5/9/2016

10SatyajitRayfilmsthatshouldberereleasedRediff.com

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10SatyajitRayfilmsthatshouldberereleased
May04,201610:34IST

OneofIndia'stopfilmmakersSatyajitRajwouldhavebeen95onMay2.
Wecelebratehimbyrepublishingaspecialseriesofarticlesthroughtheweek.

Image:AscenefromMahanagar

atyajitRaysstriking1963filmMahanagarhasbeendigitallyrestoredandrereleasedinBritishtheatres.Whilecritics
therewaxenviablyaboutTheBigCity,wewantedtolookbackatRayfilmsthatwouldbebestsuitedforatheatricalrelease
alloveragain.
Sothis,then,isnotaBestOfRay,butratheraselectionthatshowcaseshisrange,asetofmoviesthatshowoffhiseffortless
masteryofthecraftbutalsomoviesthatsimplyandirresistiblyappealtousall.
Moviesthatwouldworkwondersforanygenerationluckyenoughtoseethemonthebigscreen.

AranyerDinRatri

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10SatyajitRayfilmsthatshouldberereleasedRediff.com

Image:SimiGarewalinAranyerDinRatri

ranslatedasDaysAndNightsInTheForest,thiswellloved1970Rayfilmfocussesonagroupoffriendsescapingthe
bustleofthecitybyheadingtoatribaloutpostinBihar.
Theystumbleacrosswomenofeveryimaginablekind,nearlyandwhilethingsstartoffsunnilyenough,itisafilmwithan
inevitablydarkcentre.
HirakRaja'rDeshe

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10SatyajitRayfilmsthatshouldberereleasedRediff.com

Image:TheHirakRaja'rDesheposter

sequeltothefantasticalGoopyGyneBaghaByne,Ray'spoliticalallegoryagainsttheCongressatthetimeofthe
Emergencyremainsscathing.
Thereismuchdrollerybutthisanticensorshiptaleringsmorerelevantwitheachpassing(election)year.
Nayak

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10SatyajitRayfilmsthatshouldberereleasedRediff.com

Image:AscenefromNayak

ecidingtocastBengal'sbiggeststar,UttamKumar,inafilmaboutsuperstardom,Rayproceededtoblowthebloody
doorsoffconventionality.
Ahauntinglysurrealfilmsetduringatrainjourney,itchattilyshootsthebreezebeforeplungingheadlongintonightmares.
ShatranjKeKhiladi

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10SatyajitRayfilmsthatshouldberereleasedRediff.com

Image:SanjeevKumarandSayeedJafferiinShatranjKeKhiladi

ay'sonlyHindifeaturenotcountingthemadefortelevisionSadgatithisimmaculatelycraftedfilmwasbasedona
Premchandstoryofthesamename.
Nuanced,beautifullywrittenandacted,itcanprovideanidealgatewaytothemaster'swork.

Devi

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10SatyajitRayfilmsthatshouldberereleasedRediff.com

Image:SharmilaTagoreinDevi

householdisdisruptedwhenthepatriarchdreamsthathisdaughterisareincarnationofthegoddessKali.

Convincedthatthedreamistrue,hestartsbelievinginitalongwithseveralpeoplearoundhim,includingher.
Amagnificentlyactedfilm,Deviboastsofasubjectwithuniversalappeal.

Charulata

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10SatyajitRayfilmsthatshouldberereleasedRediff.com

Image:MadhabiMukherjeeinCharulata

neofRaysmostpopularandlovedfilms,thismasterfuladaptationofaTagorenovellaiswistful,poeticandalmost
breathlesslyromantic.
Agorgeousfilmwithmanyamemorableandindeed,quotablemoment,thisisoneofthemostirresistibleRayfilms.
Andoneoftheveryfewhehimselfconsideredatriumph.
Pratidwandi

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10SatyajitRayfilmsthatshouldberereleasedRediff.com

Image:AscenefromPratidwandi

hefirstinRaysacclaimedCityTrilogy,PratidwandiTheAdversaryisahighlystylisticandedgyfilm,fullofjumpcuts
andvisualinnuendonotseenintherestofthedirectorsouerve.
AdramasetagainsttheNaxaliteuprisinginBengal,thismakesforverycompellingviewingindeed.
SonarKella

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10SatyajitRayfilmsthatshouldberereleasedRediff.com

Image:TheSonarKellaposter

tatimewhenByomkeshBakshisarerunningamok,itwouldbefuntorevisitRaysowndetectiveFeludaathisbrightest
hour.
TheGoldenFortressisagloriouslyentertainingadventure,andwhileRaysByomkeshattempt,Chiriyakhana,didntwork
toowell,histakeonhisowncharacterisexpectedlysmashing.
TeenKanya

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10SatyajitRayfilmsthatshouldberereleasedRediff.com

Image:TheTeenKanyaposter

aytookthreeverydifferentTagorestoriesandmadethreeshortfilms,clubbingthemtogetherinthiscollectioncalled
ThreeDaughtersbutoftenreleasedasTwoDaughtersbecauseonestoryhasntbeendigitallyrestored.
Thefilmsaredramatic,funnyandeveneerie,anditsamazingtoseehowRayhitsallthebeatsright.
Jalsaghar

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10SatyajitRayfilmsthatshouldberereleasedRediff.com

Image:AscenefromJalsaghar

yabsolutefavouriteRayfilm,thisdramaaboutanagingzamindarclingingontothelastvestigesofhisgloryorhis
inflatedsenseofgloryisadramasogooditcanworkasahorrorfilmtothemorenarcissisticamongus.
TherecentCriterionCollectionrestorationofthefilmismarvellous,andthefilmpacksthemostpotentofcinematicwallops.
RajaSeninMumbai

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