Madhabi Mukherjee in Charulata. The finest love story I can think of in Indian cinema. Physically, may be it's hard to spot the passion at times, it's more inner and poetic. Kaushik (Ghosh) once told me the only film to come close to this one would be Wim Wender's "Paris Texas".
Debi (Sharmila Tagore) : The "upheaval" begins.
Madhabi Mukherjee, perhaps the most sensitive actress to have hit the bengali screen.
In "Subarnarekha" where , on the sets, she said Ritwik even slapped her. To Uttam Kumar she was "Joubon Kukkuri Rombha".
Uttam Kumar, my "GURU" since childhood.
Nayak,the "Journey" starts with the interview. One of my most favourite films. I liked the "journey-within-the-journey" theory and in many ways I found the film "Bergmanish".
JaTayu and Santosh Dutta in Jai Baba Felunath. Each seem to escalate the other. Who made the other more famous ? Who knows ? This is a rare "macabre" moment from a Ray film. Peel off the humour and you'll see the classic touch that etches out the icy, murderous Maganlal Meghraj to perfection. I doubt if Hollywood, in the last century, have ever been able to produce a villian of this genre.
| The Master
( Satyajit Ray ) at the Dum Dum Airport.
My most favourite Indian director (Is there another choice ?).
On the sets of "Ganashatru" .......
and with Gerar Depardieu. |
A prize moment: with Mrs Gandhi.
Sarmila Tagore in "Apur Sansar" ; the wedding night. The famous "angular" shot that uses the eye-metaphor to light up the mind the shaken bride.
"Aguntuk" was indeed a graceful last innings knock . I thought of Bergman's "Fanny and Alexander".
It's an irony to me that the sexiest character (according to me of course) in the history of Bengali films is of a tribal girl and was played by Simi Garewal, a non-bengali actress. Begging for "more mohua" in Arannyer Din Ratri, one of my Ray favourites.
Soumitra and Sandya Roy in Ek Tuku Basa; a comedy worth seeing.
Actor par excellence, Soumitra Chatterjee
My first love (I was 9 years old then; she was 29)
and my most favourite actress in the history of cinema, Aparna Sen
I find many of his films too melodramatic, but the passion, the pain is rare. I want to know lot more about Ritwik Ghatak's interactions with Ray.
On the sets. My favourite Ritwik film, quite clearly is "Meghe Dhaka Tara".
Anil Chatterjee (dada) tries to console Supriya Chowdhury (Nita).
I have probably never seen a more talented Supriya.
The "Great Mother Archetype" comes into play again, she represents Uma in a number of moments including her last frantic cry "Dada, ami baNchte chai" that echoes in the mountain green.
Ritwik's close-ups, as some critics say, were far more passionate than most of his contemporaries', mostly a vivid portrait of inner pain and agony. Nita (Supriya)'s face apparently gave him tremendous scope.
Anil Chatterjee, another fine actor in "Ranger Golam". I personally feel he gave his best performance in Amol Palekar's Hindi teleserial "Naqab". Although who could forget "Sagina Mahato" or "Mahanagar" ?
Ramkinkar Beij. Many believe Ritwik's unfinished documentary on him had great dimensions, so do people say about Samaresh Bose's novel. But it's a strange coincidence, that all efforts to recreate his life and work, were left unfinished.
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