This can only be summarised as a fascinating joyride through the eyes of the admirer. Yeah, Anik Dutta directs but he does that while admiring Ray and his crafts in the unique style, that deserves special applause. This is a tribute that is truly fitting and trimmed to serve the varied range of audiences of all ages and of all tastes. Anik Dutta presented the biopic of a legend called Satyajit Ray and his arrival in the international arena of film making by his directorial debut with Pather Panchali based on Bibhutibhusan Bandopadhyay’s novel and which established him once and for all as the grandmaster in the world of movies, inspiring a future ensemble of young filmmakers, Martin Scorsese being one among the famed category. But the path to fame had never been simple. Rather, the struggle had always been against the obstacle of established beliefs. Sponsoring a movie that barely satisfied the inclusion of a hero and a heroine and completely excluded commercial songs, a seemingly required necessity for a profitable investment, appeared preposterous to the producers who backed away when approached. Again, utilizing almost no stars and with a lead crew, handpicked yet inexperienced, attracted sarcasm from the industry of conventionals. But there were few who helped and the family who stood by his belief. Such a film, so unconventional, seemed to require funds from sources unusual as well. No stones were kept unturned and the CM was approached, through a mutual acquaintance, who agreed helping them from the funds reserved for road department, thanks to the fact that, the vernacular of the word, ‘road’, was noted in the title. This, and several other humorous instances, sprinkled refreshing moments in the film that spanned a little over two hours, with a pace that was never boring and the sequences, delightfully gripping. Arghya Kamal Mitra edited almost too perfectly, though this is happily the case with him most of the time, giving us scenes that slide away easily with history unfolding without overwhelming the audience.
Recreating memorable moments of the famed scenes of the original movie is another significant appeal, a feat achieved in style and deserving praise. Somenath Bhol’s careful cinematography not only brought back cherished memories of the original but his monochrome picturisation gave required depth to the characters and the necessary touch of nostalgia to the theme. The same nostalgia is supplemented by the magical make-up with hair style designs of Hena Munshi and transformations and prosthetic preparations of Somenath Kundu. The uncanny similarity of Ray is ably maintained in Jeetu Kamal by his make-up, acting and the richly resonating voice of Chandrasish Ray. The critical compositions of Debojyoti Mishra will enchant the listeners with the hint of the old tunes with harmonies that thematically follow what the maestros in Satyajit and Ravi Shankar created.
Alliterations in titles sometimes seem a bit too deliberate as the rhyming in names for the targeted personalities feel a bit too overemphasised at places, handicapping the intellectual enjoyment a bit. This truly sincere tribute might feel a bit less delicate as the script to describe the master of subtlety is cowed with dialogues that makes the presentation a shade too blatantly obvious. Having said that, however, the movie is quite admittedly a required memento to the personality that we revered but was yet to immortalise in the canvas that he so much coveted. Recommended for all across the generations, this movie is a neat contrast to the conventional celebrations for the unconventional artist. A different type of film, conveyed in a manner, different from many, attracting the movie buffs in masses across the city, this is surely a riveting must watch.
