Satyajit Ray: News

Satyajit Ray was an Indian film director, documentary filmmaker, scriptwriter, music composer, magazine editor, author, calligrapher, and illustrator born on May 2, 1921. Some of his most critically acclaimed works include 'The Apu Trilogy' (1955-59), 'The Music Room' (1958), 'The Big City' (1963)', and 'Charulatha' (1964), among others. Widely regarded as one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, Ray has directed 36 films, including feature films, shorts, and documentaries. His first film, 'Pather Panchali' (1955), secured 11 international honors, including the inaugural Best Human Documentary award at the 1956 Cannes Film Festival. He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including 36 Indian National Film Awards, a Golden Bear, a Golden Lion, two Silver Bears, and an Academy Honorary Award in 1992. Ray was honored with the Bharat Ratna by the Government of India in 1992. He is credited with creating two popular fictional characters in Bengali children's literature: Feluda, a detective, and Professor Shonku, a scientist. He died on April 23, 1992.

18 Nov 2024

Pather Panchali

Uma Dasgupta, who played Durga in 'Pather Panchali,' dies

Uma Dasgupta, who immortalized the role of Durga in Satyajit Ray's Pather Panchali (1955), has passed away after a long battle with cancer.

20 Sep 2024

Anubhav Sinha

'Yudhra,' 'Transformers One': You can't miss these films on Friday

The cinematic landscape this week is filled with a diverse range of films, from action-packed thrillers to heartwarming dramas.

20 Aug 2024

Mussoorie

Victor Banerjee on suffering stroke: 'I've come back from dead'

Veteran actor Victor Banerjee, who was recently hospitalized following a "minor" stroke, has now returned to his home in Mussoorie, Uttarakhand.

22 Jul 2024

National Film Awards

Aparna Sen announces 'Her Indian Summer'—set during 1947 India-Pakistan partition

Veteran Indian director and actor, Aparna Sen, is set to develop her latest project Her Indian Summer as an Indo-UK co-production.

01 Feb 2024

Taika Waititi

Taika Waititi gushes about 'Pather Panchali,' Remo D'Souza's 'ABCD'

Renowned director Taika Waititi, celebrated for his distinct blend of humor and heartfelt storytelling, recently revealed his favorite Indian films.

18 Oct 2023

Bengali Cinema

Bengali films that capture the essence of Durga Puja 

For Bengalis, Durga Puja is so much more than just a puja. It's about homecoming, pandal hopping, feasting, and above all, celebrating the much-awaited reunion of friends and family as Maa Durga visits her home with her children for 10 days.

09 Oct 2023

Martin Scorsese

Martin Scorsese opens up about Satyajit Ray's 'Pather Panchali'

Martin Scorsese is hailed as one of the greatest filmmakers in the world. The director's latest film Killers of the Flower Moon is set for an October 27 release.

05 Aug 2023

Film Festival

'Pather Panchali' to 'The Cathedral': First-ever G20 Film Festival's lineup

Keeping in mind the approaching G20 Summit, the government is organizing a film festival that is set to unite the world of cinema.

27 Jul 2023

Bengali Cinema

'Pather Panchali' scenes that make the Satyajit Ray directorial extraordinary

After being the only Indian movie in Sight and Sound's list of 100 greatest films of all time last year, Satyajit Ray's debut feature film, Pather Panchali became the only Indian film to grab a spot in Time Magazine's 100 best movies of the past 10 decades list recently.

23 Mar 2023

Bollywood

#NewsBytesExplainer: Understanding arthouse cinema—definition, characteristics, prominent examples

Cinema is highly subjective, and naturally, not every film appeals to every viewer.

25 Jan 2023

Academy Awards

'All That Breathes,' 'Elephant Whisperers': Know everything about Oscar-nominated documentaries  

Indian content is transcending boundaries, and the testimony to this is the recent Oscar nominations of the documentaries All That Breathes and The Elephant Whisperers.

01 Jan 2023

Kolkata

#NewsBytesExplainer: Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute—history, legacy, and alumni

Legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray is credited with being one of the pioneers of Indian cinema, considering he put India on the global pedestal through Pather Panchali, Charulata, and Apur Sansar, among others.

28 Sep 2022

Durga Puja

5 Bengali films that capture the spirit of Durga Puja

It is that time of the year when the sweet fragrance of shiuli adorns the air, fluffy white clouds flock to the sky, and the joyous beats of dhak announce the arrival of Maa Durga on Earth.

20 Jun 2022

BR Ambedkar

5 must-read autobiographies of Indian personalities

Autobiographies are a source of inspiration for readers.

29 May 2022

Paresh Rawal

Satyajit Ray's 'The Storyteller' adaptation: What we know so far

Legendary filmmaker and Oscar recipient Satyajit Ray's short story Golpo Bolo Tarini Khuro will be translated to the silver screen as The Storyteller.

09 May 2022

Sharmila Tagore

Rabindra Jayanti special: 5 Rabindranath Tagore's novels made into films

There cannot be a second Rabindranath Tagore.

04 May 2022

Deepika Padukone

Cannes 2022: Masks, COVID-19 tests not mandatory for guests

The Cannes Film Festival will not require its attendees to wear face masks or carry any health pass this year.

02 May 2022

Bengali Cinema

On Satyajit Ray's birth-anniversary, know how he discovered Sharmila Tagore

Legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray is known for his multi-faceted talent and his evergreen creations.

22 Oct 2021

Martin Scorsese

Martin Scorsese, Istvan Szabo to be honored at IFFI Goa

The 52nd International Film Festival of India (IFFI) is round the corner and will be held in Goa (permanent location).

16 Aug 2021

Kolkata

Awards, exhibition to mark director Chidananda Dasgupta's birth centenary

A trust named after renowned film critic and director Chidananda Dasgupta is set to celebrate his birth centenary year in November with screenings, memorial lectures, and exhibitions of his works.

28 Jun 2021

Ray

Amid mixed reactions, Satyajit Ray's son opens up about 'Ray'

As the Netflix anthology of four short films based on the stories by Satyajit Ray has evoked mixed reactions from viewers, Satyajit Ray's son Sandip said he would soon watch the films to have his own opinion.

30 May 2021

Netflix

Netflix brings Satyajit Ray's stories to life in 'Ray' teaser

Netflix India has unveiled the teaser of their new anthology series Ray recently comprising four stories are based on the writings of ace filmmaker Satyajit Ray.

29 May 2021

Netflix

Netflix anthology series 'Ray' to stream from June 25

Netflix's anthology series Ray, based on legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray's four stories, will debut on June 25, the streamer said on Thursday.

07 Jan 2021

West Bengal

Shah Rukh Khan to grace 26th Kolkata film festival inauguration

The ongoing coronavirus health crisis has put a halt to almost everything, with top film festivals and various cultural activities facing the brunt of the pandemic.

20 Nov 2020

CRISPR

'Feluda' coronavirus test: A game-changer in India's fight against COVID-19?

Feluda, the world's first coronavirus test based on gene-editing technology CRISPR, will be rolled out in Delhi in the first week of December, multiple reports said. Following Delhi, the kits will be available in Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Kolkata, Pune, and Ahmedabad.

10 Oct 2020

Soumitra Chatterjee

COVID-19: Veteran actor Soumitra Chatterjee shifted to intensive care

Veteran Bengali actor Soumitra Chatterjee, 85, best known for immortalizing the fictional character of private investigator Feluda in Satyajit Ray's works, had tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday, October 6.

24 Apr 2019

India

If Indian actors (non-Bollywood) were playing 'GoT' characters

The cast of Game of Thrones has some of the distinguished actors. It is honestly impossible to envision anyone else playing their roles.

23 Feb 2019

Bollywood

Will definitely make a Bengali film one day: Shoojit Sircar

Filmmaker Shoojit Sircar, who has directed several excellent movies like Piku, October, and Vicky Donor, said he is still learning to emulate the works of great Bengali directors and will definitely make a Bengali film one day.

11 Jun 2018

Delhi

Delhi: Navrasa Duende's 'Classic Movie Festival' 2nd edition begins June-22

Movie enthusiasts in Delhi are in for a visual treat as they can now watch their favorite classic films on the big screen at an upcoming film festival.

30 Apr 2018

Sharmila Tagore

Had no idea about lip-syncing in debut film: Sharmila Tagore

Veteran actor Sharmila Tagore recalls she had no idea about lip-syncing when a playback song was being played in her debut Hindi film.

16 Apr 2018

Mumbai

Iranian director Majidi feels real-life is missing in Indian films

Iranian director Majid Majidi decided to set his latest film "Beyond the Clouds" in Mumbai streets, which he believes, are full of incredible heroes trying to lead a life of dignity in the face of struggle.

01 Apr 2018

India

India has one of the greatest film cultures: Christopher Nolan

Maverick Hollywood filmmaker Christopher Nolan, who is in India to stress on the importance of film preservation, confessed that he enjoys watching Indian movies and would love to see more of them.

27 Feb 2018

Bollywood

Shashi took Rs. 101 as signing-amount for 'New Delhi Times'

For 1986 film "New Delhi Times", which revolved around the nexus between politicians and media barons, veteran actor Shashi Kapoor took a bare minimum of Rs. 101 as the signing amount.

02 May 2017

India

Revisiting and not "remembering" Satyajit Ray on his birthday

When my editor asked me to do a piece on Satyajit Ray's 96th birth-anniversary, the brief was, "something which is a tribute, not cliché, but contemporary."