Satyajit Ray Death Anniversary: Best Classic Movies by an Incredible Storyteller

Published By: Nibandh Vinod

Last Updated: April 23, 2023, 09:07 AM IST

The late write-author-filmmaker, who gave us gems like Pather Panchali and Parash Pathar, died on April 23 in 1992.

Satyajit Ray Death Anniversary: Ray’s imagination was more than enough equipped with these traits to be one of the greatest of all time with the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Yasujirō Ozu, Buster Keaton and François Truffaut.

SATYAJIT RAY DEATH ANNIVERSARY: Satyajit Ray changed the world of Indian cinema with his perspective on human interest stories and poetic realism. His imagination was more than enough equipped with these traits to be one of the greatest of all time with the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Yasujirō Ozu, Buster Keaton and François Truffaut. The late write-author-filmmaker, who gave us gems like Pather Panchali and Parash Pathar, died on April 23 in 1992.

On his death anniversary today, let’s see some of the timeless classics made by Satyajit Ray:

Pather Panchali

Debuting with a classic called Pather Panchali, in 1955, Satyajit Ray did something unprecedented. The story, based on Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay’s novel, pictured the hardships that arise due to the unavailability of money faced by the main character named Apu and his family. The portrayal of extreme human emotions and uncertainties of life such as hunger, poverty, sacrifice, grief and death is sublime.

The story was furthered with two other movies. ‘Aparajito’ (The Unvanquished) in 1956 and ‘Apur Sansar’ (The World of Apu) in 1959.

The trilogy is the only Indian movie to make it to the list of BBC’s 100 best foreign language films list in 2018.

chess players

Standing alone in his Hindi language production, Shatranj ke Khiladi, was made in 1977. The film was based on one of Munshi Premchand’s short stories. Bringing to life the eve of the 1857 rebellion, the film is about the East Indian Company overthrowing 2 wealthy Nawabs. Due to the obsession with the game of chess, the noblemen pivot all their energies into it.

One of the very special attributes of the film is its incredibly talented star cast. Sanjeev Kumar and Saeed Jaffrey play the 2 chess players.

The film also stars supremely gifted actors such as Shabana Azmi, Farooq Shaikh, Farida Jalal, Tom Alter and David Abraham. Amitabh Bachchan is the narrator of the iconic film.

Parash Pathar (1958)

One of the many hats that the filmmakers has donned, he also ventured into the world of comedy and fantasy. All the puns intended, the idea of the story was pure gold.

The film, set in then Calcutta, tells the story of a middle-class clerk who discovers a stone that is capable of turning things into gold.

Charulata (1964)

Another masterpiece oozing with strong human emotions, the film narrates Charulata’s life and paints a picture of her solitude, being childless after marriage.

The film is based on the novella Nastanirh (“The Broken Nest”) by Rabindranath Tagore.

It has been said that Satyajit Ray was like a tree that not only stands tall but also has its shade on the Indian as well as international cinema space. His movies were predominantly based on impactful writings from prominent authors.

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