Happy Birthday, Satyajit Ray! Born today in 1921, this Indian calligrapher, lyricist, music director, illustrator, writer, screenwriter, producer and director is widely regarded as one of the greatest filmmakers of all time.
Ray was born in Bengal Presidency, British India (now West Bengal, India) into a Bengali family which was prominent in the field of arts and literature.
Starting his career as a commercial artist, Ray was drawn into independent filmmaking after meeting French film director, screenwriter, actor, producer and author Jean Renoir ('La Chienne', 'Boudu Saved from Drowning', 'Grand Illusion', 'The Rules of the Game', 'A Day in the Country', 'The Golden Coach').
This was also after viewing Italian director and actor Vittorio De Sica's ('Umberto D.', 'The Garden of the Finzi-Continis') Italian 1948 black and white neorealist drama film 'Ladri di biciclette' ('Bicycle Thieves) during a visit to London, England, United Kingdom.
Throughout his career, Ray had directed thirty-six films, including feature films, documentaries and shorts.
Among his credits, Ray is best known for directing The Apu Trilogy. They comprised three Indian Bengali language films, and are frequently listed among the greatest films of all time and are often cited as the greatest films in the history of Indian cinema.
These include the 1954 Indian Bengali-language black and white drama film 'Pather Panchali' ('Song of the Little Road'), the 1956 Indian Bengali-language black and white drama film 'Aparajito' ('The Unvanquished') and the 1959 Indian Bengali-language black and white drama film 'Apu Sansar' ('The World of Apu').
Ray is also best known for directing the 1958 Indian Bengali black and white drama film 'Jalsaghar' ('The Music Room').
Ray was also a fiction writer, publisher, illustrator, calligrapher, music composer, graphic designer and film critic. He authored several short stories and novels, meant primarily for young children and teenagers.
Feluda, the sleuth, and Professor Shonku, the scientist in his science fiction stories, are popular fictional characters created by him. He was awarded an honorary degree by Oxford University.
Ray had received many noticeable awards and gained a prestigious position over his life time. Though literally towering at 6 ft 4 in and with a voice like old oak, Ray was of the people, too.
In the early 1990s, Ray received and accepted a Special Oscar Award for lifetime achievement in filmmaking. The broadcast was during the 64th Academy Awards in late March 1992.
However, when Ray received the accolade, he was in a sick bed at Belle Vue hospital. This was the same hospital in his native Calcutta where the Academy Award was presented, the United News of India said.
Ray had been admitted to the hospital on January 29 of that same year, suffering from breathing problems compounded by a longtime heart ailment.
In 1992, the Government of India honored him with the Bharat Ratna, its highest civilian award of the Republic of India. Ray had received many noticeable awards and gained a prestigious position over his life time.
Ray passed in Calcutta, West Bengali, India on April 23, 1992. He was 70.
According to his personal life, Ray was workaholic, heavy-smoker and teetotaler, Ray valued work more than anything else in the world. He worked twelve hours a day, usually getting to bed at two o'clock in the morning.
He loved collecting archival, antique materials, manuscripts, rare gramophone records, paintings and rare books.
He was a superb illustrator, mastered every styles of visual art, and could mimic any painter, as evidenced in his book and magazine covers, posters, literary illustrations and advertisement campaigns.
On May 2, 2013, a Google Doodle was created in what would have been Ray's 92nd birthday.
He was a superb illustrator, mastered every styles of visual art, and could mimic any painter, as evidenced in his book and magazine covers, posters, literary illustrations and advertisement campaigns.
On May 2, 2013, a Google Doodle was created in what would have been Ray's 92nd birthday.
Ray had been active from 1950–1992.
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