Satyajit Ray

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May 2, 1921

April 23, 1992

Bijoya Das (m. 1949–1992)

Did We Miss Any?

Writer

Tintorettor Jishu (2008) (novel, screenplay, story)

Kailashey Kelenkari (2007) (novel, screenplay)

Bombaiyer Bombete (2003) (novel, screenplay) (story)

Target (1995) (writer)

Uttoran (1994) (screenplay, story)

Agantuk (1991) (screenplay,story) (director, producer) ()

Goopy Bagha Phire Elo (1991) (story)

Shakha Proshakha (1990) (writer, director)

Ganashatru (1990) (writer, director)

Ghare-Baire (1984) (writer, director)

Phatik Chand (1983) (novel, screenplay)

Pikoor Diary (1981) (TV) (writer, director)

Sadgati (1981) (TV) (dialogue, screenplay) (director)

Heerak Rajar Deshe (1980) (writer, director)

Joi Baba Felunath (1979) (novel, screenplay) (director)

Shatranj Ke Khilari (1977) (dialogue, screenplay) (director)

Jana Aranya (1976) (writer, director)

Sonar Kella (1974) (writer, director)

Ashani Sanket (1973) (writer, director)

Pratidwandi (1972) (writer, director)

The Inner Eye (1972) (writer, director)

Seemabaddha (1971) (writer, director)

Sikkim (1971) (writer, director)

Aranyer Din Ratri (1970) (scenario)(director)

Baksa Badal (1970) (writer)

Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne (1968) (screenplay) (director)

Chiriyakhana (1967) (writer, director)

Nayak (1966) (writer, director)

Kapurush (1965) (writer, director)

Charulata (1964) (writer, director)

Mahanagar (1963) (writer, director)

Abhijaan (1962) (writer ,director)

Kanchenjungha (1962) (writer, director, producer)

Teen Kanya (1961) (writer, director, producer)

Rabindranath Tagore (1961) (writer, director)

Devi (1960) (writer,director, producer)

Apur Sansar (1959) (writer, director, producer)

Jalsaghar (1958) (writer, director, producer)

Aparajito (1956) (writer, director, producer)

Pather Panchali (1955) (writer, director)

Chinnamul (1950) (uncredited)

Director

Baksha Rahasya (1996) (co-director)

Sukumar Ray (1987)

Bala (1976)

Mahapurush (1965)

Two (1965) (TV)

Parash Pathar (1958)

Appearances

The 64th Annual Academy Awards (1992) (TV)

The Music of Satyajit Ray (1984)

Satyajit Ray, Filmmaker (1982)

"The South Bank Show" (1 episode, 1978)

Cinema & Screenplays

Our Films Their Films (1994)

Ecrits sur le Cinéma (French translation of "Our Films Their Films") (1983)

My years with Apu (1994)

The Chess Players and other screenplays (1989)

Childhood Days - A Memoir (1998)

Shampa Banerjee. The Apu trilogy (1985)

Pather Panchali (1984)

Fiction & Other

Best of Satyajit Ray (2001)

Night of the Indigo (2000)

Bravo Professor Shonku (1993)

Mystery of the Pink Pearl; The Final Feluda Stories (1998)

Royal Bengal Mystery and Other Feluda Stories (1998)

House of Death and Other Feluda Stories (1997)

The Mystery of the Elephant God: More Adventures of Feluda (1997)

Feluda's Last Case (1995)

Twenty Stories (1992)

Chitrita Banerji (Translator) The Adventures of Feluda (1988)

Stories (1987)

The Unicorn Expedition, and Other Fantastic Tales of India (1987)

Henri. Henri Cartier-Bresson in India. Foreword by Satyajit Ray (1987)

Phatik Chand (1984)

Nonsense rhymes Translated by Satyajit Ray (1970)

The Academy Awards

1992 Honorary Award For his rare mastery of the art of motion pictures and for his profound humanitarian outlook, which has had an indelible influence on filmmakers and audiences throughout the world. Satyajit Ray was not present at the awards ceremony. His acceptance speech was pre-recorded in Calcutta.

Berlin International Film Festival

1978 Nominated Golden Berlin Bear for: Shatranj Ke Khilari (1977)

1973 Won Golden Berlin Bear for: Ashani Sanket (1973)

1970 Nominated Golden Berlin Bear for: Aranyer Din Ratri (1970)

1969 Nominated Golden Berlin Bear for: Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne (1968)

1966 Won Special Mention for: Nayak (1966)

1966 Won UNICRIT Award for: Nayak (1966)

1966 Nominated Golden Berlin Bear for: Nayak (1966)

1965 Won OCIC Award for: Charulata (1964)

1965 Won Silver Berlin Bear Best Director for: Charulata (1964)

1965 Nominated Golden Berlin Bear for: Charulata (1964)

1964 Won Silver Berlin Bear Best Director for: Mahanagar (1963)

1964 Nominated Golden Berlin Bear for: Mahanagar (1963)

Bodil Awards

1969 Won Bodil Best Non-European Film (Bedste ikke-europæiske film) for: Pather Panchali (1955)

1967 Won Bodil Best Non-European Film (Bedste ikke-europæiske film) for: Aparajito (1956)

British Film Institute Awards

1959 Won Sutherland Trophy for: Apur Sansar (1959)

Cannes Film Festival

1984 Nominated Golden Palm for: Ghare-Baire (1984)

1962 Nominated Golden Palm for: Devi (1960)

1958 Nominated Golden Palm for: Parash Pathar (1958)

1956 Won Award Best Human Document for: Pather Panchali (1955)

1956 Won OCIC Award - Special Mention for: Pather Panchali (1955)

1956 Nominated Golden Palm for: Pather Panchali (1955)

Filmfare Awards

1979 Won Filmfare Award Best Director for: Shatranj Ke Khilari (1977)

1978 Won Filmfare Award Best Film - Critics for: Shatranj Ke Khilari (1977)

Kinema Junpo Awards

1967 Won Kinema Junpo Award Best Foreign Language Film for: Pather Panchali (1955)

Moscow International Film Festival

1979 Won Honorary Prize For the contribution to the cinema

1959 Nominated Grand Prix for: Jalsaghar (1958)

National Film Awards, India

1994 Won Silver Lotus Award Best Screenplay for: Uttoran (1994)

1992 Won Golden Lotus Award Best Direction for: Agantuk (1991)

1982 Won Special Mention for: Sadgati (1981) (TV)

1981 Won Silver Lotus Award Best Music Director for: Heerak Rajar Deshe (1980)

1979 Won Golden Lotus Award Best Children's Film for: Joi Baba Felunath (1979)

1976 Won Golden Lotus Award Best Direction for: Jana Aranya (1976)

1975 Won Golden Lotus Award Best Direction for: Sonar Kella (1974)

1975 Won Silver Lotus Award Best Screenplay for: Sonar Kella (1974)

1974 Won Silver Lotus Award Best Music Director for: Ashani Sanket (1973)

1971 Won Golden Lotus Award Best Direction for: Pratidwandi (1972)

1971 Won Silver Lotus Award Best Screenplay for: Pratidwandi (1972)

1969 Won Golden Lotus Award Best Direction for: Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne (1968)

1968 Won Golden Lotus Award Best Direction for: Chiriyakhana (1967)

1967 Won Silver Lotus Award Best Screenplay for: Nayak (1966)

San Francisco International Film Festival

1992 Akira Kurosawa Award

1958 Won Golden Gate Award Best Director for: Aparajito (1956)

1957 Won Golden Gate Award Best Director for: Pather Panchali (1955)

1957 Won Golden Gate Award Best Picture for: Pather Panchali (1955)

Tokyo International Film Festival

1991 Won Special Achievement Award Young Cinema Competition

Venice Film Festival

1982 Career Golden Lion

1965 Nominated Golden Lion for: Kapurush (1965)

1957 Won Golden Lion for: Aparajito (1956)

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Film, as a purely technological medium of expression, developed in the West. The concept of an art form existing in time is a Western concept, not an Indian one. So, in order to understand cinema as a medium, it helps if one is familiar with the West and Western art forms. A Bengali folk artist, or a primitive artist, will not be able to understand the cinema as an art form. Someone who has had a Western education is definitely at an advantage.

I never imagined that any of my films, especially Pather Panchali, would be seen throughout this country or in other countries. The fact that they have is an indication that, if you're able to portray universal feelings, universal relations, emotions, and characters, you can cross certain barriers and reach out to others, even non-Bengalis.

The director is the only person who knows what the film is about.

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Satyajit Ray was born into a cultured Calcutta family. His father was Sukumar Ray, a pioneering Bengali writer of nonsense rhyme and children's literature, an illustrator and a critic and his mother was Suprabha Ray.

His ancestry is traced back at least ten generations. Ray's grandfather, Upendrakishore Ray was a writer, illustrator, philosopher, publisher, amateur astronomer and a leader of the Brahmo Samaj, a religious and social movement in nineteenth century Bengal. He also set up a printing press by the name of U. Ray and Sons, which formed a crucial backdrop to Satyajit's life.

In the 1880's, Ray's family embraced the 'Brahmo Samaj' sect within Hindu society. Brahmo was a reaction to Christianity (at that time, India was under British colonial rule and Calcutta was the seat of power). The progressive outlook of the Brahmo Samaj strongly influenced Satyajit Ray's work.

He majored in economics at the University of Calcuta.

He found his real calling was in the study of painting and art history at Santinikatan, the centre of learning run by Hindu poet and family friend Rabindranath Tagore.

Along with Chidananda Dasgupta and others, Ray founded the Calcutta Film Society in 1947.

Satyajit Ray designed four typefaces for roman script named Ray Roman, Ray Bizarre, Daphnis, and Holiday Script, apart from numerous Bengali ones for the Sandesh magazine.

Until 1977 all his films were made in Bengali, but The Chess Players was released that year in both Hindi and English.

Ray wrote over forty fiction and non-fiction books in Bengali. Many of Ray’s screenplays too have been published in Bengali. Only a handful of them are available in English. The Bengali books are difficult to find.

Ray’s output slowed down in the 1980s after he suffered several heart attacks. His heart complications continued and he passed away on April 23rd, 1992

A statue of Satyajit Ray was unveiled in Melbourne, Australia in September 2012 to honor him for his outstanding contribution in the field of cinema. The official statement said the unveiling of the statue of Ray, who is considered one of the pioneers of the 20th century Indian cinema, is a mark of honour to acknowledge his outstanding contribution to cinema.

Must-see Movies

Pather Panchali (1955)

Aparajito (1956)

Apur Sansar (1959)

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