Shashwat

Ray made me feel a hell lot of things. But most of all, it made me angry. Not sad. Not disappointed. Not defeated. Just angry. And rather cheated. 2021 is a terrible year as well as one which is nothing short of a benchmark for cinema. On 2 May 2021, we commenced the year-long Birth Centenary celebrations of Satyajit Ray, the ultimate movie master of Indian cinema and most certainly, of the world. He hit the road with a song on everyday struggles of human life, progressed to make compelling narratives questioning religion and politics come to life, derived a sense of history and heritage and let viewers see the real India through an utterly transparent gaze. His feminist, revisionist spirit gave him films like Charulata, Mahanagar, Devi and various female arcs for his other very popular works.  I won't call Ray a visionary. He was a vision that Mother India, or whatever you choose to call this nation of ours, wanted us to see and concieve art with. After his death in 19...