Satyajit Ray’s 100th Birth Anniversary: When Martin Scorsese Spoke Of The Legendary Filmmaker’s Work; ‘The Apu Trilogy Was A Milestone’
We celebrate the 100th Birth anniversary of the legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray. On his special day, read what American filmmaker Martin Scorsese had to say about Ray’s work in the films and more
We celebrate the 100th Birth anniversary of the legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray, today. Born on May 2, the legendary filmmaker left for his heavenly abode on April 23, 1992. Satyajit Ray inspired many with his work in the movies, poetry and more. On his Birth anniversary, last year, American filmmaker Martin Scorsese penned a piece, talking about Ray’s work in the films and more. In an Indian Express report, talking about Satyajit Ray, Martin Scorsese said that the legendary filmmaker is one of the names that we all need to know, whose films we all need to see. And to revisit, as I do pretty frequently.
Scorsese heaped praises about Ray for the way he presented India to the international audience. He said, “For those of us here in the West, the Apu trilogy — Pather Panchali (1955), Aparajito (1956) and Apur Sansar (1959) — was a milestone.”He added, "We were used to seeing India on screen but through a purely colonial perspective, which obviously meant that the principal characters were Westerners and the “extras”, the people who provided the local colour and the background detail, were Indians. We had no idea whether the stories were happening in Gujarat, Kashmir, West Bengal or Maharashtra — it was just “India”."
Talking about Ray’s work, Scorsese continued, “The pictures told stories of everyday life in a vein that was somewhat similar to Italian neo-realism. And the artistry? The filmmaking? It took my breath away. It was poetic, immediate, sweeping and intimate, all at the same time.” Martin Scorsese opened up about the time he saw three pictures in one sitting in a Manhattan theatre. He mentioned he was mesmerised. He added, “That remarkable close-up of Apu’s eye in Pather Panchali, the way the cut works with the sudden burst of Ravi Shankar’s music — for me, that was one of those precious revelatory moments you have in a movie theatre, and it had a profound and lasting effect on me as a filmmaker.”Speaking about Satyajit Ray’s filmography, Martin Scorsese said, “And the trilogy was only the beginning of one of the greatest bodies of work in the history of cinema.”
Meanwhile, Satyajit Ray has been honoured with many prestigious awards at international film festivals and more. He has also received numerous Indian National Film Awards, an honorary Academy Award, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, and a Bharat Ratna. Also Read: Satyajit Ray 100th Birth Anniversary: Son Sandip Ray Pays A Tribute To The God Of Indian Filmmaking
Image source: Instagram/ Imartinscorsese_; wiikipedia