Satyajit Ray was not only a film maker par excellence but also scriptwriter, author, essayist, lyricist, magazine editor, illustrator, calligrapher and music composer. So, it’s not surprising that so many creative minds try to adapt or inspire from his vast body of work. That includes his contemporaries as well as the new age creators who are coming to realize the timelessness of his creations.
Netflix’s Ray is one such adaptation which has taken the maestro’s four short stories to screen with modern era updates. This is a limited series from Netflix which brings forth the short stories written by Satyajit Ray to the global audiences.
The short story titled Barin Bhowmik-er Byaram (transl. Barin Bhowmick’s Ailment) which is adapted as Hungama Hai Kyon Barpa and directed by Abhishek Chaubey, talks about a chance encounter between a Gazal singer called Musafir Alli and one Aslam Baig. This is certainly a light hearted, feel-good story of the anthology; depicting how two people meet by coincidence ten years apart more like serendipity. The entire feel of the narrative, superior acting chops of the two leading actors, nostalgic elements depicting Gazal concerts and references to famous Urdu poets, all these elements make this a must watch episode of the series.
The next two episodes titled Bahrupiya and Forget Me Not, based on Bahurupi (transl. Multi-character) and Bipin Chowdhury’r Smritibhrom (transl. Bipin Chowdhury’s Memory Loss) respectively, are the most noteworthy mentions of this series. Whereas the first one gives you a jolt with twisted workings of human psychology, the second one presents the wonders of human brain. Both of these stories have been masterfully executed by notable director of the current generation- Srijit Mukherjee and take us on a roller-coaster ride of human fallacy. And, when you have acclaimed actors like Kay Kay Menon, Shweta Basu Prasad and Ali Fazal portraying these complex characters on screen, it’s absolutely a treat to watch.
Although, fans of Mr. Ray’s work can always argue that such modern retelling of his stories and not-so-needed elements being added to the screen adaptations, don’t give justice to his original writings. However, I think we should be glad that the essence of his stories just like his cinema, has stood the test of time and still feel relevant to the modern globalized audience. There are still those shock-and-awe qualities in them that captures the current mood quite perfectly.
The last episode titled Spotlight adapted from story of the same name, is a perfect example of this reaching-beyond-the-time quality. Unlike the other stories, this one is not executed with much fineness but still the original story idea makes it amazing. The strange, surreal yet closer to reality encounter between a Bollywood superstar and a godlike figure called Didi is surely worth a watch.
All-in-all, this series is definitely worth your time; whether you are familiar with the work of a genius called Satyajit Ray or not. We have to at least appreciate the efforts, talents and seamless transition of his stories to the modern times. It’s surely good for a one time watch.
