For 'Cineasts', Satyajit Ray is a widely publicized figure. A Legend, A Maestro, and above all, a Nation's pride. Celebrated worldwide by and large because of The 'Apu Trilogy'; but little do they know he was also an Author, Composer, Script Writer, Calligrapher, and so many more. The number of masteries this man had was unparalleled in his time. Following Ray's 100th birthday, the long-awaited announcement came through in the shape of 'Ray'; an anthology produced by Netflix; accomplished using short stories written by Satyajit Ray himself. Four in particular.
Now let me review them one at a time...
Forget Me Not (Original:- Bipin Chowdhury's Smritibhrom)
Cast - Ali Faizal, Anindita Bose, Shweta Basu Prasad
Director - Srijit Mukherji
Rating - 4.5/5
Under Srijit Mukherji's opportune administration; we get a gripping narrative that adumbrates a prodigy's gradual descent towards lunacy. A bright intellect's descending declension resulting in inevitable misery & desolation! By dint of an Esthetic set-up and likewise composition; the feel of uneasiness slowly intensifies! Elevated through terrific acts coming from the gifted ensemble. Notably, from Ali Faizal; who deserves some plaudits.
Bahrupiya (Original:- Bahurupi)
Cast - Kay Kay Menon, Bidita Bag, Rajesh Sharma
Director - Srijit Mukherji
Rating - 3.5/5
An otherwise lousy script only uplifted through Kay Kay Menon's competent performance, this one has more to do with Morals that are incorporated deep within such contemporaneous narration! An eloquent portrayal of Insatiability, Infatuation, and Unswerving Desire for Vindictiveness. As well as the eventual decadence that awaits down the road for our main protagonist! In spite of the fact that there's a dearth of pensive depth in the Writing; Mr. Mukherji's able stewardship sort of makes up for it!
Hungama Hain Kyon Barpa (Original:- Barin Bhowmick-er Byaram)
Cast - Manoj Bajpai, Gajraj Rao
Director - Abhishek Chaubey
Rating - 4/5
Simplistic storytelling with an undertone of Dry Humour, that's how I would like to recapitulate my all-inclusive impression. I couldn't help but laud Abhishek Chaubey's prowess as the director here; especially for all those seamless transitions & articulative framings. He made his presence known, that's for sure! Yet, the focal point undoubtedly was on the enticing duo Manoj Bajpai and Gajraj Rao. Mildly speaking, the palpable dynamic between these two guys was off the charts!
Spotlight (Original:- Spotlight)
Cast - Harshvardhan Kapoor, Radhika Madan, Chandan Roy Sanyal
Director - Vasan Bala
Rating - 3/5
With countless citations based off of Satyajit Ray's several other works; Vasan Bala happens to be the most devout fanboy in here! Be it in the visuals, locations or simply referring to Ray's popular directorials such as 'Mahapurush', 'Kapurush', 'Jai Baba Felunath' etc. Vasan made up his mind to pay homage to Ray, by utlising his very own rendition; which abounds in surrealism, satire, and straight out inanity! 'Kafkaesque Nightmare' as cinephiles would tell. Not everyone's cup of tea though! Harshvardhan Kapoor & Radhika Madan are two of the most underrated actors and I'm just glad they seized this opportunity to truly demonstrate the inherent abilities they possess.
In conclusion, we got little bit of everything. Thriller, Drama, Humour, Satire! However, I do feel this 'Collectanea' couldn't reach the designated point of contentment for the orthodox fans. As these are all adaptations, not word for word transcription; every single story has been largely altered and modified. So just keep in mind that these are not the purest forms of the source materials! And I am perfectly aware of the dissatisfaction among Ray's loyal followers due to the same reason. The way I see it, all the creations of Satyajit Ray are so multifaceted in nature that they can be interpreted in all kinds of ways! And that's quite the core 'Essence' what made people fall in love with his artistry in the first place.
