NewsPhotos A sneak peek into the life and times of legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray - In Pics

A sneak peek into the life and times of legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray - In Pics

Updated:May 02, 2020, 06:06 PM IST

The legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray busy sketching

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SATYAJIT RAY sketching a sequence for film 'Sonar Kella' & costumes for 'Ghare Baire' . born on 2 May 1921 . . . . . . #Bengalicinema #bengali #westbengal #kolkata #calcutta #bengalifilms #bengalimovies #SatyajitRay #gharebaire #sonarkella

A post shared by Film History Pics (@filmhistorypics) on May 1, 2020 at 8:40am PDT

The renowned auteur, Satyajit Ray is hailed as the maverick and greatest filmmakers not just in India but worldwide. His cinema reflected the society of the time and brilliantly highlighted the class crisis and conflict on-screen. Ray, was driven to filmmaking after meeting French director Jean Renoir and watching the famous Italian neo-realist film 'Bicycle Thieves' by Vittoria De Sica. Satyajit Ray, before making his mark as a filmmaker, also worked in an advertising agency, publishing house - designing book covers for many. Ray was so influenced with his work at the publishing house that he used his illustrations as still shots in the first film he helmed.

On his birth anniversary (May 2, 1921), let's take a look at some of his rare pictures and re-live the life and times of Ray:

(Pic Courtesy: Filmhistorypics/Instagram)

Satyajit Ray with Kishore Kumar

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Ray initially conceived ‘Goopi Gyne Bagha Byne’ with Kishore in mind . Satyajit Ray got Kishore Kumar to sing rabindrasangeet in Charulata & Ghare Baire. Kishore did not take any fees. . Kishore had helped Ray financially during Pather Panchali. . . . . . #instabollywood #instamelody #vintage #retro #bollywoodflashback #bollywoodclassics #bollywoodactors #bollywoodactresses #Bombay #Mumbai #hindimovies #hindifilms #indiancinema #hindicinema #films #cinema #bollywood #hindisongs #movies #bollywoodactress #bollywoodactor #bollywoodmusic #bollywoodsongs #India #SatyajitRay #KishoreKumar #Bengalicinema #bengali #Kolkata #bengalifilms

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Satyajit Ray with Kishore Kumar. (Pic Courtesy: Filmhistorypics/Instagram)

Satyajit Ray

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Remembering #SatyajitRay, the great visionary filmmaker, on his birth anniversary today. Often considered as one of the greatest filmmakers, Satyajit Ray is one of those responsible for putting India on the global map. Filmmaker unparalelled, Ray has amazed the world with his movies and films. His most famous work, Pather Panchali, which was also his first film, was released in the year 1955. Pather Panchali made Satyajit Ray known to the world, winning him eleven international prizes. At the 1956 Cannes Film Festival in France, Pather Panchali also won the inaugural Best Human Document award - Ray's first film to win international acclaim. With feature films, documentaries, and shorts, he directed a total of 36 films in his lifetime. While he was a household name among Bengalis, owing to most of his movies which were made in Bengali, Ray also directed one Hindi film. His only feature film in Hindi is Shatranj Ke Khiladi, which he directed in 1977. Winning awards was not new for Ray, who made it big with his first movie, Pather Panchali. With six National Awards, Ray became the only director to win so many awards for Best Director so far. He has won 32 National Awards in total by the Government of India. In 1987, Ray was awarded the Legion d'honneur (Legion of Honour) by the President of France. Oxford University also awarded an honorary doctorate to late director Satyajit Ray.

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The iconic Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray. (Pic Courtesy: Bollywooddirect/Instagram)

Ray on a movie set

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Here's Satyajit Ray on the sets of Ashani Sanket (1973). Today is his 99th birth anniversary. Already a writer, illustrator, publisher and film critic, the maverick filmmaker revolutionised black-and-white cinema. On a trip to London in 1950, Ray watched about 100 films. It was during this time that he was already thinking about making Pather Panchali, and he had pitched a realistic way of making the film to many of his friends. His proposed methodology included using fresh, new faces in the film without makeup and shooting on location. He had been discouraged by the response, as these methods were unheard of. On his London trip, however, a screening of Vittorio DeSica’s Bicycle Theives proved to be the push he needed to dive into filmmaking. The realistic treatment of the film inspired him and also convinced him that Pather Panchali was possible, just the way he had always imagined it to be. Not for nothing did his close acquaintance and one of world cinema’s greatest, Akira Kurosawa say, “To have not seen the films of Ray is to have lived in the world without ever having seen the moon and the sun.”

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Ray on a movie set. (Pic Courtesy: Rarephotoclub/Instagram)

Ray on film sets with Sharmila Tagore and Soumitra Chatterjee

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At the shooting of #aranyerdinratri... with @sharmilatagoreofficial and @soumitrachattopadhyayo ... It was a great experience all together . . #satyajit #satyajitray #filmmaker #bbc #indianexpress #oscarwinner #director #ciggarettes #cigaretteswag #contentcreator #creator #feludaseries #feluda #apursansar #aparajita #bong #bongguy #bengali #kolkata #kollywoodcinema #tollywood #tollywoodhotactress #tollywoodactress #tollywoodactress #kolkatafashionblogger #kolkata_lanes #kolkata_igers #kolkata_ig #thekolkatabuzz #satyajitrayfilms

A post shared by Satyajit Ray Official (@satyajitray.ig) on Sep 15, 2019 at 10:54am PDT

Ray on the film sets with Sharmila Tagore and Soumitra Chatterjee.

(Pic Courtesy: Satyajit Ray official/Instagram)

When the legendary Ray received the Oscars

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The day #honoraryoscars #academyawards #lifetimeachievement #satyajitray #oscars #satyajit #bong #bongguy #bongswag #bengal #bengali #kolkata #kolkatagram #swag #filmfare #kolkatadiaries #kolkata_igers #kolkatabloggers #kolkatafashionblogger #kolkatastreets

A post shared by Satyajit Ray Official (@satyajitray.ig) on Nov 24, 2019 at 7:53pm PST

When the legendary Satyajit Ray received The Academy Award. It was just a few days before he breathed his last. (Pic Courtesy: Satyajit Ray official/Instagram)

A rare pic of Satyajit Ray with wife and son

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With wife Bijoya and Son Sandip . . . #satyajit #satyajitray #filmmaker #bbc #indianexpress #oscarwinner #director #ciggarettes #cigaretteswag #contentcreator #creator #feludaseries #feluda #apursansar #aparajita #bong #bongguy #bengali #kolkata #kollywoodcinema #tollywood #tollywoodhotactress #tollywoodactress #tollywoodactress #kolkatafashionblogger #kolkata_lanes #kolkata_igers #kolkata_ig #thekolkatabuzz #kolkatapapparazi #bollywood

A post shared by Satyajit Ray Official (@satyajitray.ig) on Sep 1, 2019 at 1:56am PDT

A rare pic of Satyajit Ray with wife and son. (Pic Courtesy: Satyajit Ray official/Instagram)

Satyajit Ray with Michelangelo Antonio

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3 cheers for these 3 . . . #billywilder #satyajitray #meta_movie #director #patherpanchali #artist #bestmovies #michelangeloantonioni #italy #india #lavventura #aparajito #satyajitray #filmmaker #oscarwinner #director #contentcreator #feludaseries #feluda #apursansar #bong #bengali #kolkata #tollywood #tollywoodhotactress #tollywoodactress #kolkatafashionblogger #kolkata_lanes #kolkata_igers #thekolkatabuzz #satyajitrayfilms #filmcity

A post shared by Satyajit Ray Official (@satyajitray.ig) on Mar 4, 2020 at 9:58am PST