Satyajit Ray

In 1949, he tied the nuptial knot with his long-time sweetheart Bijoya Das. The couple was blessed with a son Sandip, who too went on to take up a career in filmmaking.

In 1983, he first suffered from a heart attack which only worsened his medical and health condition. In 1992, he suffered from major heart complications from which he never completely recovered.

He breathed his last on April 23, 1992.

Born on May 2, 1921 in Calcutta, in an affluent Bengali family which boasted of a rich heritage in art and literature, Satyajit Ray was the only son of Sukumar and Suprabha Ray.

Ray completed his formal education from Ballygunge Government High School after which he enrolled at the Presidency College, Calcutta to complete his BA in Economics.

After much insistence and persuasion from his mother, he reluctantly attended the Visva-Bharti University at Santiniketan. The decision, however, turned fruitful as it was at Santiniketan that he found his true love for Indian art

His first ever job profile was as a junior visualizer at a British-run advertising agency. Additionally, he worked along with D.K Gupta at the Signet Press, creating cover designs for various books.

It was during this time at the Signet Press that he worked on children’ novel, Pather Panchali, a work that so much so inspired him that it later became his subject for his very first film.

In 1947, he along with Chidananda Dasgupta founded the Calcutta Film Society. The organization screened foreign films, most of which became a guiding force for his later career as a film-maker and writer.

The realization of becoming a filmmaker finally dawned upon Ray when he was in London, working at Keymar’s office. It was during this time that he watched several movies, each of which inspired him to take up filmmaking professionally.

Returning to India, he started working on his new-found passion of filmmaking. Along with a group of inexperienced staff and amateur actors, he ventured forth to realize his dream of making a film out of ‘Pather Panchali’. Three years and several hardships later, he finally released the film in 1955.

His debut movie, ‘Pather Panchali’ was a ground-breaking film in all aspects and received a cult status. A semi-autobiographical, the movie won eleven international prizes. The success and grand reception of the film led to a trilogy, with the release of ‘Aparjita’ and ‘Apur Sansar’.

His 1964 released film, ‘Charulata’ became the most accomplished film of his career. The film received wide critical recognition and audience appreciation. The film has been considered as a magnum opus of his career.