To have not seen the films of Ray is to have lived in the world without ever having seen the moon and the sun......Akira Kurosawa.
There are films that you have seen innumerable times but still wouldn't miss another show. "Charulata" is one such film. Ray himself claimed it to be his most complete work. I don't know about that, I mean there are other films like "Protidwondi" and "Jana Aranya" and "Kanchenjunga" which I find much more riveting and compelling than "Charulata". But the latter has a simplistic appeal to it that I have always found quite irresistible. And now, after I chanced to catch a special big screen viewing in Lincoln Centre, NYC, I am nothing but mesmerized by the intricate charm of it. Madhabi Mukherjee looked simply stunning on the big screen. And IMHO, she owes a lot of it to the brilliant camerawork. For all the times I have watched the film on television or my laptop, I have never discovered so many minute details in it. And it also feels really nice when people from other countries come up to you and ask about the Director and his works. I wish they did such shows more often in here. And I wish they did this at least once in Calcutta. For people of my generation, seeing Ray on the big screen is a rare opportunity. And I am sure given a chance, they will absolutely savor it.
Kramasha(2006)
15 years ago
