| Phatikchand (Phatik and the Juggler), 1983 |
| Story, Script and Music: Satyajit Ray. Direction: Sandip Ray |
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A 12-year-old boy from a wealthy family is kidnapped by a gang of crooks, who meet with an accident while making their gateway. Two of the crooks are killed, while others run away, leaving the boy unconscious. The boy suffers a loss of memory. Harun, a street juggler, picks him up and makes him his assistant. Meanwhile, the boy’s father puts in an advertisement offering a reward for information about his missing son. After recovering his memory he boy tells about himself and his family to Harun, who takes him to his father, without any knowledge of the offer of reward. The father reprimands Harun when he comes to know of his son’s rough life during his missing days. Later, driven by qualms, he gives a cheque to his son and asks him to deliver it to Harun. The boy manages to meet the juggler at Howrah station where the latter is waiting to catch a train to Madras. He hopes to join a circus there. “How can I take money for handing over someone who is like my own brother?” asks Harun. The guard blows the whistle. “I’ll be back,” shouts Haroun. “Wait for the Great Diamond Circus!” |
| A poster of 'Phatikchand': 'Phatik and the Juggler' |
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| Goopy Bagha Phire Elo (The Return of Goopy and Bagha), 1991 |
| Story and Music: Satyajit Ray. Script and Direction: Sandip Ray |
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This film completes the Goopy and Bagha trilogy originally envisioned by Ray. The film deals with Goopy and Bagha's concerns over their advancing age. Bored with their lives as kings, they leave their ministers-in-charge and visit Anandapur for a magic contest. They encounter an evil, greedy man, Acharya, who is a disciple of a witch doctor. He attempts to bribe Goopy and Bagha with the promise of eternal youth if they will steal gems for him. They are forced to agree when he captures and enslaves the young boys of the village. Goopy and Bagha consults with the King of Ghosts, and eventually defeat Acharya with the help of a young boy with special powers. |
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| Uttaran (The Broken Journey), 1993 |
| Story and Script: Satyajit Ray. Music and Direction: Sandip Ray |
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One of the best-known of Sandip Ray’s films, Uttaran deals with a dramatic change that a wealthy doctor experiences within when confronted by the extreme poverty of village India. He is confronted with the paradox of advances in medical practice on the one hand and the value of life of the poor on the other. The resultant questioning of medical practice, bourgeoise values and compassion for the poor forms the story of this film.
Ray had planned the entire film, done the casting and selected the locations before he passed away. Sandip Ray stepped in and took over the directorial baton and finished the film. "A stunning picture that has the impact of Satyajit Ray's finest efforts. The Broken Journey is small scale but universal in its timelessness, with implications that apply to the United States... with just as much force as to India," says the Los Angeles Times.
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| Target, 1995 |
| Story: Prafulla Ray. Script: Satyajit Ray. Music and Direction: Sandip Ray |
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Vindhyachal Singh, feudal lord of Panporia, Bihar, finds that he cannot exercise his favourite sport, hunting, since his hands tremble owing to immoderate drinking. He employs a professional hunter, Rambharosa, an untouchable, who settles in a Panporia colony and builds a relationship with Bijari, a young woman. Rambharosa kills a leopard during a hunt, but sees, to his great dismay, the zamindar photographed with the dead animal. Vindhyachal Singh also tries to seduce Bijari through his servants. She resists, and Rambharosa comes to her aid. Angered, the zaminder has him assaulted by his henchmen. Meanwhile, a revolt brews among the bonded labourers who resent the meagre pay they receive. Accompanied by his henchmen, the zamindar attempts to set fire to the labourers' colony where he is shot dead during a fight with Rambharosa. The film ends on an optimistic note with Bijari reconciled to Rambharosa.
As Sandip Ray writes: “After a sombre and subdued film like Uttaran , I desperately needed a change of pace; thankfully, Target was the answer. It has a bigger canvas, a gripping narrative, colourful characters, and, above all, strong human relationships. It also deals with some very vital issues: untouchability (still relevant, still rampant in various parts of our country), exploitation and illegal poaching….. Hence making Target has been a memorable experience for me.” |
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| Bombaier Bombete (Bandits from Bombay), 2003 |
| Story: Satyajit Ray. Script, Music and Direction: Sandip Ray |
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The story of the film revolves round a failed attempt by a Bombay smuggler to smuggle a precious chain strung with diamonds and pearls belonging at one time to Nana Sahib, hero of the first war for Indian Independence of 1857. Legend has it that the chain passed into the hands of Jung Bahadur of Nepal, who gave Kashi Bai, Nana Sahib's wife, two villages in exchange. The smuggler, who meets popular mystery writer Jatayu (pen name of Lalmohan Ganguly) in Calcutta in disguise, gives him a book in a packet to deliver it to a certain person at Santa Cruz Airport. Jatayu delivers a different book in a similar packet. The original book, in which a hollow was made by tearing off some pages to place the historical ornament for smuggling purposes, turns out to be a volume of Life Divine by Sri Aurobindo. Jatayu panics, but Feluda, who accompanies Jatayu along with his cousin Topse to Bombay, catches the villain on a train during the shooting of a film based on Jatayu's story. |
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| Nishijapan (After the Night….Dawn), 2005 |
| Story: Narayan Gangopadhyay. Script, Music and Direction: Sandip Ray |
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Bimal Das, a retired government officer, lives at a quaint cottage in the Himalayas, surrounded by lush green hills on three sides and a river on the fourth. A hanging bridge over the narrow but swift river is his only means of access to the outside world.
The film opens with the cottage buzzing with activity on the occasion of a family reunion. Bimal’s son Nirmal, his wife Anita, and younger brother Shyamal have come home for winter holidays. Anita has brought along his younger sister Sunita with a view to getting her married to Shyamal. Besides, there is a family friend stopping with them. Brojen Bhowmick, owner of a tea estate, too has come for a few days’ rest from work.
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The sunny mood of the film changes suddenly with the weather growing violent unexpectedly. A thunderstorm begins to rage. The rain continues throughout the night. The next night comes a light tremor, which develops into a devastating earthquake, killing Bimal’s servant and his wife, and snapping the rope bridge. The family is left cut off from the rest of the world.
Then begins the fight for survival. Power goes off and there is an acute shortage of food and water. Relationships begin to disintegrate. Known faces start becoming unknown. But it is through this crisis that two young people, Shyamal and Sunita, find their soulmates in each other. Nirmal, who has treated his wife badly, indicates his readiness to make amends not by words but by silently putting his hand on Anita’s shoulder. Relief workers appear on the other side of the river with food packets and machinery to mend the bridge. The long night of darkness is over. The dawn breaks with promises of a bright sunshine.
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| Contributed by DKB and AKD |
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