Satyajit Ray (Bengali: 唳膏Δ唰嵿Ο唳溹唰� 唳班唳) was an Indian filmmaker and author of Bengali fiction and regarded as one of the greatest auteurs of world cinema. Ray was born in the city of Calcutta into a Bengali family prominent in the world of arts and literature. Starting his career as a commercial artist, Ray was drawn into independent filmmaking after meeting French filmmaker Jean Renoir and watching Vittorio De Sica's Italian neorealist 1948 film, Bicycle Thieves.
Ray directed 36 films, including feature films, documentaries and shorts. He was also a fiction writer, publisher, illustrator, calligrapher, graphic designer and film critic. He authored several short stories and novels, primarily aimed at children and adolescents.
Ray's first film, Pather Panchali (1955), won eleven international prizes, including Best Human Documentary at the Cannes Film Festival. This film, Aparajito (1956) and Apur Sansar (1959) form The Apu Trilogy. Ray did the scripting, casting, scoring, and editing, and designed his own credit titles and publicity material. Ray received many major awards in his career, including 32 Indian National Film Awards, a number of awards at international film festivals and award ceremonies, and an Academy Award in 1992. The Government of India honoured him with the Bharat Ratna in 1992.
Early Life and Background: Ray's grandfather, Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury was a writer, illustrator, philosopher, publisher, amateur astronomer and a leader of the Brahmo Samaj, a religious and social movement in nineteenth century Bengal. Sukumar Ray, Upendrakishore's son and father of Satyajit, was a pioneering Bengali author and poet of nonsense rhyme and children's literature, an illustrator and a critic. Ray was born to Sukumar and Suprabha Ray in Calcutta.
Ray completed his B.A. (Hons.) in Economics at Presidency College of the University of Calcutta, though his interest was always in Fine Arts. In 1940, he went to study in Santiniketan where Ray came to appreciate Oriental Art. In 1949, Ray married Bijoya Das and the couple had a son, Sandip ray, who is now a famous film director.
Literary Works: Ray created two of the most famous fictional characters ever in Bengali children's literature鈥擣eluda, a sleuth in Holmesian tradition, and Professor Shonku, a genius scientist. Ray also wrote many short stories mostly centered on Macabre, Thriller and Paranormal which were published as collections of 12 stories. Ray wrote an autobiography about his childhood years, Jakhan Choto Chilam (1982). He also wrote essays on film, published as the collections: Our Films, Their Films (1976), Bishoy Chalachchitra (1976), and Ekei Bole Shooting (1979).
Awards, Honors and Recognitions: Ray received many awards, including 32 National Film Awards by the Government of India. At the Moscow Film Festival in 1979, he was awarded for the contribution to cinema. At the Berlin Film Festival, he was one of only three to win the Silver Bear for Best Director more than once and holds the record for the most Golden Bear nominations, with seven. At the Venice Film Festival, he won a Golden Lion for Aparajito(1956), and awarded the Golden Lion Honorary Award in 1982. In 1992 he was posthumously awarded the Akira Kurosawa Award for Lifetime Achievement in Directing at the San Francisco International Film Festival.
The irrepressible Bengali investigator Feluda is back with an activity pressed experience. At the point when a customer approaches them to understand the confound of a puzzling impersonator, Feluda's enquiries involve him in a murder examination where the customer himself is the principle suspect! Since all signs point to outside climes, the analyst embarks for outlandish Kathmandu joined by his steadfast writer, Topshe and writer, Jatayu. In Kathmandu, the trio get themselves tenacious by tension and trap every step of the way. A triumphant streak at the clubhouse and Jatayu's LSD initiated silly misfortune make for a night that none of the trio will soon overlook. Who is behind these awful assaults? Is the murder simply a manifestation of significantly greater noxiousness that diseases Kathmandu? Do the crooks of Kathmandu hold the way to the riddle or is there a more evil, recognizable constrain at play?
I remember reading Feluda series when I was still in my teenage. It felt great back then. And it feels different right now. Also greatness is more than ever!
Particularly this story was a great story. It had a claver villain, finniest as ever Mr. Lalmohan Ganguly. To me our hero Feluda was little less active in this one. But then it doesn't matter, because the combined package was quick and fun.
A very good premise, slightly more humorous than usual and the story is pretty great. My only issue is that the reveal was too clich茅d and basic. Other than that, a good book.
Read the English translation 'Criminals of Kathmandu'.
A case involving a double of a person, a murder in India with clues in Nepal to solve it, a drug cartel, fake Indian currency printing, a murder in Nepal and the most cunning villain from Feluda's past adventures.
Feluda met a person named Batra from Nepal who told him that there was someone identical to him. He suspected that he might get entangled in difficult situations due to his doppelg盲nger鈥檚 wrongdoings. So, he asked Feluda to investigate the matter. Feluda also saw a man identical to Batra and determined a difference鈥攖he fake Batra was a lefty.
When Feluda returned from Esplanade, a man named Aniket Some called him to make an appointment. But before he could meet Feluda, a call came from the police saying that Feluda鈥檚 number had been found in a dead body鈥檚 phonebook. The victim was none other than Aniket Some.
From the victim鈥檚 diary and some investigation, Feluda learned that Aniket Some and Batra were both from Nepal and suspected that some shady business was happening there. Feluda decided it was imperative to go to Kathmandu. After arriving in Kathmandu, Feluda learned that Some was investigating fake medicine because he believed his best friend Himadri had been killed by a fake tetanus injection given by Dr. Dibakar.
While sightseeing, Tapesh and Jatayu saw the fake Batra. They followed him and found the godown of the fake medicine. They were seen but managed to escape and told Feluda everything.
While they were enjoying themselves at a casino, a lady approached and told them that her superior wanted to meet them. They agreed to go. The lady escorted them to a room where a person was sitting on a sofa. Seeing this person, Topesh鈥檚 heart skipped a beat鈥攈e was petrified to see the conniving Maghanlal Meghraj. They also saw the fake Batra, whom Maganlal called his right-hand man, Jagdish. They realized that this fake drug business was being run by none other than Maganlal. Maganlal threatened them to stop their investigation, but after returning, Feluda's investigation intensified, leading to the abduction of Feluda and his team.
After the abduction, when Maganlal was boasting to Feluda, he revealed everything about his business, not knowing it was a trap. The police arrived and arrested Maganlal. Feluda had recorded the confession where M detailed his fake medicine business. It was submitted to the police as evidence.
Through the ink of a fountain pen, Feluda identified that there was no fake Batra, a.k.a. Jagdish; there was only Anantlal Batra. Dr. Dibakar was also abducted. He SURMISED Batra when he saw ink stain on Batra's finger. He deduced When lefties use a fountain pen, there is a peculiar angle in which the pen erodes, and ink stains their fingers. the same stain was in Batra's right hand when he was trying to write with right hand in front of Feluda.
Feluda revealed that Dr. Dibakar was part of Maganlal's gang. Apparently, he did not give a fake tetanus shot accidentally; he poisoned Himadri because he was investigating the fake medicine gang. Feluda suspected him through his sudden surge of wealth and the opulence in his lifestyle.
This was my introduction to Feluda. A travel story with a double, an old enemy, and drugs - it's a very enjoyable afternoon read. The story has a few convenient coincidences and a couple of loose threads, but it's still one of the best Feluda story in my opinion.