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.
I鈥檓 not sure if this story is even 50% popular as the adaptation is, and that鈥檚 the only comparison ground Sonar Kella has. Of course, Ray was a better filmmaker than a writer, and while the story is essentially a mystery-thriller with a whodunnit touch, the adaptation is more Hitchcock-esque where the suspense is better built. Now, this story also introduces Lalmohan Ganguly, the best character in the universe, so probably I鈥檓 a bit biased with the outrageous clownish portrayal the story took, but that doesn鈥檛 change the fact that it is still one of the best ever written by Ray. But still, as time grows past I seem to adore the movie more and more, with the situational comedy (that works outstandingly) and background score, which will forever be in my top 10, and not just because it was conjured up by Mozart.
In one of their most hair-raising adventures ever, Feluda and Topshe set out for Rajasthan on the trail of the parapsychologist Dr Hajra and Mukul, a kid who claims he recollect his past life. In transit they meet Jatayu, a creator of famous wrongdoing thrillers, who chooses to go with them. After various enterprises, including an improvised camel ride over the leave, they achieve Mukuls Golden Fortress, where Feluda unwinds the many strands of a mind boggling case. Feludas twelve biggest experiences are presently accessible in unique Puffin releases. This is the third book in the arrangement.
Simple Story, Simple characters, Straightforward from the moment go and a decent conclusion.
The interesting element for me in the book was how the writing style managed to be decently casual in a mystery genre and still manage to hold our attention till the end. Add on was that there was good research that went into the book- I picked up decent trivia such as Jaisalmer Fort being made of Yellow Sandstone or that fingerprints to track criminals being used in Argentina for the first time!
All in all, good and short-sweet read to get out of a reading slump or useful in scenario of desperately reaching book targets at the end of the year.
This was the first Feluda I ever read as a kid and I fell in love with our Indian Sherlock Holmes. The concept of parapsychology was really interesting and the mystery keeps you on your toes. Also, Lalmohan Babu is introduced in this novel and he provides the much needed comic relief (although he can be a bit annoying in the later books).
I suppose some completely different genre for a change ain't so bad. Cause i actually liked it. It's a short novella so yes obviously took like 6 hours one sitting. But yes, it's good. Shocker I know. Well, back to fake dating now. Bye.
Totally loved reading this children's book in one sitting! Ray was an incredible storyteller, and what comes through clearly in this book is his ability to see the world through other people's eyes! Educative even as it entertains, Ray knows exactly the kind of things that will appeal to his young audience. Topshe, the lucky schoolboy sidekick to the suave Charminar smoking detective Feluda, narrates this delightful story as they romp around Rajasthan in search of a Golden Fortress!
I finished reading it in one sitting. This is such a clever book, even though I managed to figure out 2-3 plot twists. The character of Feluda has many departures from the classical detective but also many continuities - he is intelligent, brave and courageous. The book is so visual, full of imagery; I could almost see it play out in front of my eyes like a movie. I absolutely loved it.
Satyajit Ray, legendary film director and one of the greatest creative minds of the last half of the 20th century, is introduced to the Bengali from an earlier age than most others. This is by dint of the sparkling novels and short stories that he has written for children and adolescents. Few Bengali kids have not read the stories of Feluda the detective, and Professor Shonku the genius scientist, two of the most famous characters within Ray鈥檚 oeuvre. Recently, my heart filled with joy when a Tamilian-Kannadiga couple I am friends with, mentioned that their 12-year old loves the Feluda stories.
Translation is wonderful, isn鈥檛 it? But Feluda has been translated in another medium earlier. Ray was, first and foremost, a movie director. He had brought two Feluda novels to film 鈥� the first of which, Sonar Kella (The Golden Fortress, 1974), you will be surprised to know, is also Salman Rushdie鈥檚 favourite Ray movie. And what an amazing movie, and what a brilliant novel it is! A glorious romp across the deserts of Rajasthan in search of devious villains, this is one Feluda story that should be on the must-watch list of every adolescent.
Eight-year old Mukul Dhar has visions of a childhood spent amongst jewelry in a sandy desert-land. Perhaps Mukul Dhar can actually remember parts of his previous birth? Renowned parapsychologist Dr. Hemanga Hajra is intent on finding this out. He believes that if Mukul is brought to the home of his previous birth, there might be landmark developments in paranormal psychology.
But there is evil at work 鈥� all the talk of jewelry and precious stones catch the attention of criminal mastermind Amiyanath Barman, and his henchman Mandar Bose. They intend to capture Mukul and thourgh him, get their hands on the jewels. They botch up an attempted kidnapping of Mukul, who had already left for Rajasthan with Dr Hajra. Mukul鈥檚 father, when appraised of the botched kidnapping, is fearful of the well-being of his son, and approaches the private investigator Pradosh Mitter aka Feluda to travel to Rajasthan to offer protection to Mukul. And thus starts the journey.
鈥楩eluda Followers鈥� is a Facebook group of ardent Feluda devotees. Today morning, someone in the group mentioning how under-estimated the character of Mandar Bose is. It is a very fair point. See, being a villain鈥檚 henchman is a fairly thankless job. An evil sidekick in movies is often of the 鈥楢rey o Saambha鈥� variety, fairly textbook evil folks and without any defining characteristic of their own.
Mandar Bose is a glorious exception. Evil? Oh yes he is evil. He will push a man down a cliff, or put a knife down someone鈥檚 ribs without hesitation. Thug? Sure he is a thug. He is berated by the cold and menacing Barman for not being the sharpest tool in the box. But he is also funny, super creative in his lies, and has a joie de vivre that is almost addictive. In the movie as well, Kamu Mukherjee, the actor in the role, is greatly loved. A must-read, and certainly, a must-watch!
The story revolves around a boy named Mukul and his telepathic perception which makes him lonely and restless in his mind and a stranger to his own parents because the memories of his previous life comes to his mind constantly and find outlets in the form of drawing and paintings of some Fortress, scene of ongoing war which the boy recognises as the part of his true identity; and refuses to accept the affections of his present life parents. On hearing this, Doctor Hazra takes interest in him in order to give impetus to his parapsychological research and takes him to a trip to Rajasthan, The Golden Fortress, which the boy claims to be familiar with. Two thuggish men also came across this news on the local daily. In hope to gain some profits from the gems and precious stones which the boy talked about to the reporter, they also followed them to Rajasthan after their failed attempt to abduct a boy whom they confused with Mukul. (to be continued)