Letters

Satyajit Ray

Kudos to the Frontline team for a comprehensive tribute to the master of Indian cinema (“The World of Ray”, November 5). From the Editor’s Note to Raghu Rai’s interview, this special commemorative issue brought forth Satyajit Ray’s multi-talented personality from various points of view. The four pieces from Ray’s biographer, Andrew Robinson, told us about his views on cinema and music and revealed the connection Ray had with France and the contributions made by Nemai Ghosh in documenting Ray’s work for posterity.

The interviews with Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Shyam Benegal, Girish Kasaravalli and Gautam Ghosh vouchsafed the legacy Ray bestowed on his descendants. The interviews with Sandip Ray, Dritiman Chaterji, Sharmila Tagore, Barun Chanda, Aparna Sen and Saswati Sen brought out the rigour and style of his film-making in an in-depth manner.

The articles on his trilogies, magnum opuses ‘Shatranj Ke Khilari’ and ‘Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne’, and documentaries discussed his craft and world view in depth. The article on the holy triumvirate was a thought-provoking one on the talents of film-makers who were his contemporaries.

The article on Fr Gaston Roberge rekindled memories of yesteryear when Ray’s books on film studies were used by film society activists across the country as textbooks for film appreciation.

The book review of ‘3 Rays’ brought out the creative acumen of three generations of Rays and the intellectual hold they had on generations of Bengalis, next only to that of Tagore.

What was missing in this otherwise exhaustive issue was a listing of the awards Ray received.

This issue is one that every reader of Frontline can be proud of.

V.B. Ganesan

Chennai

I offer my felicitations to the Editor and his team for the excellent special issue. Every article was a gem, highlighting one or another aspect of the cinematic genius that Satyajit Ray was. It would be worth publishing the issue as a book.

S.S. Rajagopalan

Chennai

Congratulations on bringing out this magnificent issue on the unforgettable Satyajit Ray. The Editor’s Note gave the reader an idea of the planning and labour that went into its preparation. Thanks to the Editor and his whole team for maintaining this high standard in these times of commercialisation.

The many articles and photographs were a reassurance to those of us who admire quality and appreciate beauty in the commonplace and look for grace and humanity in art.

J.N. Sinha

New Delhi

Frontline deserves accolades for this commemorative issue. It is a collector’s issue for the admirers of the master film-maker. The interviews with celebrities who worked with him presented a diverse view of the phenomenon that Ray was.

This issue will be a valuable addition to my collection of books on him.

Mohammed Azam Shahid

Bengaluru