Following this, the Editor of Filmfare, Jitesh Pillaai, wrote, “Legend has it that Ray started shooting Pather Panchali (1955) with personal funds in 1952 and continued the process for three years, based on when he or his production manager Anil Chowdhury could raise funds. The film rose to dizzying international acclaim, winning the Best Human Document prize at Cannes. No less a person than Akira Kurosawa described it thus, “I can never forget the excitement in my mind after seeing it. I have had several more opportunities to see the film since then and each time I feel more overwhelmed. It is the kind of cinema that flows with the serenity and nobility of a big river…”
Apart from his numerous films like Pather Panchali, Apu Trilogy, Devi, Charulata, Mahanagar, Nayak and many more gems, which taught us about life and about hope and about many facets of truth – his other contribution is introducing a great set of actors. People like Soumitra Chatterjee and Sharmila Tagore, like Jaya Bhaduri, like Aparna Sen… and so many known and unknown actors who scaled new heights because they worked in a Ray film. He wasn’t just a noted filmmaker but was a poet, novelist – his Feluda novels are still read today – a composer, editor, painter, illustrator he’s designed the covers of many books, including Jim Corbett’s Maneaters of Kumaon, and Jawaharlal Nehru’s Discovery of India. In short, he was a true Renaissance Man, the likes of him we sorely miss today.”
Also read : Satyajit Ray’s Restored Classic Aranyer Din Ratri to Release Across India This November
