Satyajit Ray: Life and Film Career

Life and Career

• Satyajit Ray (1921-1992) was an Indian filmmaker, screenwriter, music composer, and author
• Born in Calcutta, India, to a family of artists and writers
• Studied at Presidency College, Calcutta, and later at Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan
• Worked as a commercial artist before entering the film industry

Film Career

• Debuted as a director with Pather Panchali (1955), which won several international awards
• Directed 37 films, including Aparajito (1956), The World of Apu (1959), and Charulata (1964)
• Known for his humanistic and realistic storytelling style
• Influenced by European art cinema and Indian literature

Notable Films

• The Apu Trilogy (1955-1959): a series of three films based on the life of Apu, a young Bengali boy
  • Pather Panchali (1955)
  • Aparajito (1956)
  • The World of Apu (1959)
• The Calcutta Trilogy (1970-1975): a series of three films exploring the urban middle class in Calcutta
  • Pratidwandi (1970)
  • Seemabaddha (1971)
  • Jana Aranya (1975)

Awards and Recognition

• Won numerous international awards, including 19 international film festival awards
• Received the Bharat Ratna (1992), India's highest civilian honor
• Honorary Academy Award (1992) for his lifetime contribution to cinema

Legacy

• Considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time
• Influenced many Indian and international filmmakers
• Contributed to the development of Indian parallel cinema, a movement that focused on realistic and artistic storytelling