Shabana, Sharmila pay homage to the perfectionist
One of the greatest directors of world cinema, the renowned filmmaker is till date remembered for the ‘Apu’ trilogy
As of May 2, 2021, marked the 100th birth anniversary of renowned filmmaker, litterateur, composer, illustrator and designer Satyajit Ray, Bollywood celebrities paid homage to the late legendary filmmaker.
Satyajit Ray was born to Sukumar Ray and Suprabha in Calcutta, now known as Kolkata. He lost his father when he was barely two-and-a-half years old. The absence of his father would often be reflected in Ray's early films, where the father figure remained inconspicuous for the best part.
Often regarded as one of the greatest directors of world cinema, Ray prominently worked in Bengali cinema. Ray visited London in the year 1950, where he saw Vittorio De Sica's 1948 film 'Ladri di biciclette' (Bicycle Thieves) which inspired him to become a filmmaker.
Lovingly called Manik da by everyone, his eye for perfection and profound understanding of both the content and technique, sets and costumes, are all a matter of awe and inspiration worldwide. His first film was 'Pather Panchali' (1955), which was adapted from Bengali author Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay's eponymous 1928 novel.
He was bestowed with India's highest award in cinema, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, in 1984 and India's highest civilian award, Bharat Ratna, in 1992.
Shabana Azmi took to her 'Instagram' handle and shared a never-seen-before picture with the filmmaker. In the photo, she could be seen seated on a couch along with the celebrated filmmaker, engrossed in a deep conversation. Shabana's husband and lyricist Javed Akhtar could also be seen in the frame seated on the couch next to Ray. She captioned the photo as, "Remembering Satyajit Ray and Manik da for many of us."
Sharmila Tagore also remembered him and called him magnificent.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took to 'Twitter' and paid him a tribute as she wrote, "Tribute to Satyajit Ray, legendary filmmaker, writer, composer, lyricist, illustrator, on his birth centenary. He is not only the pride of Bengal but also of India and the whole world. He is an inspiration to people around the globe."
