Satyajit Ray was an Indian filmmaker, regarded as one of the greatest auteur of world cinema. He received major awards in his career, including 32 Indian National Film Awards, a number of awards at international film festivals and award ceremonies and an Academy Award for lifetime achievement in 1992.
CHARULATA (THE LONELY WIFE)
DCP/HD (Restored) - 1964 - 119min - B&W - DRAMA
BHUPATI, a wealthy man with a bent towards journalism in 19th century India, neglects Charulata, his wife to pursue politics. Amal, his brother, comes for a visit and after a while Bhupati coaxes him to “bring out” Charulata’s artistic leaning. Amal does, but through their subtle interplay Charulata comes to feel deeply for Amal. At one point Amal admits to charulata that a “woman’s mind can only be understood by men”, but she ironically publishes a short story on her own and without his knowledge.
Amal finally realizes that Charulata is in love with him. So as not to injure his brother, Amal leaves unexpectedly. Bhupati however, catches Charulata crying over Amal and under the impact of this incredible spectacle rushes out of the house, unable to bear the sight of an unfaithful wife.
The end of the film finds Bhupati returning home, having realized that he too must bear part of the responsibility for the profound tragedy that has wrecked his home and happiness.
CAST Soumitra Chatterjee, Madhabi Mukherjee
ORIGINAL LANGUAGE Bengali
Festival de Cannes (2013) - Cannes Classics
Berlin International Film Festival (1965) - Silver Berlin Bear
Acapulco Film Festival (1965) - Golden Head
National Film Awards, India (1964) - President's Gold Medal
DCP/HD (Restored) - 1979 - 117min - COLOR - DRAMA
The second film based on Ray’s Feluda detective stories, The Elephant God is an entertaining and fast paced adventure comedy featuring Soumitra Chatterjee as the witty and resourceful detective whosolves crimes with his superb analytical ability and observation skills. When Feluda and his cousin arrives in the city of Benares for a vacation, they are roped in to solve the theft of a precious goldstatue of Ganesha, a family heirloom handed down from a former king of Nepal. Feluda befriends Riku, a young boy who helpshim uncover vital clues to solve the mystery of the missing statue.
Featuring a cast of colourful characters with a climax set on the Ganges, The Elephant God is a rousing and terrific companionpiece to Ray’s earlier Feluda adventure, The Golden Fortress.
CAST Soumitra Chatterjee, Santosh Dutta, Utpal Dutta
ORIGINAL LANGUAGE Bengali
Cyprus Fete (1980) - Special Awards
Chicago Film Festival (1979) - Golden Hugo
Hong Kong Film Festival (1979) - Best Feature Film
National Film Awards, India (1979) - Golden Lotus Awards (Best Children Film)
KAPURUSH (THE COWARD)
DCP/HD (Restored) - 1965 - 74min - B&W - DRAMA
The Coward stars Ray regular Soumitra Chatterjee as Amitabha, a screen-writer from Calcutta on a research trip in the country. When his car breaks down unexpectedly, he is taken in by Bimal, a wealthy tea plantation owner. At Bimal’s house, Amitabha is surprised to find that his benefactor’s wife, Karuna (MadhabiMukherjee), is the woman he had been in love with years before, and lost because of his own indecisiveness.
Bimal, unaware of the past relationship between his wife and his guest, wines and dines with Amitabha and in the course of evening reveals his own character with disarming frankness. The more be learns about Bimal, the more Amitabha realises that the marriage cannot have been a happy one for Karuna.
CAST Soumitra Chatterjee, Madhabi Mukherjee, Haradhan Banerjee
ORIGINAL LANGUAGE Bengali
Official Selection Venice Film Festival (2013)
Nominated to Golden Lion Venice Film Festival (1965)
MAHANAGAR (THE BIG CITY)
DCP/HD (Restored) - 1963 - 131min - B&W - DRAMA
Mahanagar marks Ray’s first excursion into neo-realism with its depiction of
every day life in the then contemporary Calcutta of 1955. Ray focuses on the socioeconomic struggles of the impoverished lower and middleclass through the emancipation of the central female character.
Subrata, an ordinary employee of a bank, is the only member of the family with an income.
Against established custom and the reproofs of her father-in-law, Subrata’s wife Arati seeks employment as a door-to-door salesgirl. When she becomes successful in her work, gaining self-confidence and financial independence, her husband is unable to accept the situation and wishes for her to quit. Ironically, a crisis at the bank erupts and Arati resigns as a protest against the wounded honor of her friend, an Anglo-Indian woman.
CAST Madhabi Mukherjee, Anil Chatterjee, Haradhan Banerjee, Vicky Redwood
ORIGINAL LANGUAGE Bengali
Berlin International Film Festival (1964) - Silver Berlin Bear, Nominated to Golden Bear
New Delhi, India (1964) - Certificate of Merit
DCP/HD (Restored) - 1965 - 65min - B&W - DRAMA
Mahapurush – the film is informed by Ray’s keen observation of Indian society at the crossroads of tradition and modernization. Ray exposes the hypocrisy of blind faith and religious fanaticism. Ever since the death of his wife, GurupadaMitter, advocate, has been going through a state of deep mental unrest. On his way back from Benares with his daughter Buchki, Gurupada encounters Birinchi – a Babaji who claims to be ageless. Gurupada is impressed and decides to patronize the saint and become his disciple. Daughter Buchki has her own problems, such as disappointment with her lover Satya, who has written her a love letter consisting solely of quotations from romantic poets. To teach him a lesson, Buchki tells Satya that she is going to renounce him and become a disciple of Birinchi.
CAST Charuprakash Ghosh, Rabi Gosh, Prasad Mukherjee, Gitali Roy, Santosh Dutta, RenukaRoy
ORIGINAL LANGUAGE Bengali
Venice Film Festival (2013) - Venices Classics
NAYAK (THE HERO)
DCP/HD (Restored) - 1966 - 120min - B&W - DRAMA
Unable to find any available flight, Arindam, a famous actor of popular Bengali movies, is forced to take a train to receive an award in New Delhi. On the train, everyone recognizes him, from a cranky old man that disapproves of his drinking to a fawning mother and daughter who share a cabin with him.
However it is Aditi (Sharmila Tagore), journalist from a serious woman magazine who catches his attention. Lucidly, and critical of the
function of a star, she interrogates him and compels him to reexamine his life. Through the bond that develops between them, the hero reviews his actor’s life, his moments of strength and moments of crisis, and is stricken by doubt.
Nayak is both a criticism and insight into the Bengali film industry primarily through a successful but self-doubting movie star idol.
CAST Uttam Kumar, Sarmila Tagore
ORIGINAL LANGUAGE Bengali
Berlin International Film Festival (1966) - Special mention UNICRIT Award.
Special Jury Award. Nominated to Golden Bear
Bodil Awards, Denmark (1967) - Best Non-European Film
National Film Awards (1967) - Silver Lotus Awards
Roman Catholic Cinematographie (1965) - Best Picture National Film Award, India