Monday, April 27, 2009

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.

5 blabberings:

Amazing Graze said...

Yes i also wish they do it at least once in Calcutta. If they had any kind of respect or intelligence to appreciate the man's work, they'd have these screening here every week. Tar jaygay, what we get are these scores of filmmakers dishing out inane films & publicizing them as tribute's to Ray's work, but when you watch them they seem more like tributes to Subhash Ghai. :D :D

March Hare said...

Awwwwwww. This is right up my alley. My kind of post. My. Kind. Of. Post. :D

I LOVE the film. But yes. I have never watched a Ray film on the big screen. :(

What did these foreign people ask you? Details e bolo. :D

idle-labour said...

"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."

Can't agree more. This is something that we are painfully stripped off.

What did you say to the phoren babas?

Hatturi Hanzo said...

@amazing greys
Subhash Ghai-ke undermine korbi na. He made "Karma" B-)

@bimbo & Koyel
oi Director-er naam-er correct pronounciation ki, uni ar ki bhalo film baniyechhen, "ami chini go chini"r translation ki hobe ityadi :D

Heathcliff said...

Couldnt agree more.
amar ekdom erokom , exactly legechilo London e British Film Institute e Aporajito dekhe. Oshadharon onubhui hoyechilo.
shei college er scene ta mone ache, jekhane engreji r professor figures of speech porabe ar apu ke class theke ber kore debe.... niche subtitles dekhe furo hall heshechilo ar ai heshechilam ota shune.. mane odbhut lagchilo... I cant explain.
Bhaggyish oi show ta dekhte gechilam..

ar ekta ghotona khub vague mone ache.. seta holo 1991 e ba 1992 te ekbar Nandan e protidwandi screening korechilo. tokhon joint family chilo pala kore jethura ar baba amader 3 bhai bon ke mash e ekbar victoria, jadughor, moydan eshob jayga e ghurte niye jeto. amar choto jyethu bollo toder cinema dekhte niye jabo. Ar amader niye gechilo nandan e protidwondi dekhate. basically jethu nije dekhte cheyechilo, jehetu oi mash e jethur ghoranor kotha chilo, amader 3 te keo niye gechilo.

pore jokhon cinema ta dekhi kota scene dekhe mone pore jay, tokhon jethu ke jigesh korate , uni confirm koren.