Satyajit Ray: Difference between revisions

{{short description|Indian filmmaker (1921–1992)}}

 

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}

| caption            = Ray in 1981

| birth_place        = [[Calcutta]], [[Bengal Presidency]], [[British India]] (now in [[West Bengal]], [[India]])

| death_place        = [[Calcutta]], [[West Bengal]], [[India]]

| alma_mater        = [[Presidency College, Kolkata|Presidency College]] ([[B.A.|BA]])<br />[[Visva-Bharati University]] ([[M.A.|MA]])

| occupation        = {{hlist|Film director|writer|illustrator|Lyricist }}

| spouse            = {{marriage|[[Bijoya Ray]]|1949|1992}}

| children          = [[Sandip Ray]] (son)

| mother            = Suprabha Ray

| relatives          = [[Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury]] (grandfather) [[Shukhalata Rao]] (aunt)

| website           =  

'''Satyajit Ray ''' ({{IPA-bn|ˈʃɔtːodʒit ˈrai̯|language|SatyajitRay2.ogg}}; 2 May 1921&nbsp;– 23 April 1992) was an Indian filmmaker, [[screenwriter]], [[documentary film|documentary]] [[film director|filmmaker]], [[author]], [[list of essayists|essayist]], [[lyricist]], magazine editor, [[illustrator]], [[calligraphy|calligrapher]], and [[composer|music composer]]. Ray is widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. He is celebrated for works such as ''[[The Apu Trilogy]]'' (1955–1959), [[Jalsaghar|''The Music Room'']] (1958), [[Mahanagar|''The Big City'']] (1963) and ''[[Charulata]]'' (1964). Ray was born in [[Calcutta]] to renowned writer [[Sukumar Ray]] who was prominent in the field of arts and literature. Starting his career as a commercial artist, he was drawn into [[independent film]]making after meeting French filmmaker [[Jean Renoir]] and viewing [[Vittorio De Sica]]'s [[Italian neorealism|Italian neorealist]] film ''[[Bicycle Thieves]]'' (1948) during a visit to [[London]].

Ray directed 36 films, including feature films, documentaries and [[short subject|shorts]] and authored several short stories and novels, primarily for young children and teenagers. [[Feluda]], the sleuth, and [[Professor Shonku]], the scientist in his science fiction stories, [[Tarini Khuro]], the storyteller and [[Lalmohan Ganguly]], the novelist are popular fictional characters created by him. In 1978, he was awarded an honorary degree by [[Oxford University]].

Ray's first film, ''[[Pather Panchali]]'' (1955), won eleven international prizes, including the inaugural Best Human Document award at the [[1956 Cannes Film Festival]]. This film, along with ''[[Aparajito]]'' (1956) and ''[[The World of Apu|Apur Sansar]]'' (''The World of Apu'') (1959), form ''The Apu Trilogy''. Ray did the [[screenplay|scripting]], casting, [[Film score|scoring]], and editing, and designed his own credit titles and publicity material. Ray received many [[List of awards and nominations received by Satyajit Ray|major awards]] in his career, including 36 Indian [[National Film Awards]], a [[Golden Lion]], a [[Golden Bear]], 2 [[Silver Bear for Best Director|Silver Bears]], many additional awards at international film festivals and ceremonies, and an [[Academy Honorary Award]] in 1992. The Government of India honoured him with the [[Bharat Ratna]], its highest civilian award, in 1992. Ray had received many notable awards during his lifetime. Ray is also known for his written works such as the Feluda Somogro where he created one of the most famous detective character for children Feluda aka Pradosh Chandra Mitter. Also he is known for his horror stories.

Satyajit Ray's ancestry can be traced back for at least ten generations.<ref>{{Harvnb|Seton|1971|p=36}}</ref> His family had acquired the name 'Ray' (originally 'Rai') from the [[Mughal Empire|Mughals]]. Although they were [[Bengali Kayastha]]s, the Rays were '[[Vaishnavism|Vaishnavas]]' (worshippers of [[Vishnu]]) as against majority Bengali Kayasthas who were '[[Shaktism|Shaktos]]' (worshippers of the [[Shakti]] or [[Shiva]]).<ref name="ames1998">{{cite book|author=Ames, Roger and Kasulis, Thomas|title=Self as Image in Asian Theory and Practice|publisher=State University of New York press|year=1998|page=308|quote=Satyajit Ray was born into a well known family of littérateurs and social reformers in 1921. Since the sixteenth century, the Rays had an east bengali connection through their landed estates in Kishorganj , now in Bangladesh. Unlike a majority of Bengali Kayastha who are Shaktos, the Rays were Vaisnvas.}}</ref>

According to the history of the Ray family, one of their ancestors, Shri Ramsunder Deo (Deb), was a native of [[Chakdaha|Chakdah]] village in [[Nadia district]] of present-day [[West Bengal]], [[India]]. In search of fortune he migrated to Sherpur in East Bengal. There he met Raja Gunichandra, the zamindar of Jashodal, at the zamindar house of Sherpur. King Gunichandra was immediately impressed by Ramsunder's beautiful appearance and sharp intellect and took Ramsunder with him to his zamindari estate. He made Ramsunder his son-in-law and granted him some property at Jashodal in Kishorganj District  . From then on Ramsunder started living in Jashodal. His descendants migrated from there and settled down in the village of Masua in Katiadi upazila of Kishoreganj district.<ref name = "sukumar1">''Sukumar Samagra Rachanabali'' 1, 1960, Asia Publishing Company, p 1</ref>

Satyajit Ray's grandfather, [[Upendrakishore Ray]], was a writer, illustrator, philosopher, publisher, [[amateur astronomer]], and a leader of the [[Brahmo Samaj]], a religious and social movement in 19th-century [[Bengal]]. He also set up a [[printing press]] by the name of [[U. Ray and Sons]], which formed a crucial backdrop to Satyajit's life.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last=Barnouw|first=Erik|date=1981|title=Lives of a Bengal Filmmaker: Satyajit Ray of Calcutta|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/29781890|journal=The Quarterly Journal of the Library of Congress|volume=38|issue=2|pages=60–77|jstor=29781890|issn=0041-7939}}</ref> [[Sukumar Ray]], Upendrakishore's son and father of Satyajit, was an illustrator, critic, and a pioneering [[Bengali language|Bengali]] writer of [[nonsense verse|nonsense rhyme]] (''[[Abol Tabol]]'') and children's literature.<ref name=":1" /> Social worker and children's book author [[Shukhalata Rao]] was his aunt.<ref>{{cite news |title=Celebrating 100 years of Satyajit Ray: Satyajit Ray's best-kept secret: by Gulzar -Part 3 |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/brunch/celebrating-100-years-of-satyajit-ray-satyajit-ray-s-best-kept-secret-by-gulzar-part-3/story-reald58fVE8KeOXlGaeLML.html |access-date=27 March 2021 |work=Hindustan Times |date=28 June 2020 |language=en}}</ref>

[[File:Satyajit ray little.jpg|left|thumb|Ray as a child]]

Satyajit Ray was born to [[Sukumar Ray|Sukumar]] and Suprabha Ray in [[Calcutta]] (now Kolkata). Sukumar died when Satyajit was barely three, and the family survived on Suprabha Ray's meager income.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|last=Vijaya|first=Dr.|title=Satyajit Ray|publisher=Sapna Book House|year=2012|isbn=9788128017889|location=Bangalore}}</ref> Ray studied at [[Ballygunge Government High School]] in Calcutta, and completed his [[Bachelor of Arts|BA]] in economics at [[Presidency College, Calcutta]] (then affiliated with the [[University of Calcutta]]), though his interest was always in the [[fine art]]s.<ref name=":2" />

In 1940, his mother insisted that he study at [[Visva-Bharati University]] in [[Santiniketan]], founded by [[Rabindranath Tagore]]. Ray was reluctant to go, due to his fondness for Calcutta and the low regard for the intellectual life at Santiniketan.<ref>{{Harvnb|Robinson|2003|p=46}}</ref> His mother's persuasiveness and his respect for Tagore finally convinced him to try. In Santiniketan, Ray came to appreciate [[Oriental art]]. He later admitted that he learned much from the famous painters [[Nandalal Bose]] and [[Benode Behari Mukherjee]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Seton|1971|p=70}}</ref> He later produced a documentary, ''[[The Inner Eye]],'' about Mukherjee. His visits to [[Ajanta Caves|Ajanta]], [[Ellora Caves|Ellora]] and [[Elephanta Caves|Elephanta]] stimulated his admiration for [[Indian art]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Seton|1971|pp=71–72}}</ref>[[File:Sukumar Ray and his wife.jpg|thumb|Sukumar Ray and Suprabha Ray, parents of Satyajit Ray (1914)|left]]

In 1943, Ray started working at D.J. Keymer, a British advertising agency, as a junior visualiser, earning 80 [[rupees]] a month. Although he liked [[visual design]] (graphic design) and he was mostly treated well, there was tension between the British and Indian employees of the firm. The British were better paid, and Ray felt that "the clients were generally stupid."<ref>{{Harvnb|Robinson|2003|pp=56–58}}</ref> Later, Ray worked for the [[Signet Press]], a new publisher started by D. K. Gupta. Gupta asked Ray to create book cover designs for the company and gave him complete artistic freedom. Ray designed covers for many books, including [[Jibanananda Das]]'s ''[[Banalata Sen (book)|Banalata Sen]]'', and ''[[Rupasi Bangla]]'', [[Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay]]'s ''[[Chander Pahar]]'', [[Jim Corbett]]'s ''[[Man-Eaters of Kumaon|Maneaters of Kumaon]],'' and [[Jawaharlal Nehru]]'s ''[[Discovery of India]].'' He worked on a children's version of ''Pather Panchali,'' a classic Bengali novel by [[Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay]], renamed as ''Aam Antir Bhepu'' (''The mango-seed whistle''). Designing the cover and illustrating the book, Ray was deeply influenced by the work. He used it as the subject of his first film, and featured his illustrations as shots in his ground-breaking film.<ref>{{Harvnb|Robinson|2005|p=38}}</ref>{{Annotated image

}}Along with [[Chidananda Dasgupta]] and others, Ray founded the [[Calcutta Film Society]] in 1947. They screened many foreign films, many of which Ray watched and seriously studied. He befriended the American [[G.I. (military)|soldiers]] stationed in Calcutta during World War II, who kept him informed about the latest American films showing in the city. He came to know a [[Royal Air Force|RAF]] employee, Norman Clare, who shared Ray's passion for films, [[chess]] and western classical music.<ref>{{Harvnb|Robinson|2005|pp=40–43}}</ref>

In 1949, Ray married [[Bijoya Ray|Bijoya Das]], his first cousin and long-time sweetheart.<ref>Arup Kr De, "Ties that Bind" by ''The Statesman,'' Calcutta, 27 April 2008. Quote: "Satyajit Ray had an unconventional marriage. He married Bijoya (born 1917), youngest daughter of his eldest maternal uncle, Charuchandra Das, in 1948 in a secret ceremony in Bombay after a long romantic relationship that had begun around the time he left college in 1940. The marriage was reconfirmed in Calcutta the next year at a traditional religious ceremony."</ref> The couple had a son, [[Sandip Ray]], a film director.<ref>{{Cite news|date=24 April 1994|title=Filmmaker Satyajit Ray Dies|language=en-US|work=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1992/04/24/filmmaker-satyajit-ray-dies/42fce72b-05f0-4d91-aead-c0922994e31a/|access-date=9 November 2020|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> In the same year, French director [[Jean Renoir]] came to Calcutta to shoot his film ''[[The River (1951 film)|The River]]''. Ray helped him to find locations in the countryside. Ray told Renoir about his idea of filming ''Pather Panchali'', which had long been on his mind, and Renoir encouraged him in the project.<ref>{{Harvnb|Robinson|2005|pp=42–44}}</ref> In 1950, D.J. Keymer sent Ray to London to work at the headquarters. During his six months in London, Ray watched 99 films. Among these was the [[Italian Neorealism|neorealist]] film ''Ladri di biciclette'' (''[[Bicycle Thieves]]'') (1948) by [[Vittorio De Sica]], which had a profound impact on him. Ray later said that he walked out of the theatre determined to become a filmmaker.<ref>{{Harvnb|Robinson|2005|p=48}}</ref>

==Career==

{{see also|The Apu Trilogy|Satyajit Ray filmography}}[[File:Satyajit-Ray-Young.jpg|thumb|22-year-old Ray at [[Santiniketan]]]]

After being "deeply moved" by ''[[Pather Panchali (novel)|Pather Panchali]]'',<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Gupta|first1=Udayan|last2=Ray|first2=Satyajit|date=1982|title=The Politics of Humanism: An interview with Satyajit Ray|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/41686766|journal=Cinéaste|volume=12|issue=1|pages=24–29|jstor=41686766|issn=0009-7004}}</ref> the 1928 classic ''[[Bildungsroman]]'' of [[Bengali literature]], Ray decided to adapt it for his first film. ''Pather Panchali'' is a semi-autobiographical novel describing the maturation of Apu, a small boy in a Bengal village.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Jeffries|first=Stuart|date=20 October 2010|title=Pather Panchali: No 12 best arthouse film of all time|url=http://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/oct/20/pather-panchali-ray-arthouse|access-date=9 November 2020|website=The Guardian|language=en}}</ref>

Ray gathered an inexperienced crew, although both his cameraman [[Subrata Mitra]] and art director [[Bansi Chandragupta]] went on to achieve great acclaim. The cast consisted of mostly amateur actors. After unsuccessful attempts to persuade many producers to finance the project, Ray started shooting in late 1952 with his personal savings and hoped to raise more money once he had some footage shot, but did not succeed on his terms.<ref name=makepanchali>{{Harvnb|Robinson|2003|pp=74–90}}</ref> As a result, Ray shot ''[[Pather Panchali]]'' over two and a half years, an unusually long period, based on when he or his production manager [[Anil Chowdhury]] could raise additional funds.<ref name=makepanchali/> He refused funding from sources who wanted to change the script or exercise supervision over production. He also ignored advice from the Indian government to incorporate a happy ending, but he did receive funding that allowed him to complete the film.<ref>{{Harvnb|Seton|1971|p=95}}</ref> Ray showed an early film passage to the American director [[John Huston]], who was in India scouting locations for ''[[The Man Who Would Be King (film)|The Man Who Would Be King]]''. Impressed with what he saw, Huston notified [[Monroe Wheeler]] at the [[Museum of Modern Art|New York Museum of Modern Art]] (MoMA) that a major talent was on the horizon.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Satyajit Ray's Pather Panchali {{!}} MoMA|url=https://www.moma.org/calendar/film/726|access-date=9 November 2020|website=The Museum of Modern Art|language=en}}</ref><ref name="huston">{{cite web|title=Restored Apu Trilogy Returns Satyajit Ray's Humane Work to Theaters|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/10/movies/restored-apu-trilogy-returns-satyajit-rays-humane-work-to-theaters.html|website=New York Times|date=10 May 2015}}</ref>

With a loan from the [[Government of West Bengal|West Bengal government]], Ray finally completed the film; it was released in 1955 to critical acclaim. It earned numerous awards and had long theatrical runs in India and abroad. ''[[The Times of India]]'' wrote "It is absurd to compare it with any other Indian cinema [...] ''Pather Panchali'' is pure cinema."<ref name="set1">{{Harvnb|Seton|1971|pp=112–15}}</ref> In the United Kingdom, [[Lindsay Anderson]] wrote a positive review of the film.<ref name="set1" /> However, the film also gained negative reactions; [[François Truffaut]] was reported to have said, "I don't want to see a movie of peasants eating with their hands."<ref name=filmifunda>{{cite news|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050420/asp/calcutta/story_4634530.asp |title=Filmi Funda Pather Panchali (1955) |work=The Telegraph |date=20 April 2005 |access-date=29 April 2006 |location=Calcutta, India |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203012826/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050420/asp/calcutta/story_4634530.asp |archive-date= 3 December 2013 }}</ref> [[Bosley Crowther]], then the most influential critic of ''[[The New York Times]]'', criticised the film's loose structure and conceded that it "takes patience to be enjoyed".<ref>{{Cite news|last=Crowther|first=Bosley|date=23 September 1958|title=Screen: Exotic Import; Pather Panchali' From India Opens Here (Published 1958)|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1958/09/23/archives/screen-exotic-import-pather-panchali-from-india-opens-here.html|access-date=11 November 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Edward Harrison, an American distributor was worried that Crowther's review would dissuade audiences, but the film enjoyed an eight months theatrical run in the United States.{{Sfn|Robinson|2003|p=105}} A film still of Apu having his hair brushed by his sister Durga and mother Sarbojaya was featured in ''[[The Family of Man]]'', a MoMA exhibition that was seen by 9&nbsp;million visitors.<ref>{{Cite book | author1=Steichen, Edward | author2=Norman, Dorothy |editor=Mason, Jerry | others=Sandburg, Carl, (writer of foreword), Lionni, Leo, (book designer), Stoller, Ezra, (photographer) | location=New York, N.Y. | title=The family of man : the photographic exhibition | date=1955 | publisher=Museum of Modern Art / Maco Magazine Corporation | url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/10809600 }}</ref> Of the thirteen exhibition images depicting India, it was the only one taken by an Indian photographer. Curator [[Edward Steichen]] credited it to Ray, but it was likely taken by the film's cinematographer, Subrata Mitra.<ref>Tlfentale, Alise (2 July 2018) [https://fkmagazine.lv/2018/07/02/the-family-of-man-the-photography-exhibition-that-everybody-loves-to-hate/ The Family of Man: The Photography Exhibition that Everybody Loves to Hate]. ''FK Magazine''. Contemporary culture centre KultKom society. Retrieved on 30 November 2018.</ref>

Ray's international career started in earnest after the success of his next film, the second in ''The Apu Trilogy'', ''[[Aparajito]]'' (1956) (''The Unvanquished'').<ref name="robintrilogy" /> This film depicts the eternal struggle between the ambitions of a young man, Apu, and the mother who loves him.<ref name="robintrilogy">{{Harvnb|Robinson|2003|pp=91–106}}</ref> Upon release, ''Aparajito'' won the [[Golden Lion]] at the [[Venice Film Festival]], bringing Ray considerable acclaim.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2014|title=The awards of the Venice Film Festival|url=https://www.labiennale.org/en/history|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141016035043/http://www.labiennale.org/en/cinema/history/awards1.html|archive-date=16 October 2014|access-date=11 November 2020|website=La Biennale di Venezia|language=en}}</ref> In a retrospective review, Edward Guthmann of ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'' praised Ray for his ability to capture emotions, and blend music with storytelling to create a "flawless" picture.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Guthmann|first=Edward|date=18 August 1995|title=Film Review -- Apu Moves Toward Manhood / 'Aparajito' explores mother-son bond|url=https://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/FILM-REVIEW-Apu-Moves-Toward-Manhood-3026607.php|access-date=11 November 2020|website=San Francisco Chronicle|language=en-US}}</ref> Critics such as [[Mrinal Sen]] and [[Ritwik Ghatak]] rank it higher than Ray's first film.<ref name="robintrilogy" /> Ray directed and released two other films in 1958: the comic ''[[Parash Pathar]]'' (''The Philosopher's Stone''), and ''[[Jalsaghar]]'' (''The Music Room''), a film about the decadence of the [[Zamindar]]s, considered one of his most important works.<ref name="malcolm1">{{cite news|author=Malcolm D |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/1999/jan/14/derekmalcolmscenturyoffilm.derekmalcolm |title=Satyajit Ray: The Music Room |access-date=19 June 2006 |location=London |date=19 March 1999 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140426235408/http://www.theguardian.com/film/1999/jan/14/derekmalcolmscenturyoffilm.derekmalcolm |archive-date=26 April 2014 }}</ref> ''[[Time Out (magazine)|Timeout]]'' magazine gave ''Jalsaghar'' a positive review, describing it as "slow, rapt and hypnotic".<ref>{{Cite web|last=Andrew|first=Geoff|date=9 February 2006|title=Jalsaghar|url=https://www.timeout.com/movies/jalsaghar|access-date=11 November 2020|website=Time Out Worldwide|language=en}}</ref>

While making ''Aparajito'', Ray had not planned a trilogy, but after he was asked about the idea in Venice, it appealed to him.<ref>{{Harvnb|Wood|1972|p=61}}</ref> He finished the last of the trilogy, ''[[The World of Apu|Apur Sansar]]'' (''The World of Apu'') in 1959. Ray introduced two of his favourite actors, [[Soumitra Chatterjee]] and [[Sharmila Tagore]], in this film. It opens with Apu living in a Calcutta house in near-poverty; he becomes involved in an unusual marriage with Aparna. The scenes of their life together form "one of the cinema's classic affirmative depictions of married life."<ref name="harvnb">{{Harvnb|Wood|1972}}</ref> Critics [[Robin Wood (critic)|Robin Wood]] and [[Aparna Sen]] thought it was a major achievement to mark the end of the trilogy. After ''Apur Sansar'' was harshly criticised by a Bengali critic, Ray wrote an article defending it. He rarely responded to critics during his filmmaking career, but also later defended his film ''Charulata'', his personal favourite.<ref>{{Harvnb|Ray|1993|p=13}}</ref> Critic [[Roger Ebert]] summarised the trilogy as "It is about a time, place and culture far removed from our own, and yet it connects directly and deeply with our human feelings. It is like a prayer, affirming that this is what the cinema can be, no matter how far in our cynicism we may stray."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Ebert|first=Roger|date=4 March 2001|title=The Apu Trilogy movie review & film summary (1959) {{!}} Roger Ebert|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-apu-trilogy-1959|access-date=11 November 2020|website=Roger Ebert|language=en}}</ref>

Despite Ray's success, it had little influence on his personal life in the years to come. He continued to live with his wife and children in a rented house, with his mother, uncle and other members of his extended family.<ref>{{Harvnb|Robinson|2003|p=5}}</ref>

Ray followed ''Apur Sansar'' with 1960's ''[[Devi (1960 film)|Devi]]'' (''The Goddess''), a film in which he examined the superstitions in [[Hinduism|Hindu]] society. Sharmila Tagore starred as Doyamoyee, a young wife who is [[Kali|deified]] by her father-in-law. Ray was worried that the [[Central Board of Film Certification]] might block his film, or at least make him re-cut it, but ''Devi'' was spared. Upon international distribution, the critic from ''[[Chicago Reader]]'' described the film as "full of sensuality and ironic undertones".<ref>{{Cite web|last=Rosenbaum|first=Jonathan|date=1 January 2000|title=Devi|url=http://onfilm.chicagoreader.com/movies/capsules/2659_DEVI.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071031053329/http://onfilm.chicagoreader.com/movies/capsules/2659_DEVI.html|archive-date=31 October 2007|access-date=11 November 2020|website=Chicago Reader}}</ref> In 1961, on the insistence of Prime Minister [[Jawaharlal Nehru]], Ray was commissioned to make [[Rabindranath Tagore (film)|''Rabindranath Tagore'']], based on the poet of the [[Rabindranath Tagore|same name]], on the occasion of his birth centennial, a tribute to the person who likely most influenced Ray. Due to limited footage of Tagore, Ray was challenged of making the film mainly with static material. He said that it took as much work as three feature films.<ref>{{Harvnb|Robinson|2003|p=277}}</ref>

In 1962, Ray directed ''[[Kanchenjungha]],'' Based on his first original screenplay, it was also his first colour film. It tells the story of an upper-class family spending an afternoon in [[Darjeeling]], a picturesque hill town in West Bengal. They try to arrange the engagement of their youngest daughter to a highly paid engineer educated in London. Ray had first conceived shooting the film in a large mansion, but later decided to film it in the famous town. He used many shades of light and mist to reflect the tension in the drama. Ray noted that while his script allowed shooting to be possible under any lighting conditions, a commercial film crew in Darjeeling failed to shoot a single scene, as they only wanted to do so in sunshine.<ref>{{Harvnb|Robinson|2003|p=142}}</ref> ''The New York Times''' Bosley Crowther gave the film a mixed review; he praised Ray's "soft and relaxed" filmmaking but thought the characters were clichés.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Crowther|first=Bosley|date=26 July 1966|title=Screen: Satyajit Ray's 'Kanchenjungha':Film Given Premiere at Lincoln Center (Published 1966)|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1966/07/26/archives/screen-satyajit-rays-kanchenjunghafilm-given-premiere-at-lincoln.html|access-date=11 November 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Also in the 1960s, Ray visited Japan and took pleasure in meeting filmmaker [[Akira Kurosawa]], whom he highly regarded.<ref>{{Cite web|date=17 March 2010|title=When Ray Met Kurosawa|url=https://openthemagazine.com/art-culture/when-ray-met-kurosawa/|access-date=9 November 2020|website=Open The Magazine|language=en-GB}}</ref>

In 1964, Ray directed ''[[Charulata]]'' (''The Lonely Wife''); one of Ray's favourite films, it was regarded by many critics as his most accomplished.<ref name="robinson">{{Harvnb|Robinson|2003|p=157}}</ref> Based on Tagore's short story, ''[[Nastanirh]]'' (Broken Nest), the film tells of a lonely wife, Charu, in 19th-century Bengal, and her growing feelings for her brother-in-law Amal. In retrospective reviews, ''[[The Guardian]]'' called it "extraordinarily vivid and fresh",<ref>{{Cite news|last=Bradshaw|first=Peter|date=21 August 2014|title=Charulata review – a vitamin boost for the mind and heart|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/aug/21/charulata-review|access-date=11 November 2020|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> while ''[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]'' praised [[Madhabi Mukherjee]]'s casting, the film's visual style and camera movements.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Wilson|first=Jake|date=2 January 2014|title=Satyajit Ray's classic Charulata is a tale of yearning that retains its poignancy|url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/satyajit-rays-classic-charulata-is-a-tale-of-yearning-that-retains-its-poignancy-20140102-307nd.html|access-date=11 November 2020|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|language=en}}</ref> Ray said the film contained the fewest flaws among his work, and it was his only work which, given a chance, he would make exactly the same way.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Goritsas|first=Helen|date=May 2002|title=Ray, Satyajit – Senses of Cinema|url=https://www.sensesofcinema.com/2002/great-directors/ray/|access-date=11 November 2020|website=Senses of Cinema|language=en-US}}</ref> At the [[15th Berlin International Film Festival]], ''Charulata'' earned him a [[Silver Bear for Best Director]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Prizes and Honours 1965|url=http://www.berlinale.de/en/archiv/jahresarchive/1965/03_preistr_ger_1965/03_Preistraeger_1965.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150319033406/http://www.berlinale.de/en/archiv/jahresarchive/1965/03_preistr_ger_1965/03_Preistraeger_1965.html|archive-date=19 March 2015|access-date=11 November 2020|website=Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin}}</ref> Other films in this period include ''[[Mahanagar]]'' (''The Big City''), ''[[Teen Kanya]]'' (''Three Daughters''), ''[[Abhijan]]'' (''The Expedition''), ''[[Kapurush]]'' (''The Coward'') and ''[[Mahapurush]]'' (''Holy Man''). For the first one of these, ''Mahanagar'' drew praise from British critics; [[Philip French]] opined that it was one of Ray's best.<ref>{{Cite web|last=French|first=Philip|date=18 August 2013|title=The Big City – review|url=http://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/aug/18/satyajit-ray-big-city-review|access-date=11 November 2020|website=The Guardian|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=13 August 2013|title=The Big City|url=https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-big-city|access-date=11 November 2020|website=Time Out Worldwide|language=en}}</ref>

In the post-''Charulata'' period, Ray took on various projects, from fantasy, science fiction, [[Detective fiction|detective]] to [[Historical drama film|historical dramas]]. Ray also experimented during this period. He explored contemporary issues of Indian life, responding to a perceived lack of these issues in his films. The first major film in this period is 1966's ''[[Nayak (1966 film)|Nayak]]'' (''The Hero''), the story of a screen hero travelling in a train and meeting a young, sympathetic female journalist. Starring [[Uttam Kumar]] and Sharmila Tagore, in the twenty-four hours of the journey, the film explores the inner conflict of the apparently highly successful [[matinée idol]]. Although the film received a "Critics Prize" at the [[Berlin International Film Festival]], it had a generally muted reception.<ref name="dasgupta">{{Harvnb|Dasgupta|1996|p=91}}</ref>

In 1967, Ray wrote a script for a film to be called ''[[The Alien (1960s film)|The Alien]]'', based on his short story "Bankubabur Bandhu" ("Banku Babu's Friend"), which he wrote in 1962 for ''Sandesh'' magazine. It was planned to be a U.S. and India co-production with [[Columbia Pictures]], with [[Marlon Brando]] and [[Peter Sellers]] cast in the leading roles. Ray found that his script had been copyrighted and the fee appropriated by [[Michael Wilson (writer)|Michael Wilson]]. Wilson had initially approached Ray through their mutual friend, [[Arthur C. Clarke]], to represent him in Hollywood. Wilson copyrighted the script credited to ''Mike Wilson & Satyajit Ray'', although he contributed only one word. Ray later said that he never received compensation for the script.<ref name="unmaderay">{{cite web|url=http://www.satyajitrayworld.com/raysfilmography/unmaderay.aspx|title=Ordeals of the Alien|last=Ray|first=Satyajit|work=The Unmade Ray|publisher=Satyajit Ray Society|access-date=21 April 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080427215538/http://www.satyajitrayworld.com/raysfilmography/unmaderay.aspx|archive-date=27 April 2008}}</ref> After Brando dropped out of the project, the project tried to replace him with [[James Coburn]], but Ray became disillusioned and returned to Calcutta.<ref name="unmaderay" /> Columbia attempted to revive the project, without success, in the 1970s and 1980s. [[File:SatyajitRay.jpg|thumb|A painting of Ray]]In 1969, Ray directed one of his most commercially successful films; a musical fantasy based on a children's story written by his grandfather, ''[[Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne]]'' (''The Adventures of Goopy and Bagha'').<ref>{{Cite web|last=Banerjee|first=Rabi|date=24 June 2018|title=Reimagining Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne, a Satyajit Ray cult classic|url=https://www.theweek.in/leisure/society/2018/06/24/reimagining-goopy-gyne-bagha-byne-satyajit-ray-cult-classic.html|access-date=11 November 2020|website=The Week|language=en}}</ref> It is about Goopy the singer, and Bagha the drummer, endowed with three gifts by the King of Ghosts, set out on a journey to stop an impending war between two neighbouring kingdoms. One of his most expensive projects, the film was also difficult to finance. Ray abandoned his desire to shoot it in colour, as he turned down an offer that would have forced him to cast a certain [[Hindi film]] actor as the lead.<ref>{{Harvnb|Seton|1971|pp=291–297}}</ref> He also composed the songs and music for the film.<ref>{{Cite web|date=21 October 2013|title=The World of Goopi and Bagha: Mumbai Review {{!}} Hollywood Reporter|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/world-goopi-bagha-mumbai-review-649699|access-date=11 November 2020|website=www.hollywoodreporter.com}}</ref>

Next, Ray directed the film adaptation of a novel by the poet and writer, [[Sunil Gangopadhyay]]. Featuring a musical motif structure acclaimed as more complex than ''Charulata'',<ref name="Wood 1972 13">{{Harvnb|Wood|1972|p=13}}</ref> ''[[Aranyer Din Ratri]]'' (1970) (''Days and Nights in the Forest'') follows four urban young men going to the forests for a vacation. They try to leave their daily lives behind, but one of them encounters women, and it becomes a deep study of the Indian middle class.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book|last=Ray, Satyajit, 1921-1992.|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/70176953|title=Satyajit Ray : interviews|date=2007|publisher=University Press of Mississippi|others=Cardullo, Bert.|isbn=978-1-57806-936-1|edition=1st|location=Jackson|pages=53, 180|oclc=70176953}}</ref> First shown at the [[New York Film Festival]] in 1970, critic Pauline Kael wrote "Satyajit Ray’s films can give rise to a more complex feeling of happiness in me than the work of any other director [...] No artist has done more than Ray to make us reevaluate the commonplace".<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Kael|first=Pauline|date=17 March 1973|title=Lost and Found|url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1973/03/17/lost-and-found-7|access-date=11 November 2020|magazine=The New Yorker|language=en-us}}</ref> Writing for the [[BBC]] in 2002, Jamie Russell complimented the script, pacing and mixture of emotions.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Russell|first=Jamie|date=23 July 2002|title=BBC - Films - review - Days and Nights in the Forest (Aranyer Din Ratri)|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2002/07/23/days_and_nights_in_the_forest_1969_review.shtml|access-date=11 November 2020|website=www.bbc.co.uk}}</ref> According to one critic, [[Robin Wood (critic)|Robin Wood]], "a single sequence [of the film] ... would offer material for a short essay".<ref name="Wood 1972 13" />

After ''Aranyer Din Ratri'', Ray addressed contemporary Bengali life. He completed what became known as the ''Calcutta trilogy'': ''[[Pratidwandi]]'' (1970), ''[[Seemabaddha]]'' (1971), and ''[[Jana Aranya]]'' (1975), three films that were conceived separately but had similar themes.<ref name="caltri">{{Harvnb|Robinson|2003|pp=200–220}}</ref> The trilogy focuses on repression, with male protagonists encountering the forbidden.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Ganguly|first=Suranjan|date=1 January 2020|title=Encounters with the Forbidden: Satyajit Ray's Pratidwandi and Jana Aranya|journal=Film Criticism|volume=44|issue=1|doi=10.3998/fc.13761232.0044.103|hdl=2027/spo.13761232.0044.103|issn=2471-4364|doi-access=free}}</ref> ''Pratidwandi'' (''The Adversary'') is about an idealist young graduate; if disillusioned by the end of film, he is still uncorrupted. ''Seemabaddha'' (''Company Limited'') portrayed a successful man giving up his morality for further gains. ''Jana Aranya'' (''The Middleman'') depicted a young man giving in to the culture of corruption to earn a living. In the first film, ''Pratidwandi'', Ray introduces new [[List of narrative techniques|narrative]] techniques, such as scenes in negative, dream sequences, and abrupt flashbacks.<ref name="caltri" /> Also in the 1970s, Ray adapted two of his popular stories as detective films. Although mainly aimed at children and young adults, both ''[[Sonar Kella]]'' (''The Golden Fortress'') and ''[[Joi Baba Felunath (film)|Joi Baba Felunath]]'' (''The Elephant God'') became cult favorites.<ref>{{Harvnb|Rushdie|1992}}</ref> In a 2019 review of ''Sonar Kella'', critic Rouven Linnarz was impressed with its use of Indian classical instruments to generate "mysterious progression".<ref>{{Cite web|last=Linnarz|first=Rouven|date=28 April 2019|title=Film Review: Sonar Kella (The Golden Fortress) (1974) by Satyajit Ray|url=https://asianmoviepulse.com/2019/04/film-review-sonar-kella-the-golden-fortress-1974-by-satyajit-ray/|access-date=11 November 2020|website=Asian Movie Pulse|language=en-US}}</ref>

Ray considered making a film on the 1971 [[Bangladesh Liberation War]] but later abandoned the idea, saying that, as a filmmaker, he was more interested in the travails of the refugees and not the politics.<ref>{{Harvnb|Robinson|2003|p=206}}</ref> In 1977, Ray completed ''[[Shatranj Ke Khilari (film)|Shatranj Ke Khilari]]'' (''The Chess Players''), a [[Hindustani language|Hindustani]] film based on a short story by [[Munshi Premchand]]. It was set in [[Lucknow]] in the state of [[Oudh]], a year before the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857]]. A commentary on issues related to the colonisation of India by the British, it was Ray's first feature film in a language other than Bengali. It starred a high-profile cast including [[Sanjeev Kumar (actor)|Sanjeev Kumar]], [[Saeed Jaffrey]], [[Amjad Khan (actor)|Amjad Khan]], [[Shabana Azmi]], [[Victor Bannerjee]] and [[Richard Attenborough]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Antani|first=Jay|date=7 April 2007|title=DVD Review: The Chess Players|url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/the-chess-players/|access-date=9 November 2020|website=Slant Magazine|language=en-US}}</ref> Despite the film's limited budget, ''[[The Washington Post]]'' critic gave it a positive review; "He [Ray] possesses what many overindulged Hollywood filmmakers often lack: a view of history".<ref>{{Cite news|last=Arnold|first=Gary|date=6 April 1978|title=The Chess Players|language=en-US|work=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1978/04/06/the-chess-players/f6cddf62-1567-4a21-8ff0-6ecd9f923aa2/|access-date=11 November 2020|issn=0190-8286}}</ref>

In 1980, Ray made a sequel to ''Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne'', a somewhat political ''[[Hirak Rajar Deshe]]'' (''Kingdom of Diamonds''). The kingdom of the evil Diamond King, or ''Hirok Raj,'' is an allusion to India during [[Indira Gandhi]]'s [[Indian Emergency (1975 - 77)|emergency period]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Robinson|2003|pp=188–189}}</ref> Along with his acclaimed short film ''[[Pikoo (film)|Pikoo]]'' (''Pikoo's Diary'') and hour-long [[Hindi language|Hindi]] film, ''[[Sadgati]],'' this was the culmination of his work in this period.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Brilliance of Satyajit Ray {{!}} BAMPFA|url=https://bampfa.org/program/brilliance-satyajit-ray|access-date=9 November 2020|website=bampfa.org}}</ref> When ''[[E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial|E.T.]]'' was released in 1982, Clarke and Ray saw similarities in the film to his earlier ''The'' ''Alien'' script; Ray claimed that ''E.T.'' plagiarised his script. Ray said that [[Steven Spielberg]]'s film "would not have been possible without my script of '''The Alien''<nowiki/>' being available throughout America in mimeographed copies." Spielberg denied any plagiarism by saying, "I was a kid in high school when this script was circulating in Hollywood." (Spielberg actually graduated high school in 1965 and released his first film in 1968).<ref>

In 1983, while working on ''[[Ghare Baire (film)|Ghare Baire]]'' (''Home and the World''), Ray suffered a heart attack; it would severely limit his productivity in the remaining 9 years of his life. ''Ghare Baire'', an adaptation of the novel of the [[The Home and the World|same name]], was completed in 1984 with the help of Ray's son, who served as a camera operator from then-onward. It is about the dangers of fervent nationalism; he wrote the first draft of a script for it in the 1940s.<ref>{{Harvnb|Robinson|2003|pp=66–67}}</ref> Despite rough patches due to Ray's illness, the film did receive some acclaim; critic [[Vincent Canby]] gave the film a maximum rating of five stars and praised the performances of the three lead actors.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Canby |first=Vincent |date=21 June 1985 |title=Film: By Satyajit Ray |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/06/21/movies/film-by-satyajit-ray.html |access-date=11 November 2020 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> It also featured the first kiss scene portrayed in Ray's films.

In 1987, Ray recovered to an extent to direct the 1990 film ''[[Shakha Proshakha]]'' (''Branches of the Tree'').<ref>{{Harvnb|Robinson|2003|p=353}}</ref> It depicts an old man, who has lived a life of honesty, and learns of the corruption of three of his sons. The final scene shows the father finding solace only in the companionship of his fourth son, who is uncorrupted but mentally ill due to a head injury sustained while he was studying in England. Ray's last film, ''[[Agantuk]]'' (''The Stranger''), is lighter in mood but not in theme; when a long-lost uncle arrives to visit his niece in Calcutta, he arouses suspicion as to his motive. It provokes far-ranging questions in the film about civilisation.<ref>{{Harvnb|Robinson|2003|pp=353–364}}</ref> Critic [[Hal Hinson]] was impressed, and thought ''Agantuk'' shows "all the virtues of a master artist in full maturity".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hinson |first=Hal |date=6 October 1995 |title=The Stranger |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/thestrangernrhinson_c03113.htm |access-date=11 November 2020 |website=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref>

A heavy-smoker but non-drinker; Ray valued work more than anything else. He would work 12 hours a day, and go to bed at two o'clock in the morning. He also enjoyed collecting antiques, manuscripts, rare gramophone records, paintings and rare books.<ref>{{Cite web |last=T.S. |first=Satyan |date=8 June 2002 |title=A FILM-MAKER FILMED |url=https://frontline.thehindu.com/other/article30245124.ece |access-date=10 November 2020 |website=Frontline |language=en}}</ref> In 1992, Ray's health deteriorated due to heart complications. He was admitted to a hospital but never recovered. Twenty-four days before his death, Ray was presented with an [[Academy Honorary Award|Honorary Academy Award]] by [[Audrey Hepburn]] via video-link; he was in a gravely ill condition, but gave an acceptance speech, calling it the "best achievement of [his] movie-making career."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Acceptance Speeches: Satyajit Ray |url=http://aaspeechesdb.oscars.org/link/064-24/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141020193036/http://aaspeechesdb.oscars.org/link/064-24/ |archive-date=20 October 2014 |access-date=22 April 2013 |publisher=[[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]]}}</ref> He died on 23 April 1992, 9 days before his 71st birthday.<ref>{{Cite news |date=24 April 1992 |title=Satyajit Ray dead |page=1 |work=[[The Indian Express]] |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=P9oYG7HA76QC&dat=19920424&printsec=frontpage&hl=en}}</ref>

Ray created two popular fictional characters in Bengali children's literature—[[Feluda]], a detective, and [[Professor Shonku]], a scientist. The Feluda stories are narrated by Topesh Ranjan Mitra aka Topse, his teenage cousin, something of a [[Doctor Watson|Watson]] to Feluda's [[Sherlock Holmes|Holmes]]. The science fictions of Shonku are presented as a diary discovered after the scientist had mysteriously disappeared. Ray also wrote a collection of [[nonsense verse]] named ''[[Today Bandha Ghorar Dim]],'' which includes a translation of [[Lewis Carroll]]'s "[[Jabberwocky]]". He wrote a collection of humorous stories of [[Nasreddin|Mullah Nasiruddin]] in Bengali.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Unicorn Expedition and Other Fantastic Tales of India by Ray, Satyajit: hardcover (1987) 1st edition. {{!}} zenosbooks|url=https://www.abebooks.com/first-edition/Unicorn-Expedition-Fantastic-Tales-India-Ray/22630850370/bd|access-date=9 November 2020|website=www.abebooks.com|language=en}}</ref>

His short stories were published as collections of 12 stories, in which the overall title played with the word twelve (for example ''Aker pitthe dui'', or literally "Two on top of one"). Ray's interest in puzzles and puns is reflected in his stories. Ray's short stories give full rein to his interest in the macabre, in suspense and other aspects that he avoided in film, making for an interesting psychological study.<ref name="nandy">{{Harvnb|Nandy|1995}}</ref> Most of his writings have been translated into English. Most of his screenplays have been published in Bengali in the literary journal ''Eksan''. Ray wrote an autobiography about his childhood years, ''[[Jakhan Choto Chilam]]'' (1982), translated to English as ''Childhood Days: A Memoir'' by his wife Bijoya Ray.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Ray, Satyajit, 1921-1992.|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/41532327|title=Childhood days : a memoir|date=1998|publisher=Penguin Books|others=Rāẏa, Bijaẏā.|isbn=0-14-025079-4|location=New Delhi|oclc=41532327}}</ref> In 1994, Ray published his memoir, [[My Years with Apu: A Memoir|My Years with Apu]], about his experiences of making ''The Apu Trilogy.''<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dhillon|first=Amrit|date=30 November 1994|title=Book review: Satyajit Ray's My years with Apu: A memoir|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/society-the-arts/story/19941130-book-review-satyajit-rays-my-years-with-apu-a-memoir-810309-1994-11-30|access-date=9 November 2020|website=India Today|language=en}}</ref>

He also wrote essays on film, published as the collections: ''[[Our Films, Their Films]]'' (1976), ''[[Bishoy Chalachchitra]]'' (1976), and ''[[Ekei Bole Shooting]]'' (1979). During the mid-1990s, Ray's film essays and an anthology of short stories were also published in English in the West. ''[[Our Films, Their Films]]'' is an anthology of film criticism by Ray. The book contains articles and personal journal excerpts. The book is presented in two sections: Ray first discusses [[Cinema of India|Indian film]], before turning his attention toward Hollywood, specific filmmakers ([[Charlie Chaplin]] and [[Akira Kurosawa]]), and movements such as [[Italian neorealism]]. His book ''[[Bishoy Chalachchitra]]'' was published in translation in 2006 as ''Speaking of Films''. It contains a compact description of his philosophy of different aspects of the cinemas.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Saran|first=Renu|title=History of Indian Cinema|publisher=Diamond Pocket Books|year=2014|isbn=9789350836514}}</ref>

Ray designed four typefaces for roman script named Ray Roman, Ray Bizarre, Daphnis, and Holiday script, apart from numerous Bengali ones for the ''[[Sandesh (magazine)|Sandesh]]'' magazine.<ref name=show>{{cite news|url=http://www.financialexpress.com/news/The-Ray-show-goes-on/263406/ |title=The Ray show goes on |last=Datta |first=Sudipta |date=19 January 2008 |access-date=10 April 2008 |work=The Financial Express |publisher=Indian Express Newspapers (Mumbai) Ltd |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080121103144/http://www.financialexpress.com/news/The-Ray-show-goes-on/263406/ |archive-date=21 January 2008 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.satyajitrayworld.com/versatility_typography.php |title=Ray Typography |access-date=24 July 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140809064842/http://www.satyajitrayworld.com/versatility_typography.php |archive-date= 9 August 2014 }}</ref> Ray Roman and Ray Bizarre won an international competition in 1971.<ref>{{Harvnb|Robinson|2003|p=57}}</ref> In certain circles of Calcutta, Ray continued to be known as an eminent graphic designer, well into his film career. Ray illustrated all his books and designed covers for them, as well as creating all publicity material for his films, for example, Ray's artistic playing with the Bengali graphemes was also revealed in the cine posters and cine promo-brochures' covers. He also designed covers of several books by other authors.<ref>{{Harvnb|Robinson|2003|pp=57–59}}</ref> In his calligraphic technique there are deep impacts of: (a) Artistic pattern of European musical staff notation in the graphemic syntagms; (b) [[alpana]] ("ritual painting" mainly practised by Bengali women at the time of religious festival; the term denotes 'to coat with'. Generally categorised as "Folk"-Art cf. in Ray's graphemes representations.{{citation needed|date=April 2020}}

Thus, so-called division between classical and folk art is blurred in Ray's representation of Bengali graphemes. The three-tier X-height of Bengali graphemes was presented in a manner of musical map and the contours, curves in between horizontal and vertical meeting-point, follow the patterns of alpana. It is also noticed that the metamorphosis of graphemes (This might be designated as "Archewriting") as a living object/subject in Ray's positive manipulation of Bengali graphemes.<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://www.academia.edu/411331|title=Chobi Lekhen Sottojit (Satyajit Ray Writes Paintings)|journal=Dhrubapad. Yearbook-Vi. (Pp.392-417). Kolkata|last1=Bandyopadhyay|first1=Debaprasad}}</ref>

As a graphic designer, Ray designed most of his film posters, combining folk-art and calligraphy to create themes ranging from mysterious, surreal to comical; an exhibition for his posters was held at [[British Film Institute]] in 2013.<ref>{{cite news|author=Stevens, Isabel|date=13 August 2013|title=Satyajit Ray's film posters: in pictures|newspaper=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/gallery/2013/aug/13/satyajit-ray-film-posters-in-pictures#/?picture=414861262&index=0|url-status=live|access-date=6 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140606210407/http://www.theguardian.com/film/gallery/2013/aug/13/satyajit-ray-film-posters-in-pictures|archive-date=6 June 2014}}</ref> He would master every style of visual art, and could mimic any painter, as evidenced in his book and magazine covers, posters, literary illustrations and advertisement campaigns.<ref name=":0" />

Ray had been subconsciously paying a tribute to [[Jean Renoir]] throughout his career, who influenced him the most. He also acknowledged [[Vittorio De Sica]], whom he thought represented [[Italian Neorealism]] best, and taught him the cramming of cinematic details into a single shot, and utilising amateur actors and actresses.<ref name=":4">{{Cite book|last=Cooper|first=Darius|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/40948522|title=The cinema of Satyajit Ray : between tradition and modernity|date=2000|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=0-521-62026-0|location=Cambridge, UK|pages=73|oclc=40948522}}</ref> Ray has admitted to have learnt the craft of cinema from [[Classical Hollywood cinema|Old Hollywood]] directors such as [[John Ford]], [[Billy Wilder]] and [[Ernst Lubitsch]]. He had deep respect and admiration for his contemporaries [[Akira Kurosawa]] and [[Ingmar Bergman]], whom he considered giants.<ref name=":4" /> Among others, he learnt the use of [[Freeze-frame shot|freeze frame shots]] from [[François Truffaut]], and [[jump cuts]], [[fades]] and [[Dissolve (filmmaking)|dissolves]] from [[Jean-Luc Godard]]. Although he admired Godard's "revolutionary" early phase, he thought his later phase was "alien".<ref name=":3" /> Ray adored his peer [[Michelangelo Antonioni]], but hated ''[[Blowup]]'', which he considered having "very little inner movement". He was also impressed with [[Stanley Kubrick]]'s work.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Roisin|first=Fariha|date=18 August 2014|title=Why the Best American Filmmakers Owe a Debt to Satyajit Ray|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2014/08/why-the-best-american-filmmakers-owe-a-debt-to-satyajit-ray-23072/|access-date=9 November 2020|website=IndieWire|language=en}}</ref> Although Ray stated to have had very little influence from [[Sergei Eisenstein]], films such as ''Pather Panchali'', ''Aparajito'', ''Charulata'' and ''Sadgati'' contains scenes which show striking uses of [[montage (filmmaking)|montage]]. He also had sketches of Eisenstein.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Ray|first=Satyajit|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/836848820|title=Satyajit Ray on cinema|date=2011|publisher=Columbia University Press|others=Ray, Sandip, 1954-|isbn=978-0-231-53547-2|location=New York|oclc=836848820}}</ref>

Ray considered script-writing to be an integral part of direction. Initially he refused to make a film in any language other than [[Bengali language|Bengali]]. In his two non-Bengali feature films, he wrote the script in English; translators adapted it into Hindustani under Ray's supervision. Ray's eye for detail was matched by that of his art director [[Bansi Chandragupta]]. His influence on the early films was so important that Ray would always write scripts in English before creating a Bengali version, so that the non-Bengali Chandragupta would be able to read it. [[Subrata Mitra]]'s cinematography garnered praise in Ray's films, although some critics thought that Mitra's eventual departure from Ray lowered its quality. Mitra stopped working for him after [[Nayak (1966 film)|''Nayak'']]. Mitra developed "[[Reflector (photography)#Bounce lighting|bounce lighting]]", a technique to reflect light from cloth to create a diffused, realistic light even on a set.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Baxter|first=Brian|date=28 December 2001|title=Obituary: Subrata Mitra|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2001/dec/28/guardianobituaries.filmnews|access-date=9 November 2020|issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Subrata Mitra|url=http://www.cinematographers.nl/GreatDoPh/mitra.htm|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090602164022/http://www.cinematographers.nl/GreatDoPh/mitra.htm|archive-date=2 June 2009|access-date=22 May 2009|publisher=Internet Encyclopedia of Cinematographers}}</ref>

Ray's regular film editor was [[Dulal Datta]], but the director usually dictated the editing while Datta did the actual work. Due to finances and Ray's meticulous planning, his films were mostly cut in-camera (apart from ''Pather Panchali''). At the beginning of his career, Ray worked with [[Indian classical music]]ians, including [[Ravi Shankar]], [[Vilayat Khan]], and [[Ali Akbar Khan]]. He found that their first loyalty was to musical traditions, and not to his film. He obtained a greater understanding of Western classical forms, which he wanted to use for his films set in an urban milieu.<ref>{{Harvnb|Robinson|2003|pp=315–318}}</ref> Starting with ''Teen Kanya'', Ray began to compose his own scores.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Music of Satyajit Ray|url=https://satyajitray.org/music-of-satyajit-ray/|access-date=9 November 2020|website=Satyajit Ray Org|language=en-US}}</ref> [[Ludwig van Beethoven|Beethoven]] was Ray's favourite composer; Ray also went on to become a distinguished connoisseur of Western [[classical music]] in India.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|date=18 June 2019|title=The Great Integrator|url=https://serenademagazine.com/series/music-education/the-great-integrator/|access-date=10 November 2020|website=Serenade|language=en-GB}}</ref> The [[narrative structure]] of Ray's films are represented by [[musical forms]] such as [[sonata]], [[fugue]] and [[rondo]]. ''Kanchenjunga'', ''Nayak'' and ''Aranyer Din Ratri'' are examples of this structure.<ref name=":5" />

The director cast actors from diverse backgrounds, from well-known stars to people who had never seen a film (as in ''Aparajito'').<ref>{{Harvnb|Ray|1994|p=100}}</ref> [[Robin Wood (critic)|Robin Wood]] and others have lauded him as the best director of children, recalling memorable performances in the roles of Apu and Durga (''Pather Panchali''), Ratan (''Postmaster'') and Mukul (''Sonar Kella''). Depending on the actor's skill and experience, Ray varied the intensity of his direction, from virtually nothing with actors such as [[Utpal Dutt]], to using the actor as a puppet ([[Subir Banerjee]] as young Apu or Sharmila Tagore as Aparna).<ref>{{Harvnb|Robinson|2003|p=78}}</ref> Actors who had worked for Ray trusted him, but said that he could also treat incompetence with total contempt.<ref>{{Harvnb|Robinson|2003|p=307}}</ref> With admiration of his cinematic style and craft, director [[Roger Manvell]] said, “In the restrained style he has adopted, Ray has become a master of technique. He takes his timing from the nature of the people and their environment; his camera is the intent, unobtrusive observer of reactions; his editing the discreet, economical transition from one value to the next."<ref name="m.dailyhunt.in">[https://m.dailyhunt.in/news/india/english/yourstory-epaper-yourstory/remembering+the+godfather+of+indian+cinema+how+satyajit+ray+changed+the+course+of+filmmaking-newsid-67145607 Remembering the Godfather of Indian cinema: how Satyajit Ray changed the course of filmmaking – YourStory]. ''DailyHunt'' (2 May 2015). Retrieved on 30 November 2018.</ref> Ray credited life to be the best kind of inspiration for cinema; he said, "For a popular medium, the best kind of inspiration should derive from life and have its roots in it. No amount of technical polish can make up for artificiality of the theme and the dishonesty of treatment."<ref name="m.dailyhunt.in" />

Ray's work has been described as full of [[humanism]] and universality, and of a deceptive simplicity with deep underlying complexity.<ref name="malcolm2">{{cite news|author=Malcolm D |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/cultures/2002/may/02/artsfeatures1 |title=The universe in his backyard |access-date=15 February 2007 |location=London |date=2 May 2002 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140426235816/http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2002/may/02/artsfeatures1 |archive-date=26 April 2014 }}</ref><ref name="sragrow">{{cite web|author=[[Michael Sragow|Swagrow M]] |work=The Atlantic Monthly |url=http://satyajitray.ucsc.edu/articles/sragow.html |title=An Art Wedded to Truth |access-date=15 February 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090412212046/http://satyajitray.ucsc.edu/articles/sragow.html |archive-date=12 April 2009 }}</ref> The Japanese director [[Akira Kurosawa]] said, "Not to have seen the cinema of Ray means existing in the world without seeing the sun or the moon."<ref name=Robinson-96>{{Harvnb|Robinson|2003|p=96}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2013-09-11|title=In praise of … Satyajit Ray {{!}} Editorial|url=http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/sep/11/in-praise-of-satyajit-ray-editorial|access-date=2022-01-07|website=the Guardian|language=en}}</ref> But his detractors find his films glacially slow, moving like a "majestic snail."<ref name="robinson"/> Some critics find his work [[anti-modern]]; they criticise him for lacking the new modes of expression or experimentation found in works of Ray's contemporaries, such as Jean-Luc Godard.<ref>{{Harvnb|Robinson|2003|pp=306–318}}</ref> As [[Stanley Kauffmann]] wrote, some critics believe that Ray assumes that viewers "can be interested in a film that simply dwells in its characters, rather than one that imposes dramatic patterns on their lives."<ref>{{Harvnb|Robinson|2003|pp=352–353}}</ref> Ray said he could do nothing about the slow pace. [[Akira Kurosawa|Kurosawa]] defended him by saying that Ray's films were not slow; "His work can be described as flowing composedly, like a big river".<ref>{{Harvnb|Robinson|2003|pp=314–315}}</ref>

Critics have often compared Ray to [[Anton Chekhov]], Jean Renoir, Vittorio De Sica, [[Howard Hawks]] and [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart]]. The writer [[V. S. Naipaul]] compared a scene in ''Shatranj Ki Khiladi'' (''The Chess Players'') to a Shakespearean play; he wrote, "only three hundred words are spoken but goodness!&nbsp;– terrific things happen."<ref name="harvnb"/><ref>{{cite news|author=Ebert|first=Roger|title=The Music Room (1958)|work=Chicago Sun-Times|url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19990117/REVIEWS08/401010342/1023|url-status=live|access-date=29 April 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051226145349/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F19990117%2FREVIEWS08%2F401010342%2F1023|archive-date=26 December 2005}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Robinson|2003|p=246}}</ref> Even critics who did not like the [[aesthetics]] of Ray's films generally acknowledged his ability to encompass a whole culture with all its nuances. Ray's obituary in ''[[The Independent]]'' included the question, "Who else can compete?"<ref>{{Harvnb|Robinson|2005|pp=13–14}}</ref> His work was promoted in France by ''The Studio des Ursuline'' cinema. French photographer [[Henri Cartier-Bresson]] described Ray as&nbsp;“undoubtedly a giant in the film world”.<ref>{{cite web|title=Why the Best American Film Makers Owe a Dept to Satyajit Ray|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2014/08/why-the-best-american-filmmakers-owe-a-debt-to-satyajit-ray-23072/|website=indiewire|date=18 August 2014}}</ref> With positive admiration for most of Ray's films, critic [[Roger Ebert]] cited ''The Apu Trilogy'' among the greatest films.<ref>[https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-apu-trilogy-1959 The Apu Trilogy Movie Review & Film Summary (1959)]. Roger Ebert. Retrieved on 30 November 2018.</ref>

Praising his contribution to the world of cinema, [[Martin Scorsese]] said: "His work is in the company of that of living contemporaries like Ingmar Bergman, Akira Kurosawa and [[Federico Fellini]]."<ref>{{Cite web|title=Critics on Ray|url=http://www.satyajitray.org/about_ray/critics_on_ray.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150526185124/http://www.satyajitray.org/about_ray/critics_on_ray.htm|archive-date=26 May 2015|access-date=4 April 2021|website=SatyajitRay.org}}</ref> [[Francis Ford Coppola]] cited Ray as a major influence;<ref name="independent.co.uk">Dulworthy, Jacob. [https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/dunkirk-christopher-nolan-pather-panchali-india-best-film-director-satyajit-ray-a8288096.html Dunkirk director Christopher Nolan hails India's Pather Panchali as 'one of the best films ever made']. The Independent (4 April 2018). Retrieved on 30 November 2018.</ref> he praised 1960's ''Devi'',  which Coppola considers as his best work and a "cinematic milestone"; Coppola admits to learning Indian cinema through Ray's works.<ref>Gupta, Ranjan Das (27 November 2010) [http://www.thehindu.com/features/magazine/Back-behind-the-camera/article15718304.ece Back behind the camera]. ''The Hindu''. Retrieved on 30 November 2018.</ref> On a trip to India, [[Christopher Nolan]] expressed his admiration for Ray's ''Pather Panchali''. Nolan said, "I have had the pleasure of watching [Satyajit Ray's] ''Pather Panchali'' recently, which I hadn't seen before. I think it is one of the best films ever made. It is an extraordinary piece of work."<ref name="independent.co.uk"/>

Politics and ego have also influenced debate regarding Ray's work. Certain advocates of socialism claim that Ray was not "committed" to the cause of the nation's downtrodden classes while some critics accused him of glorifying poverty in ''Pather Panchali'' and ''[[Ashani Sanket]]'' (''Distant Thunder'') through lyricism and aesthetics. They said he provided no solution to conflicts in the stories, and was unable to overcome his [[bourgeoisie|bourgeois]] background. During the [[naxalite]] movements in the 1970s, agitators once came close to causing physical harm to his son, Sandip.<ref>{{Harvnb|Robinson|2003|p=205}}</ref> In early 1980, Ray was criticised by an Indian [[Member of Parliament|M.P.]], and former actress [[Nargis Dutt]], who accused Ray of "exporting poverty." She wanted him to make films that represent "Modern India."<ref>{{Harvnb|Robinson|2003|pp=327–328}}</ref> In a highly public exchange of letters during the 1960s, Ray harshly criticized the film [[Akash Kusum]] by colleague [[Mrinal Sen]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Robinson|2003|p=177}}</ref> Ray said that Sen only attacked "easy targets", for example the Bengali middle-classes. That [[Akash Kusum]] bore some resemblance to [[Parash Pathar]], a film Sen had admitted to not liking, may have played a role in fracturing their previously cordial relationship. Ray would continue to make films on this "easy target" demographic, including ''[[Pratidwandi]]'' and ''[[Jana Aranya]]'' (set during the [[naxalite movement]] in Bengal), and the two filmmakers would continue to trade praise and criticism the rest of their careers.

</ref> [[Abbas Kiarostami]], [[Elia Kazan]], [[William Wyler]],<ref>[http://www.indiewire.com/2014/08/why-the-best-american-filmmakers-owe-a-debt-to-satyajit-ray-23072/ Why the Best American Filmmakers Owe a Debt to Satyajit Ray]. IndieWire (18 August 2014). Retrieved on 30 November 2018.</ref> François Truffaut,<ref>{{cite news|title=The 'World' of Satyajit Ray: Legacy of India's Premier Film Maker on Display |author=Kehr, Dave  |work=[[Daily News (New York)|Daily News]] |date=5 May 1995 |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/nydn-features/world-satyajit-ray-legacy-india-premier-film-maker-display-article-1.678937 |access-date=6 June 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150221143856/http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/nydn-features/world-satyajit-ray-legacy-india-premier-film-maker-display-article-1.678937 |archive-date=21 February 2015 }}</ref> [[John Huston]],<ref name="huston" /> [[Carlos Saura]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Satyajit Ray is this Spanish director's inspiration |author=Ray, Suchetana |publisher=[[CNN-IBN]] |date=11 March 2008 |url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/satyajit-ray-is-this-spanish-directors-inspiration/60900-8.html |access-date=6 June 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140707181226/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/satyajit-ray-is-this-spanish-directors-inspiration/60900-8.html |archive-date= 7 July 2014 }}</ref> [[Isao Takahata]],<ref>{{cite web|author=Thomas, Daniel |title=Film Reviews: Grave of the Fireflies (Hotaru no Haka)|date=20 January 2003|url=http://www.danielthomas.org/pop/film_reviews/fireflies.htm|access-date=30 May 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6AC5bYmGF?url=http://www.danielthomas.org/pop/film_reviews/fireflies.htm|archive-date=26 August 2012}}</ref> [[Oliver Stone]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Oliver Stone 'loves' Indian cinema|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-11635754|website=bbc|date=27 October 2010}}</ref> [[Quentin Tarantino]], [[Wes Anderson]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://floortwo.wordpress.com/2007/10/28/a-review-of-wes-andersons-the-darjeeling-limited/ |title=A Review of Wes Anderson's ''The Darjeeling Limited'' |date=28 October 2007 |access-date=24 December 2007 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080104031616/http://floortwo.wordpress.com/2007/10/28/a-review-of-wes-andersons-the-darjeeling-limited/ |archive-date= 4 January 2008 }}</ref> [[Danny Boyle]]<ref name=Jivani>{{cite web|author=Jivani, Alkarim |title=Mumbai rising |work=[[Sight & Sound]] |date=February 2009 |url=http://old.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/feature/49511 |access-date=1 February 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150221145109/http://old.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/feature/49511 |archive-date=21 February 2015 }}</ref> [[Christopher Nolan]],<ref name="independent.co.uk"/> and many other international filmmakers have been influenced by Ray's cinematic style.<ref name=Robinson-96/>

[[Gregory Nava]]'s 1995 film ''[[My Family (film)|My Family]]'' had a final scene that was reminiscent of ''Apur Sansar''. [[Ira Sachs]]'s 2005 work ''[[Forty Shades of Blue]]'' was a loose remake of ''Charulata.'' Other references to Ray's films are found, for example, in 2006's ''[[Sacred Evil – A True Story|Sacred Evil]]'',<ref>{{cite news|author=Jha SK |publisher=Telegraph India |url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1060609/asp/etc/story_6319302.asp |title=Sacred Ray |access-date=29 June 2006 |location=Calcutta, India |date=9 June 2006 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060618042430/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1060609/asp/etc/story_6319302.asp |archive-date=18 June 2006 }}</ref> and the ''[[Elements trilogy]]'' by [[Deepa Mehta]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Habib, André |work=Senses of Cinema|url=http://archive.sensesofcinema.com/contents/01/16/godard_habib.html|title=Before and After: Origins and Death in the Work of Jean-Luc Godard|access-date=29 June 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060614150838/http://www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/01/16/godard_habib.html|archive-date=14 June 2006}}</ref> According to [[Michael Sragow]] of ''[[The Atlantic|The Atlantic Monthly]]'', the "youthful [[Coming of age|coming-of-age]] [[Drama film|dramas]] that have flooded art houses since the mid-fifties owe a tremendous debt to ''[[The Apu Trilogy]]''".<ref>{{Cite journal|title=An Art Wedded to Truth |first=Michael |last=Sragow |year=1994 |journal=[[The Atlantic|The Atlantic Monthly]] |url=http://satyajitray.ucsc.edu/articles/sragow.html |access-date=11 May 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090412212046/http://satyajitray.ucsc.edu/articles/sragow.html |archive-date=12 April 2009 }}</ref> ''[[Kanchenjungha]]'' introduced a narrative structure that resembles later [[hyperlink cinema]].<ref>{{cite web|title=An Interview with Satyajit Ray |year=1982 |url=http://raylifeandwork.blogspot.com/2009/02/interview-with-satyajit-ray.html |access-date=24 May 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708061608/http://raylifeandwork.blogspot.com/2009/02/interview-with-satyajit-ray.html |archive-date= 8 July 2011 }}</ref> ''Pratidwandi'' helped pioneer [[Negative (photography)|photo-negative]] [[Flashback (narrative)|flashback]] and X-ray digression techniques.<ref>{{cite web|title=First Light: Satyajit Ray From the Apu Trilogy to the Calcutta Trilogy |author=Pinkerton, Nick |date=14 April 2009 |publisher=[[The Village Voice]] |url=http://www.villagevoice.com/2009-04-15/film/first-light-satyajit-ray-from-the-apu-trilogy-to-the-calcutta-trilogy |access-date=9 July 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090625154630/http://www.villagevoice.com/2009-04-15/film/first-light-satyajit-ray-from-the-apu-trilogy-to-the-calcutta-trilogy |archive-date=25 June 2009 }}</ref> Together with [[Madhabi Mukherjee]], Ray was the first Indian film figure to be featured on a foreign stamp ([[Dominica]]).

Iranian filmmaker [[Majid Majidi]] has expressed deep admiration for Ray. While discussing the inspiration for his first feature film on India, [[Beyond the Clouds (2017 film)|''Beyond the Clouds'']] (2017), Majidi said, "I have learned a lot about India based on the works of remarkable Indian director Satyajit Ray so it was my dream to make a film in his land. His view point is very valuable to me and I love whatever he has done, so one of the main reasons behind making this film is my admiration for Satyajit Ray and his work".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://in.glamsham.com/en/majid-majidi-satyajit-rays-remarkable-work-inspired-me-to-make-beyond-the-clouds |title=Archived copy |access-date=10 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180411174603/http://in.glamsham.com/en/majid-majidi-satyajit-rays-remarkable-work-inspired-me-to-make-beyond-the-clouds |archive-date=11 April 2018 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> Wes Anderson said that his 2007 film, ''[[The Darjeeling Limited]]'', is dedicated to Ray.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Romney|first=Jonathan|date=11 November 2007|title=Wes Anderson: Isn't it time the writer and director showed a little|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/wes-anderson-isnt-it-time-the-writer-and-director-showed-a-little-heart-399522.html|access-date=10 November 2020|website=The Independent|language=en}}</ref>

A number of Documentary films have been produced about Ray in India, prominent ones include: ''Creative Artists of India - Satyajit Ray'' (1964) by [[Bhagwan Das Garga]] and ''Satyajit Ray'' (1982) by [[Shyam Benegal]] - both backed by the [[Government of India]]'s [[Films Division]], ''The Music of Satyajit Ray'' (1984) by [[Utpalendu Chakrabarty]] with funding from the [[National Film Development Corporation of India]], ''Ray: Life and Work of Satyajit Ray'' (1999) by [[Goutam Ghose]].<ref>{{cite book|author=Bidyut Sarkar|title=The World of Satyajit Ray|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=COAmAQAAIAAJ|year=1993|publisher=UBS Publisher Distributors|isbn=978-81-85944-05-0|page=138}}</ref> In 2016, during the shooting of the film ''Double Feluda'', Satyajit's son, Sandip, filmed his father's famous library.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://asiatimes.com/inside-rays-famous-study/ |title=Inside Satyajit Ray's famous study |last=Mukherjee |first=Amrita |date=22 November 2016 |website=www.atimes.com |access-date=2 December 2016 }}</ref>

The [[Academy Film Archive]] has preserved many of Ray's films: ''[[Abhijan]]'' in 2001, ''[[Aparajito]]'' in 1996, ''[[Apur Sansar]]'' in 1996, ''[[Charulata]]'' in 1996, ''[[Devi (1960 film)|Devi]]'' in 1996, ''[[Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne]]'' in 2003, ''[[Jalsaghar]]'' in 1996, ''[[Jana Aranya]]'' in 1996, ''[[Joi Baba Felunath (film)|Joi Baba Felunath]]'' in 2007, ''[[Kapurush]]'' in 2005, ''[[Mahanagar]]'' in 1996, ''[[Mahapurush]]'' in 2005, ''[[Nayak (1966 film)|Nayak]]'' in 2004, ''[[Parash Pathar]]'' in 2007, ''[[Pather Panchali]]'' in 1996, ''[[Seemabaddha]]'' in 2001, ''[[Shatranj ke Khilari]]'' in 2010, ''[[Sikkim (film)|Sikkim]]'' in 2007, ''[[Teen Kanya]]'' in 1996, and the short film ''[[Two (1964 film)|Two]]'' in 2006.<ref>{{cite web|title=Preserved Projects|url=http://www.oscars.org/academy-film-archive/preserved-projects?title=&filmmaker=Satyajit+Ray&category=All&collection=All|website=Academy Film Archive}}</ref> The Academy Film Archive additionally holds prints of other Ray films as part of its Satyajit Ray Collection.<ref>{{cite web|title=Satyajit Ray Collection|url=https://www.oscars.org/film-archive/collections/satyajit-ray-collection|website=Academy Film Archive|date=5 September 2014}}</ref>

In recognition of the [[auteur]]’s legacy, Lifetime Achievement Award was named as ‘Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award’ from 2021, to be given at the festival.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.indiatvnews.com/entertainment/news/52nd-iffi-to-be-held-from-20th-28th-nov-2021-in-goa-prakash-javadekar-releases-poster-717186|title=52nd IFFI to be held from 20th -28th Nov 2021 in Goa, Prakash Javadekar releases poster|date=6 July 2021|access-date=12 September 2021|website=India TV News}}</ref>

==Awards, honours and recognition==

He was awarded the [[Dadasaheb Phalke Award]] in 1985, and the [[Legion of Honor]] by the [[President of France]] in 1987.<ref name="awards">{{cite web|url=http://www.satyajitray.org/about_ray/awards_personal.htm |title=Personal Awards |work=Awards |publisher=satyajitray.org |access-date=9 April 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080404095030/http://www.satyajitray.org/about_ray/awards_personal.htm |archive-date= 4 April 2008 }}</ref> The Government of India awarded him the [[Padma Bhushan]] in 1965 and the highest civilian honour,<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web |url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |title=Padma Awards |publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India |date=2015 |access-date=21 July 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6U68ulwpb?url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |archive-date=15 November 2014 }}</ref> [[Bharat Ratna]], shortly before his death.<ref name="awards" /> The [[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]] awarded Ray an [[Academy Honorary Award|Honorary Award]] in [[64th Academy Awards|1992]] for Lifetime Achievement. In 1992, he was posthumously awarded the ''Akira Kurosawa Award for Lifetime Achievement in Directing'' at the [[San Francisco International Film Festival]]; it was accepted on his behalf by actress [[Sharmila Tagore]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://history.sffs.org/awards_tributes/search.php?search_by=6&searchfield=Satyajit+Ray|title=Awards and Tributes: Satyajit Ray|work=San Francisco International Film Festival: The First to Fifty|publisher=San Francisco Film Society|access-date=8 April 2008}}</ref>

Participants in a 2004 BBC poll placed him No. 13 on the "[[Greatest Bengali of all time]]".<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3623345.stm| title=Listeners name 'greatest Bengali' |work=BBC News |date=14 April 2004 |access-date=14 December 2017 |language=en-GB}}</ref> In 1992, the ''[[Sight & Sound]]'' Critics' Top Ten Poll ranked Ray at No. 7 in its list of "Top 10 Directors" of all time, making him the highest-ranking [[Asian cinema|Asian filmmaker]] in the poll.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sight and Sound Poll 1992: Critics |publisher=[[California Institute of Technology]] |url=http://alumnus.caltech.edu/~ejohnson/sight/1992_1.html |access-date=29 May 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150618053015/http://alumnus.caltech.edu/~ejohnson/sight/1992_1.html |archive-date=18 June 2015 }}</ref> In 2002, the ''Sight & Sound'' critics' and directors' poll ranked Ray at No. 22 in its list of all-time greatest directors,<ref name="Lee" /> thus making him the fourth highest-ranking Asian filmmaker in the poll.<ref name="Lee">{{cite web|title=A Slanted Canon|author=Lee, Kevin |publisher=Asian American Film Commentary|date=5 September 2002|url=http://www.asianamericanfilm.com/archives/000026.html|access-date=24 April 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/684ysTg3l?url=http://www.asianamericanfilm.com/archives/000026.html|archive-date=31 May 2012}}</ref> In 1996, ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' ranked Ray at No. 25 in its "50 Greatest Directors" list.<ref>{{cite web|title=Greatest Film Directors and Their Best Films |publisher=[[Filmsite.org]] |url=http://www.filmsite.org/directors5.html |access-date=19 April 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150419012235/http://www.filmsite.org/directors5.html |archive-date=19 April 2015 }}</ref> In 2007, ''[[Total Film]]'' magazine included Ray in its "100 Greatest Film Directors Ever" list.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Greatest Directors Ever by ''Total Film'' Magazine |publisher=[[Filmsite.org]] |url=http://www.filmsite.org/greatdirectors-totalfilm2.html |access-date=19 April 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140426215114/http://www.filmsite.org/greatdirectors-totalfilm2.html |archive-date=26 April 2014 }}</ref>

{{Tree chart | | |SUK|y|SUP| | |SKH| |SUB| |SBM| |PC| |SH| | | SUK=[[Sukumar Ray]] | SUP=Suprabha Ray | SKH = Sukhalata Rao | SUB=Subinoy Ray | SBM = Subimal Ray | PC = Punyalata Chakrabarti | SH = Shantilata}}

{{Tree chart | | | | | | | | |SAN| | | | | | | SAN=Souradip Ray }}

* [[Literary creations of Satyajit Ray|Literary works of Satyajit Ray]]

* [[Parallel Cinema]]

==Notes==

==References==

* [http://satyajitray.ucsc.edu/ Satyajit Ray Film and Study Center: University of California – Santa Cruz]

* {{cite web |url=http://www.britishcouncil.org/india-connecting-august2005-westindia-satyajit-ray.htm |title= Satyajit Ray: A Vision of Cinema |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060104143026/http://www.britishcouncil.org/india-connecting-august2005-westindia-satyajit-ray.htm |archive-date=4 January 2006}} article by [[W. Andrew Robinson]]

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[[Category:Satyajit Ray| ]]