SATYAJIT RAY

January 22, 2011

Album #5

Note: All above images from here are from - Imagine India Film Festival

(Click on the above picture to see it in very large size)

Goto Album 6 for more pictures...

January 19, 2011

Controversy over the screening of Ray's 'Sikkim' in KFF

After nearly four decades, Satyajit Ray's banned documentary 'Sikkim' was finally screened at the Kolkata Film Festival (KFF), only to be tangled in a copyright controversy. Sikkim-based trust has claimed to own exclusive rights over the film, reports the BBC.

The Art and Culture Trust of Sikkim (Acts) - an organisation promoted by former Sikkim King Palden Thondup Namgyal - challenged the screening in the courts after the KFF organisers did not heed to its appeal.

"They were not prepared to listen and told us they screened the film at the festival on Thursday," said Acts managing trustee Ugyen Chhopel.

"So we filed a case of copyright infringement in the Sikkim High Court," he added.

The court has now issued an interim stay order on the film until the copyright infringement case is dealt with, which means that the film still cannot be screened in public.

KFF chief Nilanjan Chatterjee said that the decision to go ahead with the screening was taken because they had not received any orders from the court and had not received any documents proving the copyright.

Acts, which is entrusted with the task of preserving ethnic Sikkimese art and culture, says that it not only has the exclusive copyright of the documentary, but also the censor board certificate and written permission to screen it from the erstwhile king.

Chhopel said they had planned to organise a gala premiere of the film in Gangtok in March next year.

The film was banned in 1975 when the Himalayan state became a part of India.

Though commissioned by King Namgyal in the early 1970s, the royal family was not happy with the film. They objected to a couple of scenes, including the one that showed poor people scrambling for leftover food behind the royal palace. (ANI)

December 23, 2010

Quiz throws new light on Ray's genius

KOLKATA: Since his debut film Pather Panchali' hit the screens in 1955, Satyajit Ray has been in the spotlight. Cine buffs have not only viewed and analyzed his works, his personal life has also been meticulously scanned to understand his enigmatic personality.

Eighteen years after Ray died, one would believe that there is hardly anything left to unravel about the genius. But the assumption proved wrong on Saturday when members of the maestro's cast and crew, Ray aficionados, students and Ray fans were stumped time and again at a quiz on the multi-faceted personality.

Conceived and organized by Ekhon Satyajit editor Somnath Ray in association with Eisenstein Cine Club, the 8th Ray Quiz threw up many a surprise. Some questions had even Sandip Ray, thespian Bibhas Chakraborty, cinematographer Soumendu Ray and actors Barun Chandra and Pradip Mukhopadhyay groping for answers. Barun Chandra, who played the lead role in Seemabaddha', was felicitated at the event.

"Which Ray film had the maximum number of stars?" was one of the questions in the final round that had the audience including Ray's inner circle dubbed the grand jury' at the show engage in a passionate debate. "Paras Pathar," answered the Jadavpur University mass communication team comprising Shankhamala Ray and Nilorona Chakraborty. The answer was adjudged correct though Ray experts wondered if Shakha Prasakha' or Kanchenjungha' should have been the answer.

Another question that triggered heated discussions was: "Which is the first Ray film that did not have a conventional heroine?" The answer adjudged correct was Aparajito' though many wondered why it wasn't Pather Panchali'.

A clip from Agantuk' showing Mamata Shankar singing Bajilo Kaharo Bina' was followed by the question: "Who sang the song?" There was complete silence in the auditorium. "That is a tough one," Bibhas Chakraborty was heard whispering to Sandip Ray. The latter nodded in agreement. "That is too tough a question for college kids," muttered Pradip Mukhopadhyay who had acted in Jana Aranya'.

"Ruma Guhathakurta's daughter Sromona," answered the JU mass comm team. "Absolutely right!" said the quiz master as the audience clapped and cheered. The duo finally won the quiz, edging out the JU economics team by 10 points. The CU mass comm team finishes third.

Though the organizers had received confirmation from at least 18 teams from CU, JU, Vidyasagar University, Burdwan University, Gurudas College and Asutosh College, less than 100 had turned up. With the city still simmering over Thursday's campus violence, many gave the event the miss.

Read more: Quiz throws new light on Ray's genius - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata-/Quiz-throws-new-light-on-Rays-genius/articleshow/7125452.cms#ixzz18sEieMeM

December 7, 2010

AudioBook based On Short Stories By Satyajit Ray