You are still waiting? go and rent it immidiately. Well maybe it isn't in your neighbourhood library, but you know where to get it ;).
For ‘The Reel’, Written by ‘Ali Naqvi’
The story starts of in the mountain town of South Park. There is a new Canadian 'Terence & Philip'movie in town called "Asses on fire"(Yup, you read that right). The lead characters, 5 kids, Kenny, Kyle, Cartman, Stan, decide to watch the r-rated movie. The kids bribe a homeless guy to be their guardian, to get into the hall. As the movie in theater draws to an end all adults leave, as the movie for them is toilet humor and fart jokes. But not the kids. They stay.
They emerge from the hall, all enlightened with choisest and most imaginative abuses. They decide to show it off to their peers. Soon the whole city kids watch it and then all kids in America.This leads to tension between Canada and America. It all snow balls to World war 3 ! and to top it all Saddam Hussein and Satan are in love :O. We wont tell you the details, it will spoil all the fun. We'll let pictures below do some talking.
The movie has crude animation, but it is on purpose. The script is super, though the movie has a run time of just 80 minutes, it is so so much fun, it's jokes per minutes rate is very very high. It is also a musical with the most imaginative rude songs in it. It just shocks you on so many levels that it is an unforgettable experience. The movie is biased in all possible ways, it is racist, homophobic, sexist you name it and it is offensive in that way too. All good fun !!
The movie is rated at 81% at www.rottentomatoes.com and described as "Its jokes are profoundly bold and rude but incredibly funny at the same time." One more fact the movie is based on popular animated series "South Park" whose episodes are available on VH1 in India too :).
Verdict- You are still waiting? go and rent it immidiately. Well maybe it isn't in your neighbourhood library, but you know where to get it ;).
For ‘The Reel’, Written by ‘Ali Naqvi’
Statesmen: Lakshmikant Pyarelal
The music of Karz changed everything in Indian Music. Along with some great movies like Mughal-e-Azam, it is a pinnacle for Indian music Industry. LP created the magic that changed everything.
Who could have thought that a duo that met for the first time in the cradle of musicians, Sureel Kala Kendra run and managed by Mangeshkar family would go so far in their career? The duo that once worked with legends like Naushad and Sachin Dev Burman created a niche for them in industry that is thirstier of success than creativity.
They chalked out their career in the era of Rahul Dev Burman and Kalyanji-Anandji. But the journey was not easy. Both born in poor families and met at Sureel Kala Kendra. Lata knew about their modest backgrounds and she decided to help them. They recommended their names to many music directors of the era as assistants. They also worked for different orchestras but earned too little to feed the passion. At a point Pyarelal wanted to leave country and work in Venice’s famed symphony orchestras. But Lakshmikant insisted and the departure never took place.
Their first break was Parasmani in ’63 that was a mythological film. But the big success came with Rajshree’s Dosti. Then Aaye Din Bahar Ke and Milan established the duo. Mera Gaon Mera Desh, Bobby, Roti, Roti Kapda Aur Makaan, Amar Akbar Anthony, Satyam Shivam Sundaram, Karz, Ek Duje Ke Liye, Hero and Tezaab were some of the most remarkable movies of their career. In a span of more than 600 movies and six decades, the legends acquired seven Filmfares.
Industry will never forget the duo which was able to make a space for themselves in the hearts of Indians. It will never forget the duo that ruled Binaca Geetmala for years sometimes more than thirteen of sixteen songs aired.
For The Reel; Written By: Sujoy Ghosh
The Critique: Sangharsh
Sangharsh-horror thriller released in 1999, marked several milestones in hindi film industry. This was the second film by Tanuja Chandra as a director, and like her other films till date, it too went unnoticed. Preity Zinta playing the role of a CBI trainee proved to be a new talent coming up in the industry. Akshay Kumar had this as one of the turning points in his career, and now could be put in the bracket of actors. Ashutosh Rana is undoubtedly a superb performer but this was definitely 'the role of his life' and won Filmfare Best Villain Award for this.
The story was by Mahesh Bhatt, and his movies are famous to have stark similarity with some hollywood film (ofcourse by chance) and this one too was no exception. The plot of the movie is very similar to Academy Award-winning film that came 8 years before, "The Silence of the Lambs".
A series of child abduction becomes a serious problem for the police force, who designates trainee Reet Oberoi (Preity Zinta) to solve the case. The investigation points towards a fanatic Lajja Shankar Pandey (Ashutosh Rana) who believes Goddess Kali will grant him immortality if he sacrifices the lives of children. Reet cannot handle the pressure alone due to her traumatic childhood and her phobias, hence seeks help from an unjustly implicated genius Professor Aman Verma (Akshay Kumar) going through hardcore imprisonment. The case becomes more complicated as Chief Minister's only son is kidnapped by Pandey. Aman is rude and adamant but as they track down Pandey together, he falls in love with Reet. The child is saved and Pandey is killed. Aman also is seriously hurt and dies in Reet's arms sharing the last and first kiss, a heart touching moment.
The music by Jatin Lalit is splendid which made it position to the charts though movie could not. It’s the music which has yet kept the movie memorable, as justice was not done to the story leaving no other thing to remember it for.
For The Reel; Written By: Neha Jain
Under Lens: Banned Movies- 01
Across the globe, numerous movies have been banned for one or other reason. In this series we will know why certain movies were banned and where:
1: Cannibal Holocaust: This classic movie was banned in many countries like Australia, Burma, Japan, South Africa etc for extreme violence and animal cruelty. The movie was considered as a gory movie and the ban was never lifted at some places. However, few countries allowed after desired censorship and proper rating. Cannibal Holocaust also raised eyebrows and many litigations followed.
2: Da Vinci Code: Many countries like Iran, Iraq, Morocco, Sri Lanka and Vatican City banned the movie for alleged blasphemy. Based on a novel by Dan Brown, the movie was an attempt to find the Holy Grail. However, the ban hardly influenced the business. The movie went on to become a global blockbuster.
3: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and sequel: For extreme violence not suitable for public viewing, the series was banned in some countries including Australia, Singapore and Ukraine. However, ban was removed after restricting viewership to a particular class of public. The series acquired cult status in the Gory movies genre. The bloodshed in movie led to protest in parts of US and blamed the movie for growing violence in society.
4: Kissa Kursi Ka: In 70’s the movie was banned in India after accusations of portrayal of Indira Gandhi. The ban was lifted when Janta Party came to power overthrowing Congress democratically. As a political satire, the movie gained cult status. But on box office, the movie failed to make any mark. It was declared a flop.
Iran have banned many movies that contain sexual or anti Islamic views. Censorship prevails in cinema in Iran. Cannibal Holocaust, Scarface, Hostel series, Borat, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Brokeback Mountain, Harold and Kumar series etc. have been banned for violence or sexual content. Exorcist, The Passion of the Christ, Bruce Almighty, Da Vinci Code, Alexander, 300 has been banned for being anti-Islamic in nature. Schindler’s List was banned for glorifying Jewish cause.
For The Reel; Written By: Sujoy Ghosh
1: Cannibal Holocaust: This classic movie was banned in many countries like Australia, Burma, Japan, South Africa etc for extreme violence and animal cruelty. The movie was considered as a gory movie and the ban was never lifted at some places. However, few countries allowed after desired censorship and proper rating. Cannibal Holocaust also raised eyebrows and many litigations followed.
2: Da Vinci Code: Many countries like Iran, Iraq, Morocco, Sri Lanka and Vatican City banned the movie for alleged blasphemy. Based on a novel by Dan Brown, the movie was an attempt to find the Holy Grail. However, the ban hardly influenced the business. The movie went on to become a global blockbuster.
3: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and sequel: For extreme violence not suitable for public viewing, the series was banned in some countries including Australia, Singapore and Ukraine. However, ban was removed after restricting viewership to a particular class of public. The series acquired cult status in the Gory movies genre. The bloodshed in movie led to protest in parts of US and blamed the movie for growing violence in society.
4: Kissa Kursi Ka: In 70’s the movie was banned in India after accusations of portrayal of Indira Gandhi. The ban was lifted when Janta Party came to power overthrowing Congress democratically. As a political satire, the movie gained cult status. But on box office, the movie failed to make any mark. It was declared a flop.
Iran have banned many movies that contain sexual or anti Islamic views. Censorship prevails in cinema in Iran. Cannibal Holocaust, Scarface, Hostel series, Borat, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Brokeback Mountain, Harold and Kumar series etc. have been banned for violence or sexual content. Exorcist, The Passion of the Christ, Bruce Almighty, Da Vinci Code, Alexander, 300 has been banned for being anti-Islamic in nature. Schindler’s List was banned for glorifying Jewish cause.
For The Reel; Written By: Sujoy Ghosh
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Eyes Read It : it’s a mixed bag
IIFA on the other hand was broadcast, without the Aish – Priyanka controversy, but Riteish and Boman Irani more than made it up with there gags. Both of them did a rather good job. In this one joke Boman (playing Anil Kapoor, riding his success wave of Slumdog) asks harried Aamir (played by Riteish), “How does it fell NOT to win an Oscar.” HAHA
Two new shows are coming on air, “Mujjhe iss jungle se bachao” based on “I am a celebrity…get me out of here” and “Sach ka saamna” based on “The Moment of truth”.
Love Aaj kal music is doing pretty well. New York has had many a favorable reviews.
Kambakht Ishq did turn out what we suspected it to be, a no-brainer, but it is doing rather well at the box office. Short kut has sank without a trace, even glam Amrita Rao couldn’t save this disaster.
Lets hope coming fortnight is more fun for us movie buffs.
Hammers High: E.T.-Ray-Speilberg controversy
In 1982, when “E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial” released, amidst universal critical acclaim and acceptance of audience, it was alleged by Satyajit Ray that the story was plagiarized from his script of “The Alien”.
Plot of “The Alien”: A spaceship lands near a village in Bengal at night, by morning villagers think it to be a temple risen from underground. The Alien in the ship interacts through dreams with a kid in the village, they eventually become friends. The Alien plays harmless tricks on the villagers, and after a while it leaves.
Marlon Brando agreed to play the role of American scientist, and were
What must be noted is that The Alien was the first script to show Aliens as non harmful beings. E.T. too had central theme of a friendly relationship of a child and an alien. Whereas “Close…” had a theme of an Alien ship landing in the middle of nowhere, where it stays harmlessly and later goes away.
Well how much of the plots were ripped of The Alien is for you to decide. It came to a full circle when finally in 2003 “Koi Mil Gaya” was made in India, an obvious adaptation of The Alien.
PS: we will do an exclusive on The Alien in coming editions under our new series, Unmade, featuring famous shelved projects. By the way if you get link to original Script of The Alien do post a link to us, we would love to have a look.
Ray himself said, “E.T. would not have been possible without my script of The Alien being available throughout the United States in mimeographed copies." To this Spielberg responded, "I was a kid in high school when his script was circulating in Hollywood."Well there are certain striking similarities. Further, Spielberg’s “Close Encounter of the third Kind” (1977) also has similarities to The Alien’s plot.
Plot of “The Alien”: A spaceship lands near a village in Bengal at night, by morning villagers think it to be a temple risen from underground. The Alien in the ship interacts through dreams with a kid in the village, they eventually become friends. The Alien plays harmless tricks on the villagers, and after a while it leaves.
Marlon Brando agreed to play the role of American scientist, and were
What must be noted is that The Alien was the first script to show Aliens as non harmful beings. E.T. too had central theme of a friendly relationship of a child and an alien. Whereas “Close…” had a theme of an Alien ship landing in the middle of nowhere, where it stays harmlessly and later goes away.
Well how much of the plots were ripped of The Alien is for you to decide. It came to a full circle when finally in 2003 “Koi Mil Gaya” was made in India, an obvious adaptation of The Alien.
PS: we will do an exclusive on The Alien in coming editions under our new series, Unmade, featuring famous shelved projects. By the way if you get link to original Script of The Alien do post a link to us, we would love to have a look.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Statesmen:Satyajit Ray
Standing Tall,One of the greatest filmmaker of all time ,all, over the world...The name needs no introduction to everyone who loves Cinema...Yet for those who are ignorant, he is a master storyteller,Satyajit Ray belongs to the highest echelons of world cinema. Regarded as one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, Ray mastered the craft of storytelling through simple yet emotive narration. Despite being made in a vernacular language, Satyajit Ray's films appeal to a universal audience with their subtle depictions of the spectrum of human emotions and relationships
Satyajit Ray was born into an illustrious family in Calcutta in 1921. His grandfather, Upendra Kishore Ray-Chaudhary, was a publisher, musician and the creator of children’s literature in Bengali. His father, Sukumar Ray, was a noted satirist and India's first writer of nonsense rhymes, akin to the nonsense verse of Edward Lear. Later in life, Satyajit Ray made a documentary of his father's life.
Ray's debut film ,"Pather Panchali" (song of the road) , whose financing presented Ray with immense monetary problems, compelling him even to pawn his wife’s jewelry, he brought the neo-realist movement in film to India.The film is notable for the way the most mundane of occurences have been creatively captured through the eyes of child protagonist Apu. Ray later wrote, "I chose Pather Panchali for the qualities that made it a great book; its humanism; its lyricism; and its ring of truth . . . . The script had to retain some of the rambling quality of the novel because that in itself contained a clue to the feel of authenticity; life in a poor Bengali village does ramble." Little could anyone have imagined that this first film would launch Ray on one of the most brilliant careers in the history of cinema, leading eventually not only to dozens of international awards, India’s highest honor, and a lifetime achievement Oscar from Hollywood, but the unusual accolade of being voted by members of the British Film Institute as one of the three greatest directors in world cinema.
'Aparajito' and 'Apur Sansar', the other two films of 'Apu trilogy', also received rave reviews from critics and viewers alike.
Ray's later films treated more contemporary themes like the new urban culture (Nayak in 1966, Pratidwandi in 1970, Seemabaddha in 1971, Jana Aranya in 1975). With his film Shatranj Ke Khiladi ("The Chess Players", 1977), based on a short story by the famous Hindi writer Premchand, Ray broke new ground. Here he ventured into the terrain of mid-nineteenth century India, the expansion of British rule, and what (to use a cliché) might be termed the ‘clash of cultures’.
Satyajit Ray is also known for his contributions to Bengali literature. "Detective Feluda" and "Professor Shanku" are two of his popular literary creations.
Ray was a prolific short story writer, with over a dozen volumes to his credit; and he contributed regularly to the children's journal "Sandesh", which he also edited. The exploits of his fictional character Feluda, first introduced in a series of detective stories, were avidly followed by the public, and the much-beloved Feluda was later featured in a couple of his movies. Ray, who had first worked in the advertising industry, was a major graphic designer, and designed hundreds of book jackets; he also illustrated his own books, besides those of many others.
He scored the music for some of his films (though the music for the Apu Trilogy was composed by Ravi Shankar, and for Jalsaghar by the incomparable Vilayat Khan). Not surprisingly, then, his fellow Bengalis at least thought of him as a "Renaissance Man", and he was hailed as the successor of Rabindranath Tagore.
Ray had a tendency, evident as much in an early film like Devi (1960) as in Ganashatru ("An Enemy of the People", after Ibsen’s play of the same title), completed nearly thirty years later, to oppose modernity to tradition, rationality to superstition, and science to faith – and all this in an embarrassingly simplistic fashion, at least on occasion. Ray was unequivocally clear that he stood for science and modernity, and consequently he was incapable, as Ganashatru amply showed, of showing tradition as anything but superstition. Ray belongs to the great tradition of humanism, doubtless ennobling but, in some respects, acutely shortsighted.
Satyajit Ray was no alien to awards. Ray's virtuosity in the art of filmmaking fetched him awards and laurels aplenty. From 'Pather Panchali' to 'Charulata', all his masterpieces bagged honors in prestigious film festivals.Ray received 32 National Film Awards by the Government of India, in addition to awards at international film festivals. At the Berlin Film Festival, he was one of only three filmmakers to win the Silver Bear for Best Director twice and holds the record for the most Golden Bear nominations (seven times). At the Venice Film Festival, where he had previously won a Golden Lion for Aparajito (1956), he was awarded the Golden Lion Honorary Award in 1982. That same year, he received an honorary "Hommage à Satyajit Ray" award at the 1982 Cannes Film Festival.
Ray is the second film personality after Chaplin to have been awarded honorary doctorates by Oxford University.
What is also distinctive in Ray's work is that the rhythm in his films seems almost meditative. There is a contemplative quality in the magnificent flow of images and sounds that evokes an attitude of acceptance and detachment, which is profoundly Indian. His compassionate work arises from a philosophical tradition that brings detachment and freedom from fear, celebrates joy in birth and life and accepts death with grace. This perspective attempts to create the whole out of a fineness of detail. Ray succeeded in making Indian cinema, for the first time in its history, something to be taken seriously, and in so doing, created a body of work of distinct range and richness.
Apart from being a master filmmaker, Satyajit Ray was also a versatile litterateur known for his eloquent verse. Literature was another avenue for the expression of his creative talents. Be it detective fictions or film anthology, Ray's literary works bore the hallmark of the powerful pen he wielded.
The world will always remember this legendary,who take birth once in a millenium. Let us salute Mr. Satyajit Ray, who has made significant contributions not only to the fim industry but also has innumerable credits in the field of literature to his name.
For The Reel; Written By: Apoorv 'Don'
Satyajit Ray was born into an illustrious family in Calcutta in 1921. His grandfather, Upendra Kishore Ray-Chaudhary, was a publisher, musician and the creator of children’s literature in Bengali. His father, Sukumar Ray, was a noted satirist and India's first writer of nonsense rhymes, akin to the nonsense verse of Edward Lear. Later in life, Satyajit Ray made a documentary of his father's life.
Ray's debut film ,"Pather Panchali" (song of the road) , whose financing presented Ray with immense monetary problems, compelling him even to pawn his wife’s jewelry, he brought the neo-realist movement in film to India.The film is notable for the way the most mundane of occurences have been creatively captured through the eyes of child protagonist Apu. Ray later wrote, "I chose Pather Panchali for the qualities that made it a great book; its humanism; its lyricism; and its ring of truth . . . . The script had to retain some of the rambling quality of the novel because that in itself contained a clue to the feel of authenticity; life in a poor Bengali village does ramble." Little could anyone have imagined that this first film would launch Ray on one of the most brilliant careers in the history of cinema, leading eventually not only to dozens of international awards, India’s highest honor, and a lifetime achievement Oscar from Hollywood, but the unusual accolade of being voted by members of the British Film Institute as one of the three greatest directors in world cinema.
'Aparajito' and 'Apur Sansar', the other two films of 'Apu trilogy', also received rave reviews from critics and viewers alike.
Ray's later films treated more contemporary themes like the new urban culture (Nayak in 1966, Pratidwandi in 1970, Seemabaddha in 1971, Jana Aranya in 1975). With his film Shatranj Ke Khiladi ("The Chess Players", 1977), based on a short story by the famous Hindi writer Premchand, Ray broke new ground. Here he ventured into the terrain of mid-nineteenth century India, the expansion of British rule, and what (to use a cliché) might be termed the ‘clash of cultures’.
Satyajit Ray is also known for his contributions to Bengali literature. "Detective Feluda" and "Professor Shanku" are two of his popular literary creations.
Ray was a prolific short story writer, with over a dozen volumes to his credit; and he contributed regularly to the children's journal "Sandesh", which he also edited. The exploits of his fictional character Feluda, first introduced in a series of detective stories, were avidly followed by the public, and the much-beloved Feluda was later featured in a couple of his movies. Ray, who had first worked in the advertising industry, was a major graphic designer, and designed hundreds of book jackets; he also illustrated his own books, besides those of many others.
He scored the music for some of his films (though the music for the Apu Trilogy was composed by Ravi Shankar, and for Jalsaghar by the incomparable Vilayat Khan). Not surprisingly, then, his fellow Bengalis at least thought of him as a "Renaissance Man", and he was hailed as the successor of Rabindranath Tagore.
Ray had a tendency, evident as much in an early film like Devi (1960) as in Ganashatru ("An Enemy of the People", after Ibsen’s play of the same title), completed nearly thirty years later, to oppose modernity to tradition, rationality to superstition, and science to faith – and all this in an embarrassingly simplistic fashion, at least on occasion. Ray was unequivocally clear that he stood for science and modernity, and consequently he was incapable, as Ganashatru amply showed, of showing tradition as anything but superstition. Ray belongs to the great tradition of humanism, doubtless ennobling but, in some respects, acutely shortsighted.
Satyajit Ray was no alien to awards. Ray's virtuosity in the art of filmmaking fetched him awards and laurels aplenty. From 'Pather Panchali' to 'Charulata', all his masterpieces bagged honors in prestigious film festivals.Ray received 32 National Film Awards by the Government of India, in addition to awards at international film festivals. At the Berlin Film Festival, he was one of only three filmmakers to win the Silver Bear for Best Director twice and holds the record for the most Golden Bear nominations (seven times). At the Venice Film Festival, where he had previously won a Golden Lion for Aparajito (1956), he was awarded the Golden Lion Honorary Award in 1982. That same year, he received an honorary "Hommage à Satyajit Ray" award at the 1982 Cannes Film Festival.
Ray is the second film personality after Chaplin to have been awarded honorary doctorates by Oxford University.
What is also distinctive in Ray's work is that the rhythm in his films seems almost meditative. There is a contemplative quality in the magnificent flow of images and sounds that evokes an attitude of acceptance and detachment, which is profoundly Indian. His compassionate work arises from a philosophical tradition that brings detachment and freedom from fear, celebrates joy in birth and life and accepts death with grace. This perspective attempts to create the whole out of a fineness of detail. Ray succeeded in making Indian cinema, for the first time in its history, something to be taken seriously, and in so doing, created a body of work of distinct range and richness.
Apart from being a master filmmaker, Satyajit Ray was also a versatile litterateur known for his eloquent verse. Literature was another avenue for the expression of his creative talents. Be it detective fictions or film anthology, Ray's literary works bore the hallmark of the powerful pen he wielded.
The world will always remember this legendary,who take birth once in a millenium. Let us salute Mr. Satyajit Ray, who has made significant contributions not only to the fim industry but also has innumerable credits in the field of literature to his name.
For The Reel; Written By: Apoorv 'Don'
Statesmen: Early Influences and early life of Satyajit Ray
People know a lot about Ray’s biography on bioscope. In this edition of Statesmen let’s read into early life of Ray. How was Ray made?
Ray had three great influences: His ancestry, the Bengal culture and his mother. Ray’s grandfather was a great person of his time. He was Upendrakishore Ray. He was a legendary leader and philosopher of Brahmo Samaj, a great writer and publisher, an illustrator and an amateur astronomer. He published a magazine for children named Sandesh. Ray, later in his life revived the magazine and filled the void of a quality magazine in the segment.
Ray’s father and Upendrakishore Ray’s son was Sukumar Ray. He stood with the repute of a great father. Sukumar Ray was a reputed illustrator, writer and critic. He was a legend as he championed a very complex segment of nonsense rhyme and children literature. Sukumar Ray expired when Satyajit was three years old.
Bengal had a great influence on Ray. He was brought up there and honed his skills there. His passion towards writing and fine arts was largely due to parental genes and the culture-friendly environment of Bengal. Literature of Bengal, rich by any standard, became the base of Ray’s works.
The third influence was the most prominent. His mother Suprabha Ray. After death of Ray’s father, she managed her house with little income she had. However that had little influence on Ray’s education. In Bengal, education is a top priority. Ray studied economics in the Presidency College. After his education at Presidency, his mother sends him to Vishwabharati in Shantiniketan. Ray was reluctant but his resistance was overcome by his mother’s insistence and great respect for Rabindranath Tagore. That decision reaped great yields in Ray’s life.
Love also had a positive influence on Ray’s life. Ray loved Bijoya Das and after a long era of romance married her in 1949. They had a son, Sandip Ray who followed the footsteps of his father and became a film maker.
In 1943, he left Shantiniketan and worked for a British advertising firm and also got involved with Signet Press. With the firm he learnt the skills of visual designer and with Signet he honed his skills as a graphic designer. At Signet he created covers for many books like Maneaters Of Kumaon and Discovery Of India. Meanwhile, he also worked on a children version of Pather Panchali. He loved the work and created the legend on celluloid.
His cinematic journey was begun in 1950 when he went to London at the head office of British firm. There in span of three months he watched ninety nine movies and decided to create the magic on his own. The movie that influenced him most was Bicycle Thieves. He returned and started working on his project Pather Panchali. It was difficult as he was short on funds and the progress of shooting depended on the money on stack. Great contribution of his manager Anil Chowdhury deserves a mention. Both suffered but didn’t compromise. Pather Panchali was released in ’55. Rest is history.
For The Reel; Written By: Ms. Souvika Das (Kolkata)
Ray had three great influences: His ancestry, the Bengal culture and his mother. Ray’s grandfather was a great person of his time. He was Upendrakishore Ray. He was a legendary leader and philosopher of Brahmo Samaj, a great writer and publisher, an illustrator and an amateur astronomer. He published a magazine for children named Sandesh. Ray, later in his life revived the magazine and filled the void of a quality magazine in the segment.
Ray’s father and Upendrakishore Ray’s son was Sukumar Ray. He stood with the repute of a great father. Sukumar Ray was a reputed illustrator, writer and critic. He was a legend as he championed a very complex segment of nonsense rhyme and children literature. Sukumar Ray expired when Satyajit was three years old.
Bengal had a great influence on Ray. He was brought up there and honed his skills there. His passion towards writing and fine arts was largely due to parental genes and the culture-friendly environment of Bengal. Literature of Bengal, rich by any standard, became the base of Ray’s works.
The third influence was the most prominent. His mother Suprabha Ray. After death of Ray’s father, she managed her house with little income she had. However that had little influence on Ray’s education. In Bengal, education is a top priority. Ray studied economics in the Presidency College. After his education at Presidency, his mother sends him to Vishwabharati in Shantiniketan. Ray was reluctant but his resistance was overcome by his mother’s insistence and great respect for Rabindranath Tagore. That decision reaped great yields in Ray’s life.
Love also had a positive influence on Ray’s life. Ray loved Bijoya Das and after a long era of romance married her in 1949. They had a son, Sandip Ray who followed the footsteps of his father and became a film maker.
In 1943, he left Shantiniketan and worked for a British advertising firm and also got involved with Signet Press. With the firm he learnt the skills of visual designer and with Signet he honed his skills as a graphic designer. At Signet he created covers for many books like Maneaters Of Kumaon and Discovery Of India. Meanwhile, he also worked on a children version of Pather Panchali. He loved the work and created the legend on celluloid.
His cinematic journey was begun in 1950 when he went to London at the head office of British firm. There in span of three months he watched ninety nine movies and decided to create the magic on his own. The movie that influenced him most was Bicycle Thieves. He returned and started working on his project Pather Panchali. It was difficult as he was short on funds and the progress of shooting depended on the money on stack. Great contribution of his manager Anil Chowdhury deserves a mention. Both suffered but didn’t compromise. Pather Panchali was released in ’55. Rest is history.
For The Reel; Written By: Ms. Souvika Das (Kolkata)
Editor’s Pen
Ray is a phenomenon of Indian cinema. People may criticize him for extravagant exhibition of poverty of the country but no one can doubt his craft. Ray will always remain Ray…
Hello everyone, this edition is a very special edition. First in the series of specials… We are celebrating Satyajit Ray’s Art. Thirty two National Awards, numerous International Awards and an Academy Honorary Award speak volumes about his craft. Not only Kolkata, connoisseurs across the globe are crazy about Ray’s cinema… this edition is a tribute.
Cinema is about depiction of truth and fiction as well. It’s a sneak into the real world and the fantasy… Ray balanced both beautifully. People may blame him for exporting poverty and selling it… but its not justified. If there is poverty, we should have no qualms in accepting it. Why should we hide our world and show an illusion; just to mollify our own guilt. Pathetic!
Ray’s cinema shows what life is and this exhibition of the event called life is too humble and too realistic. He always spoke truth through celluloid and celebrated it honestly. Nobody else had ever shown the true India without any plastic… He never needed a canvas. Life was a canvas for him. Director, writer, cinematographer, graphic artist and a lot more. He was a film industry in himself. He did everything and outperformed everybody else.
Finally, I would like to thank everyone for their generous contribution to this special edition and wish that every time we will get such a great response… rather even better. Thank you…
Warm Wishes…
Sujoy Ghosh
Hello everyone, this edition is a very special edition. First in the series of specials… We are celebrating Satyajit Ray’s Art. Thirty two National Awards, numerous International Awards and an Academy Honorary Award speak volumes about his craft. Not only Kolkata, connoisseurs across the globe are crazy about Ray’s cinema… this edition is a tribute.
Cinema is about depiction of truth and fiction as well. It’s a sneak into the real world and the fantasy… Ray balanced both beautifully. People may blame him for exporting poverty and selling it… but its not justified. If there is poverty, we should have no qualms in accepting it. Why should we hide our world and show an illusion; just to mollify our own guilt. Pathetic!
Ray’s cinema shows what life is and this exhibition of the event called life is too humble and too realistic. He always spoke truth through celluloid and celebrated it honestly. Nobody else had ever shown the true India without any plastic… He never needed a canvas. Life was a canvas for him. Director, writer, cinematographer, graphic artist and a lot more. He was a film industry in himself. He did everything and outperformed everybody else.
Finally, I would like to thank everyone for their generous contribution to this special edition and wish that every time we will get such a great response… rather even better. Thank you…
Warm Wishes…
Sujoy Ghosh
Under Lens: Cinema Of Ray
How often do we face the brilliant confusion of not being able to tell the fiction from reality? Every time I watch Ray's films, I am faced with this bewilderment - never have I related so much of myself to one film maker's portrayals. I have grown up watching them, and each film, at different ages, has revealed something new to me. Satyajit Ray, as the cliché goes, ushered modernity into Indian cinema, from where it began to command respect as a form of artistic expression. Clearly, it was a breakthrough with a crucial shift to the inner world, or what we call psychological realism. Cinema, for Ray, was the representation in aesthetic terms, the spirit of the place and time, which however in the broader perspective came to imply much more. Each film is almost like a journey - an exploration of the relationship of the cinematic mode to fiction, history and time.
While his films are primarily set against the Bengali milieu, they cut across many cultures. Being a product of East-West fusion, we find in his films the refection of his 'plurality of selves', involving a curious struggle to make sense of his being there, in a post-colonial society. It is often said that Ray sums up the entire 19th century ethos of the place; certainly, there is nothing wrong in the claim. While his modern perspective was much due to him being brought up in a cosmopolitan culture, he was profoundly influenced by Italian neorealism, Renoir, Mozart, Bonnard and Cartier-Bresson. And one central theme in most of his films is the individual striving to define oneself in relation to the forces transforming the world and the way a composite culture is formed in its confrontation with modernity.
However, I personally feel it is the sheer authenticity of the characters and form which constitute the 'Rayness' of Ray. "The raw material of the cinema is life itself", Ray would say. He could bring out the best out of his actors. This exploration of the truth of human behavior and very, very subtle emotions is what makes us feel so strongly for Bishwambhar Roy of Jalshaghar, or Charu of Charulata or Apu of the Trilogy. The grief of Apu at one level becomes my very own, the sudden friendship in Nayak doesn't seem unfamiliar, the unease at the arrival of a stranger in Aguntuk is like a chapter from our daily life and we couldn't help relating ourselves to the four friends of Aranyer Din-Raatri. Ray's deep belief in his own culture wasn't exclusive; his characters are governed by certain things which are cross-cultural, wherein lay Ray's conviction of 'universal essence' of man within the context in which he lives. The portrayal of the subtle nuances of these fundamentals and other filaments of emotion make Siddhartha of Pratidwandi or Amitabha of Kaalpurush, who are defined in the end by a profound sense of loss and guilt, so compelling. But Ray refused to lose faith in man and his films are pervaded by this optimism, which sometimes go unnoticed. His characters, in some way or the other, eventually tend to turn inward from the 'public' to the 'private' space, which reinforces his belief in the triumph of integrity and justice.
The films are not only creative expressions of Ray, but also instances of how Ray represented the distinctive ethos of each film in person. He, while making each film, would be present as the 'other' character, which provided the major drive for the dynamism of his cinematic tone. He would do everything on his own - be it music, designing, editing and even the camera work (post-Charulata films) - in other words, each film was his genius, in every aspect, put together. By this virtue, "he became the film itself". Infact, it was this deep involvement of a Master in his work which would turn every minor object into a well defined character - the mirror in Pratidwandi, the Opra-glasses in Charulata, the Train in Nayak and so on. His films, in the last analysis, deal with Bengalis in particular, but when seen in a broader spectrum, questions some basic aspects faced by every human being while striving to live in a community.
For The Reel; Written By: Saumyashree Ghosh (student of History, UG- III, Jadavpur University) (www.theselfspeaks.blogspot.com)
While his films are primarily set against the Bengali milieu, they cut across many cultures. Being a product of East-West fusion, we find in his films the refection of his 'plurality of selves', involving a curious struggle to make sense of his being there, in a post-colonial society. It is often said that Ray sums up the entire 19th century ethos of the place; certainly, there is nothing wrong in the claim. While his modern perspective was much due to him being brought up in a cosmopolitan culture, he was profoundly influenced by Italian neorealism, Renoir, Mozart, Bonnard and Cartier-Bresson. And one central theme in most of his films is the individual striving to define oneself in relation to the forces transforming the world and the way a composite culture is formed in its confrontation with modernity.
However, I personally feel it is the sheer authenticity of the characters and form which constitute the 'Rayness' of Ray. "The raw material of the cinema is life itself", Ray would say. He could bring out the best out of his actors. This exploration of the truth of human behavior and very, very subtle emotions is what makes us feel so strongly for Bishwambhar Roy of Jalshaghar, or Charu of Charulata or Apu of the Trilogy. The grief of Apu at one level becomes my very own, the sudden friendship in Nayak doesn't seem unfamiliar, the unease at the arrival of a stranger in Aguntuk is like a chapter from our daily life and we couldn't help relating ourselves to the four friends of Aranyer Din-Raatri. Ray's deep belief in his own culture wasn't exclusive; his characters are governed by certain things which are cross-cultural, wherein lay Ray's conviction of 'universal essence' of man within the context in which he lives. The portrayal of the subtle nuances of these fundamentals and other filaments of emotion make Siddhartha of Pratidwandi or Amitabha of Kaalpurush, who are defined in the end by a profound sense of loss and guilt, so compelling. But Ray refused to lose faith in man and his films are pervaded by this optimism, which sometimes go unnoticed. His characters, in some way or the other, eventually tend to turn inward from the 'public' to the 'private' space, which reinforces his belief in the triumph of integrity and justice.
The films are not only creative expressions of Ray, but also instances of how Ray represented the distinctive ethos of each film in person. He, while making each film, would be present as the 'other' character, which provided the major drive for the dynamism of his cinematic tone. He would do everything on his own - be it music, designing, editing and even the camera work (post-Charulata films) - in other words, each film was his genius, in every aspect, put together. By this virtue, "he became the film itself". Infact, it was this deep involvement of a Master in his work which would turn every minor object into a well defined character - the mirror in Pratidwandi, the Opra-glasses in Charulata, the Train in Nayak and so on. His films, in the last analysis, deal with Bengalis in particular, but when seen in a broader spectrum, questions some basic aspects faced by every human being while striving to live in a community.
For The Reel; Written By: Saumyashree Ghosh (student of History, UG- III, Jadavpur University) (www.theselfspeaks.blogspot.com)
Under Lens: Genesis From Paper To Screen - 5
Ray was one of few directors who crafted many of his celluloid wonders from paper. He was a well learned person and his work and romance with literature complemented each other uniquely.
Pather Panchali was based on a work by Bibhutibhusan Bandopadhyay. Pather Panchali created fame for Ray. The movie was semi-autobiographical in nature and told story of Apu who is a poor Brahmin. His family is barely able to manage due to poverty. His sister dies and the family moves to Benares, far from their homeland.
Another brilliant movie, Charulata was based on a short story by Tagore titled Nastanirh. Charulata is a story of a lonely lady who develops feelings for her brother-in-law. Though it was a difficult story to showcase in those days, the movie received great accolades. The lead actress Madhabi Mukherjee received applause for her realistic performance and brilliant portrayal.
Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne was extremely successful venture and this fantasy movie was based on a short story for children written by his Grandfather. The movie was based on adventures of Goopy and Bagha and three boons by the King of Ghosts. A sequel was also made titled Hirak Rajar Deshe. This was an indirect satire on Indira Gandhi’s autocratic Emergency.
Aranyer Din Ratri was based on a novel written by Sunil Gangopadhyay. Simi Garewal was casted as a tribal woman. The casting even shocked Garewal herself. This movie presents story of four young men from city who goes to forest for a vacation. A lot happens and the outcome is a classic study of Indian urban middle class. Some people consider this saga to be a more complex story when compared to Charulata.
Another brilliant movie to be crafted out of a work on paper was Shatranj Ke Khiladi. The story was written by Munshi Premchand and the movie was set in Lucknow (Awadh) of 1857, the Mutiny. The movie proudly casted Sanjeev Kumar, Saeed Jaffrey, Amjad Khan, Shabana Azmi, Victor Bannerjee and Richard Attenborough making it the most expensive Ray movie. This was his first film in a non-Bengali language.
In ’84 he directed Ghare Baire based o Tagore’s novel with great help of his son. During the filming Ray suffered a heart attack that put a limit to his physical capabilities.
There was a rift in his career when his work was allegedly stolen by people in Hollywood. Hollywood blockbuster E.T. has striking resemblance to a short story by Ray titled Bankubabur Bandhu published in his family magazine Sandesh. Ray also wanted to direct adaptation of Mahabharat and E.M. Forster’s work A Passage To India. These two projects remained unrealized.
Ray was a great writer in himself. That’s why he knew what a good story meant and how it should be treated. That’s why he is called a cinematic genius. The last Lear…
For The Reel; Written By: Akshay (AK-47)
Pather Panchali was based on a work by Bibhutibhusan Bandopadhyay. Pather Panchali created fame for Ray. The movie was semi-autobiographical in nature and told story of Apu who is a poor Brahmin. His family is barely able to manage due to poverty. His sister dies and the family moves to Benares, far from their homeland.
Another brilliant movie, Charulata was based on a short story by Tagore titled Nastanirh. Charulata is a story of a lonely lady who develops feelings for her brother-in-law. Though it was a difficult story to showcase in those days, the movie received great accolades. The lead actress Madhabi Mukherjee received applause for her realistic performance and brilliant portrayal.
Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne was extremely successful venture and this fantasy movie was based on a short story for children written by his Grandfather. The movie was based on adventures of Goopy and Bagha and three boons by the King of Ghosts. A sequel was also made titled Hirak Rajar Deshe. This was an indirect satire on Indira Gandhi’s autocratic Emergency.
Aranyer Din Ratri was based on a novel written by Sunil Gangopadhyay. Simi Garewal was casted as a tribal woman. The casting even shocked Garewal herself. This movie presents story of four young men from city who goes to forest for a vacation. A lot happens and the outcome is a classic study of Indian urban middle class. Some people consider this saga to be a more complex story when compared to Charulata.
Another brilliant movie to be crafted out of a work on paper was Shatranj Ke Khiladi. The story was written by Munshi Premchand and the movie was set in Lucknow (Awadh) of 1857, the Mutiny. The movie proudly casted Sanjeev Kumar, Saeed Jaffrey, Amjad Khan, Shabana Azmi, Victor Bannerjee and Richard Attenborough making it the most expensive Ray movie. This was his first film in a non-Bengali language.
In ’84 he directed Ghare Baire based o Tagore’s novel with great help of his son. During the filming Ray suffered a heart attack that put a limit to his physical capabilities.
There was a rift in his career when his work was allegedly stolen by people in Hollywood. Hollywood blockbuster E.T. has striking resemblance to a short story by Ray titled Bankubabur Bandhu published in his family magazine Sandesh. Ray also wanted to direct adaptation of Mahabharat and E.M. Forster’s work A Passage To India. These two projects remained unrealized.
Ray was a great writer in himself. That’s why he knew what a good story meant and how it should be treated. That’s why he is called a cinematic genius. The last Lear…
For The Reel; Written By: Akshay (AK-47)
Trivia
1: During his stint at Signet Press, Ray designed cover for many books. Two such books gained outstanding fame- Maneaters Of Kumaon by Jim Corbett and Discovery Of India by Jawahar Lal Nehru.
2: Ray is one of the most successful Science Fiction writers of this country. His character Prof. Shonku receives accolades across the globe. Ray also created a legendary character named Feluda who is like Indian Holmes.
3: Ray was deeply involved in the art of calligraphy and created four fonts for roman script named Ray Roman, Ray Bizarre, Daphnis and Holiday Script.
4: Audrey Hepburn came to India to give Ray his Academy Award i.e. honorary Oscar in 1992. Hepburn was Ray’s favorite actress. The award recognized his life long effort to improve the quality of cinema.
5: With Madhabi Mukherjee, Ray was the first Indian film personality to feature on a foreign stamp in Dominica.
6: The concept of E.T. was allegedly a rip off Ray’s script. Though Spielberg denied the charges, the similarities are striking.
7: Ray was an alumnus of the Presidency College and Vishwabharati (Shantiniketan).
Comments From Readers Who Remembered Him On This Occasion
Sumit Banerjee (Student-Lucknow) remarked: “It takes a world to understand his cinema… but it worth it. Really!”
Tulika Bhargava (Call Center Employee-New Delhi) noted: “Ray may be labeled as slow, but like glacier his influence is remarkable. Pather Panchali is a visual treat. It explores the true India, something that echoes in Mother India, though extremely loudly. These two movies are the milestones of India Cinema…”
Amitesh Singh (Call Center Employee-New Delhi) said: “I was not a Ray fan till I watched Shatranj Ke Khiladi. I don’t know Bengali, but I loved Pather Panchali when I saw it online. Ray was really good. He deserved all the fame and laurels he is bestowed upon.”
Souvika Das (Student- Kolkata) remarked: “Ray was not a filmmaker… he was a journey. Watching his cinema means a journey to life.”
Comments From Eminent Personalities
Akira Kurosawa on Ray: “Not to have seen the cinema of Ray means existing in the world without seeing the sun or the moon”
Helen Goritsas on Ray: “His films come as close to complete personal expression as may be possible in cinema”
J.M.Coetzee on Apu Trilogy: “At the Everyman Cinema there is a season of Satyajit Ray. He watches the Apu trilogy on successive nights in a state of rapt absorption. In Apu's bitter, trapped mother, his engaging, feckless father he recognizes, with a pang of guilt, his own parents. But it is the music above all that grips him, dizzyingly complex interplays between drums and stringed instruments, long arias on the flute whose scale or mode - he does not know enough about music theory to be sure which - catches at his heart, sending him into a mood of sensual melancholy that last long after the film has ended.”
Sir V.S. Naipaul on a scene in Shatranj Ke Khiladi: “Only three hundred words are spoken but goodness! Terrific things happen”
Terrence Rafferty observed in the Times article: “Some of the films in this series like the nutty fairy-tale picaresque Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne (1968), can be a little baffling for non-Indian audiences; nothing travels worse than folk humour. And some might make you feel as if you needed to know a good deal more about the history and politics of the subcontinent -- and specifically Ray's native Bengal, where most of his stories are set -- to understand the finer nuances of the characters' behavior... Ray, however, has nuances to burn: you can miss quite a few and still feel as if you know his people intimately.”
Critique: The Apu Trilogy
The Apu Trilogy is the most celebrated series of Indian Cinema. The trilogy consists of three ageless movies in Bangla: Pather Panchali, Aparajito and Apur Sansar based on works of Bangla writer Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay. The movies and the man behind them- Satyajit Ray became legends of cinema-folklore. They won numerous National and International awards apart from exceptional critical acclaim putting the man at par with Akira Kurosawa, another legend.
Pather Panchali is story of young Apu who is born into a Brahmin family in Bengal. Though they belong to high caste, they are poor. This reflects the fact that poverty is not restricted to any caste or community. His father faces difficulties in maintaining family budget and when Apu’s sister Durga dies, the family decides to move to Benares. The influence of famed movie Bicycle Thieves is evident from Ray’s cinema.
Second movie, Aparajito continues from where Pather Panchali drew the curtains. Family finances are still dwindling and Apu’s father expires. Apu and his mother returns to rural Bengal. Nothing suits more than homeland. It highlights nostalgia of a Bengali commoner. Despite of tight economics at home front, Apu gets proper education which is a must in upper castes in Bengal. Fortunately, he proves to be a good student. However, he faces numerous issues at home and when his mother dies, everything ends… the issues with his mother and a support for growing Apu. He finally learns how to live alone.
The final story in the trilogy, Apur Sansar is unique in story telling and content. Apu gives a try to writing as a career and in course of events marry a girl. The girl is a strong character as before her marriage to Apu, she rejected a groom with ill mental state. Ray identifies the enlightened Bengali girls with this character. Life after marriage is beautiful but it doesn’t last long. She dies during child birth and in rage, Apu abandons his child. Finally, every thing falls at right place as Apu realizes that he is at mistake and accepts his responsibilities.
Without compromising on ethics, Ray created magic. The trilogy was supported by the West Bengal Government. He suffered many setbacks due to lack of funds and rejecting funding when the producer wanted a command on script. He began with amateur talent and many of them received acclaim of highest level. Example- Sharmila Tagore, Soumitra Chatterjee, Subrata Mitra (cameraman) and Bansi Chandragupta (art director). The music of the trilogy was created by Ravi Shankar.
Today, the trilogy is not rated as the best of Parallel Cinema or Indian Cinema… it is considered to be a part of the cream of Global Cinema. Apu’s influence and popularity can be judged by a small example- a character in American animated series The Simpsons is name Apu Nahasapeemapetilon.
For The Reel; Written By: Sujoy Ghosh
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Editor's Pen
Well, first of all Good Morning. It’s Morning because; we are viewing a new beginning in our blog.
Last time, I talked about a Satyajit Ray special. I got some mails; fortunately positive. Ray is a shining of world cinema. His Apu Trilogy and other works have been fabulous. In the mid of July, we will witness a Ray Special.
This month in the latter half, the cinema world was shattered by the Shiney Ahuja Scam. News channels have been flooded with news and channels have already convicted the accused. We condemn the brutal act against womanhood Ahuja is accused of. If he has done so; spare no mercy. But; I would like to raise an issue here. Why are we so prejudiced about filmstars?
Court had sent him in remand but still he is an accused. He should be treated accordingly. Why every channel is making their news spicy by adding footage of romantic scenes of the movies? They want to show news or put shame on sale. It’s nothing more than mockery of victim’s pain and suffering.
Nothing should influence the case. If you don’t want Shiney to manipulate, then please don’t do the same against him. Let the trial be free. More experienced people will be passing the judgment. By creating an environment of hatred against the actor; don’t make things difficult for the jury.
If he had done the crime; let justice prevail and Shiney face severest of severe punishment. The act of violating a woman is condemnable. It should be reverted with hardest of all punishments. Even a death penalty may not suffice.
Whatever has happened is a shame.
Wishes…
Sujoy Ghosh
Eyes Read it: demise of the MJ and beyond
He is pioneer of music videos as we know it, he even had his “bad” video directed by Martin Scorsese,no less. He was the first ever African-American artist to feature on MTV.
Net traffic rose 500%, as the news spread with sites like Twitter crashing, whereas Google slowed down heavily. We at Reel pay homage to one of the biggest star of all time, for breaking racial divide and for his appeal to all.
Love Aaj Kal seems to be a good bet with Imtiaz Ali at director’s chair. Promos are interesting to say the least.
Terminator Salvation just checked into theaters. It is a can –see movie, but sadly it isn’t half as good as T-2 or T-1.
Mrs. Jaya Bachchan is so upset with Ash not winning trophy for “Jodhaa Akbar” at IIFA. Well only few words for you ma’am, even if Amitabh Bachchan nearly owns IIFA, learn respect the jury’s decision. Jayaji hadn’t seen Priyanka’s performance before deciding that her daughter-in-law was better. Such pomp...
A few days to go for ‘Kambakht Ishq’, we have our fingers crossed.
The Critique: Khoya Khoya Chand
Starring Shiney Ahuja, Soha Ali Khan and Rajat Kapoor and directed by talented Sudhir Mishra, KKC was a movie that should have done well but it lacked something that made it just another boring art movie.
The movie is about three people. Shiney as Zafar, Soha as Nikhat and Rajat as Prem Kumar. The movie showcases era of 50s and 60s. Zafar is a writer with exceptional talent. Nikhat is a beautiful wannabe actress and Prem Kumar is a successful actor of the era. Zafar liberates Nikhat from influence of Prem Kumar. But life is not that easy. Prem Kumar is a strong man of industry and knows how to manage his opposition. Zafar faces a lot of problems and almost ruin himself. Nikhat pays back by giving her finest performance in Zafar’s movie Khoya Khoya Chand.
The movie used the era of 50s as the backdrop. It showed how powerful actors of the age used their power to control the lives of less powerful people around; especially the helpless actresses without any background. It also shows how difficult it was to be an actress. The third dimension; Zafar had a very complex life. Lot of darkness and love for Nikhat.
Music was a positive point. Shantanu Moitra did a fine job by recreating the charm of 50s and keeping honesty of composer intact. Scores are good and at least not pick-ups from old melodies.
Movie was good as a package but it lacked the fire that should have been there. It was very slow and story telling lacked the sparkle of Hazaron Khwaishien Aisi, another Sudhir Mishra movie- a brilliant movie. Despite of showcasing nice acting performance and a nice story plot, KKC was a mediocre movie. One should always raise the bar!
For The Reel; Written By: Apoorv ‘Don’ Kushwaha
The movie is about three people. Shiney as Zafar, Soha as Nikhat and Rajat as Prem Kumar. The movie showcases era of 50s and 60s. Zafar is a writer with exceptional talent. Nikhat is a beautiful wannabe actress and Prem Kumar is a successful actor of the era. Zafar liberates Nikhat from influence of Prem Kumar. But life is not that easy. Prem Kumar is a strong man of industry and knows how to manage his opposition. Zafar faces a lot of problems and almost ruin himself. Nikhat pays back by giving her finest performance in Zafar’s movie Khoya Khoya Chand.
The movie used the era of 50s as the backdrop. It showed how powerful actors of the age used their power to control the lives of less powerful people around; especially the helpless actresses without any background. It also shows how difficult it was to be an actress. The third dimension; Zafar had a very complex life. Lot of darkness and love for Nikhat.
Music was a positive point. Shantanu Moitra did a fine job by recreating the charm of 50s and keeping honesty of composer intact. Scores are good and at least not pick-ups from old melodies.
Movie was good as a package but it lacked the fire that should have been there. It was very slow and story telling lacked the sparkle of Hazaron Khwaishien Aisi, another Sudhir Mishra movie- a brilliant movie. Despite of showcasing nice acting performance and a nice story plot, KKC was a mediocre movie. One should always raise the bar!
For The Reel; Written By: Apoorv ‘Don’ Kushwaha
Statesmen: Stanley Cortez (Cinematographer) Born
100 years ago (November 04, 1908), in his life Stanislaus Krantz ; better known as Stanley Cortez, influenced cinema far more than many ace filmmakers. His work spoke for him.
Stanley was a cinematographer who created magic with his lens and introduced innovations in the art. In his career, he worked in about seventy movies.
He sharpened his skills under guidance of Karl Struss, Charles Rosher and Arthur C. Miller. His talent was first highlighted with an experimental movie drew on techniques of Slavko Vorkapic; named Scherzo (1932). The success followed up with Orson Welles’ The Magnificent Ambersons (’42), The Night of Hunter (’55), The Three Faces Of Eve (’57), Shock Corridor (’63) and The Naked Kiss (’64).
Cinematographer’s biggest task is to capture the vision in eyes of the director. It is tough because imagination can flow anywhere. But, a lot was done by Stanley in this regard. His works are milestones. In The Forgotten Woman, he created the illusion of reading into mind by taking extreme close-ups. In The Magnificent Ambersons, he captured the vision of Welles by capturing large sets on camera.
Stanley mastered the art of psychological dramas. Shots of drunkenness were shot in innovative way by flashing lights inside the camera. This was a brilliant innovation in terms of technology. Shots matching the music in background and modulations in lighting were two other innovations that made him a legend. He was able to blend the story and vision of film-maker with the magic of lenses.
Today, illusions are easy to create; thanks Bill Gates and likes for that; but ages ago illusions were outcome of thought and just camera. Today its technology, those days it was just genius. Stanley left the world in 1997 but the world would remember him through his works. Man is mortal but his works can immortalize him.
For The Reel; Written By: Sujoy Ghosh
Stanley was a cinematographer who created magic with his lens and introduced innovations in the art. In his career, he worked in about seventy movies.
He sharpened his skills under guidance of Karl Struss, Charles Rosher and Arthur C. Miller. His talent was first highlighted with an experimental movie drew on techniques of Slavko Vorkapic; named Scherzo (1932). The success followed up with Orson Welles’ The Magnificent Ambersons (’42), The Night of Hunter (’55), The Three Faces Of Eve (’57), Shock Corridor (’63) and The Naked Kiss (’64).
Cinematographer’s biggest task is to capture the vision in eyes of the director. It is tough because imagination can flow anywhere. But, a lot was done by Stanley in this regard. His works are milestones. In The Forgotten Woman, he created the illusion of reading into mind by taking extreme close-ups. In The Magnificent Ambersons, he captured the vision of Welles by capturing large sets on camera.
Stanley mastered the art of psychological dramas. Shots of drunkenness were shot in innovative way by flashing lights inside the camera. This was a brilliant innovation in terms of technology. Shots matching the music in background and modulations in lighting were two other innovations that made him a legend. He was able to blend the story and vision of film-maker with the magic of lenses.
Today, illusions are easy to create; thanks Bill Gates and likes for that; but ages ago illusions were outcome of thought and just camera. Today its technology, those days it was just genius. Stanley left the world in 1997 but the world would remember him through his works. Man is mortal but his works can immortalize him.
For The Reel; Written By: Sujoy Ghosh
Hammers High: Good artists create... Great artists steal
Some movies are controversial to the core, yet there are no rifts as the icons who may suffer are too busy to suffer. Steve Jobs and Bill Gates; two revolutionaries of IT world were tested in ‘unauthorized’ ‘made for television docudrama’ Pirates Of Silicon Valley.
First of all, the director Martyn Burke didn’t interviewed either Jobs or Gates because he was making an unauthorized biopic. Strange; because one is supposed to consider story of at least one party to create a plot. One shall not take independence of speech so liberally. Somebody’s life could be on stake! Its against ethics.
The movie was factually wrong at many places. Example; it was shown that MS owns stakes in Apple. The truth is a bit different. It once owned stakes without any power and sold it back to Apple after two months.
One important character; Steve Woznaik, on his website said that though personalities were accurately portrayed, events were not accurate. Many other people shown or under influence rubbished the movie thoroughly. But since it was unauthorized, they were safe. Guess; if they had been in India? Jobs and Gates took the movie sportingly. Research was definitely done but the darker shade was glorified. The tagline read- Good artists create... Great artists steal. Anyways, it was rewarded well with five Emmy nominations.
For The Reel; Written By: Sujoy Ghosh
First of all, the director Martyn Burke didn’t interviewed either Jobs or Gates because he was making an unauthorized biopic. Strange; because one is supposed to consider story of at least one party to create a plot. One shall not take independence of speech so liberally. Somebody’s life could be on stake! Its against ethics.
The movie was factually wrong at many places. Example; it was shown that MS owns stakes in Apple. The truth is a bit different. It once owned stakes without any power and sold it back to Apple after two months.
One important character; Steve Woznaik, on his website said that though personalities were accurately portrayed, events were not accurate. Many other people shown or under influence rubbished the movie thoroughly. But since it was unauthorized, they were safe. Guess; if they had been in India? Jobs and Gates took the movie sportingly. Research was definitely done but the darker shade was glorified. The tagline read- Good artists create... Great artists steal. Anyways, it was rewarded well with five Emmy nominations.
For The Reel; Written By: Sujoy Ghosh
Under lens: Genesis from paper to screen-4
This time for genesis we figured out we would turn to the ‘glam-paper’ i.e. Graphic Novel for our paper to screen series.
Well for the uninitiated a Graphic Novel is kind of comic book, but with complex storylines (often with non-comic book themes), are more like novels and hence the name.
Here is our list of best Graphic Novel-to-movie adaptations:
Graphic Novel- “Batman: Year One”, “The Long Halloween” Movie- “Batman Begins”
In 1997, “Batman & Robin” saw the demise of Batman movie franchise. The series was in need of a savior, and savior it got, in the form of director Christopher Nolan. Nolan decided to base the story on the above mentioned Graphic novels, first of which was by Frank Miller. The movie set the origin, philosophy and motivation of Batman. With strong Bruce Wayne/Batman characterization in place, the movie was a fitting franchise start.
Graphic Novel- “300” Movie- “300”
This 2006 movie is memorable for its stellar visual styling and six pack cast. Each frame seems like a beautiful painting. Here’s the catch, if you come across the graphic novel you’ll be surprised to notice how the screenplay is a frame by frame copy of the novel by Frank Miller in most parts. It tells the story of how 300 men guarded a bottleneck to Greece from oncoming Persian army, so that rest of Greece is gets the news of attack. Who can forget the roar “THIS IS SPARTA”.
Graphic Novel- “Persepolis” Movie- “Persepolis”
The movie shows Iran after the Islamic revolution through the eyes of a little girl who is forced to follow rules of Islam whereas she has a soft corner for many things Western. The Graphic Novel is autobiographical, following childhood of Marjane Satrapi, is rendered in simple black and white but it delivers sharp social anatomy of Post-revolution Iran.
Graphic Novel- “V for Vendetta” Movie- “V for Vendatta”
A Wachowiski brothers movie, was based on a ten issue graphic novel by Alan Moore. Set in future Britain, taken over by a fascist party. Then ‘V’ an anarchist in Guy Fawkes mask starts to bring down the government. Sharp, political, ‘V...’ is both an interesting read and watch.
Graphic Novel- “The Crow” Movie- “The Crow”
“The Crow” is regarded to be the most underrated Comic/GN based movie. Crow tells the story of a dead rock guitarist avenging murder and rape of his girlfriend. In 1994 Crow was way ahead of its time and to top it, it had a superb rock score. Lead actor Brandon Lee lost his life shooting for the climatic scene. Beg borrow or steal, go watch it.
P.S. Doesn’t Crow images eerily remind you of some recent hit character, whose Actor too lost his life after the Iconic role. We’ll do an article exclusively on the same later on.
For The Reel;Written By: Ali ‘Rosebud’ Naqvi
Well for the uninitiated a Graphic Novel is kind of comic book, but with complex storylines (often with non-comic book themes), are more like novels and hence the name.
Here is our list of best Graphic Novel-to-movie adaptations:
Graphic Novel- “Batman: Year One”, “The Long Halloween” Movie- “Batman Begins”In 1997, “Batman & Robin” saw the demise of Batman movie franchise. The series was in need of a savior, and savior it got, in the form of director Christopher Nolan. Nolan decided to base the story on the above mentioned Graphic novels, first of which was by Frank Miller. The movie set the origin, philosophy and motivation of Batman. With strong Bruce Wayne/Batman characterization in place, the movie was a fitting franchise start.
Graphic Novel- “300” Movie- “300”This 2006 movie is memorable for its stellar visual styling and six pack cast. Each frame seems like a beautiful painting. Here’s the catch, if you come across the graphic novel you’ll be surprised to notice how the screenplay is a frame by frame copy of the novel by Frank Miller in most parts. It tells the story of how 300 men guarded a bottleneck to Greece from oncoming Persian army, so that rest of Greece is gets the news of attack. Who can forget the roar “THIS IS SPARTA”.
Graphic Novel- “Persepolis” Movie- “Persepolis”The movie shows Iran after the Islamic revolution through the eyes of a little girl who is forced to follow rules of Islam whereas she has a soft corner for many things Western. The Graphic Novel is autobiographical, following childhood of Marjane Satrapi, is rendered in simple black and white but it delivers sharp social anatomy of Post-revolution Iran.
Graphic Novel- “V for Vendetta” Movie- “V for Vendatta”A Wachowiski brothers movie, was based on a ten issue graphic novel by Alan Moore. Set in future Britain, taken over by a fascist party. Then ‘V’ an anarchist in Guy Fawkes mask starts to bring down the government. Sharp, political, ‘V...’ is both an interesting read and watch.
Graphic Novel- “The Crow” Movie- “The Crow”“The Crow” is regarded to be the most underrated Comic/GN based movie. Crow tells the story of a dead rock guitarist avenging murder and rape of his girlfriend. In 1994 Crow was way ahead of its time and to top it, it had a superb rock score. Lead actor Brandon Lee lost his life shooting for the climatic scene. Beg borrow or steal, go watch it.
P.S. Doesn’t Crow images eerily remind you of some recent hit character, whose Actor too lost his life after the Iconic role. We’ll do an article exclusively on the same later on.
For The Reel;Written By: Ali ‘Rosebud’ Naqvi
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