Satyajit Rays 97th birth anniversary Five films by legendary filmmaker movie buffs should watch before they die

Satyajit Ray’s 97th birth anniversary: Five films by legendary filmmaker movie buffs should watch before they die

Satyajit Ray, whose Apu Trilogy of a childhood, youth and manhood is one of the most luminous series in the history of Indian cinema, has been remembered on his 97th birth anniversary on Wednesday. Paying her tribute to the film veteran, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took to micro-blogging site Twitter and said, "Remembering the great director and writer Satyajit Ray on his birth anniversary". Ray's filmography boasts international classics such as Pather Panchali, Apu's trilogy, Jalsaghar, Charulata, Teen Kanya and Shatranj Ke Khiladi. He was one of the few directors who used to make a storyboard for his every film. In 1992, Ray was awarded an Honorary Oscar for Lifetime Achievement. He was unable to attend the ceremony due to his illness and gave his acceptance speech via live video feed from a hospital bed in Kolkata. The National Award-winning director died on April 23, 1992, at the age of 71.

Apu Trilogy

The Apu Trilogy comprises three Bengali films directed by Satyajit Ray: Pather Panchali (1955), Aparajito (1956) and The World of Apu (1959). They are frequently listed among the greatest films of all time and are often cited as the greatest movies in the history of Indian cinema. The original music for the films was composed by Ravi Shankar.

Pather Panchali

Pather Panchali (Song of the Little Road) is a 1955 Indian Bengali-language drama film written and directed by Satyajit Ray. The film is produced by the then Government of West Bengal. Panther Panchali based on Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay's 1929 Bengali novel of the same name. It also marks the directorial debut of Ray. It stars Subir Banerjee, Kanu Banerjee, Karuna Banerjee, Uma Dasgupta and Chunibala Devi in key roles. The first film in the Apu trilogy, Pather Panchali depicts the childhood of the protagonist Apu (Subir Banerjee) and his elder sister Durga (Uma Dasgupta) and the harsh village life of their poor family.

Charulata

Charulata, in English also known as The Lonely Wife, is a 1964 Indian Bengali drama film written and directed by Satyajit Ray based upon the novella Nastanirh (The Broken Nest) by Rabindranath Tagore. It features Soumitra Chatterjee, Madhabi Mukherjee and Sailen Mukherjee.

Aparajito

Aparajito is a 1956 Indian Bengali drama film written and directed by Satyajit Ray and is the second part of The Apu Trilogy. It is adapted from the last one-fifth of Bibhutibhushan Bannerjee's novel Pather Panchali (1929) and the first one-third of its sequel Aparajito (1932). It starts off where the previous film Pather Panchali (1955) ended, with Apu's family moving to Varanasi, and chronicles Apu's life from childhood to adolescence in college, right up to his mother's death, when he is left all alone.

Devi

Devi is a 1960 Bengali drama film by director Satyajit Ray, starring Sharmila Tagore and Soumitra Chatterjee. It is based on a short story by Provatkumar Mukhopadhyay. The title means 'Goddess'.