Book: Satyajit Ray in 100 Anecdotes
Author: Arthy Muthanna & Mamta Nainy
Pages: 122
Publisher: Penguin India
How Long it Took Me To Read: A little over an hour
Plot Summary: Tracing his magnificent life with 100 little-known and inspiring incidents as well as unusual trivia, this collectible edition pays homage to the maestro on his 100th birth anniversary.
A master filmmaker, a remarkable auteur, a writer par excellence and an artist of immense reach and range, Satyajit Ray was an indefinable genius. This book is a classic tribute that celebrates his many accomplishments across literature, music, art and more.General Thoughts: I am always happy to read Ray, watch Ray and know about his life. So when Penguin approached me about this book I said yes immediately. Even though I am not a big fan of reading books in a PDF format. It was my love of Ray that made me want to read this book.
This book was sent to me in exchange of an honest review.
Thank-you Penguin for sending this my way.
The thoughts and review are my own.
Things I Liked:
1. To say I am a big Satyajit Ray fan is an understatement. He's been a constant and happy presence in my life for as long as I can remember. But then again, that is possibly a very happy side-effect of being a Bengali. You grow up with the looming and brilliant presence of a man who is quite easily one of the greatest Bengali's to have ever lived. This year is is his 100th Birth Anniversary and this book with a 100 anecdotes about his life is a great way to celebrate him and a deep dive into his life. Bite sized stories that present his life in a simple yet wholistic way.
2. The little anecdotes cover such a wide span of time, starting right from his childhood and upto his last days. These stories manage to give a clear picture of who Ray was a person. From an inquisitive and creative child right up to the time where the whole world stood in awe of his creative genius.
3. I really adore the childhood stories from Ray's life. His illustrious family members, the little incidents that tell us of his curious nature and his first brushes with art and creativity, his love of music and magic. I also loved reading about his mother, who pretty much raised him on her own. What an incredible woman!
4. His student life was also covered so well and to see him work his way up in life and we get to see glimpses of him dappling in different art forms and developing his own style.
5. There so many other greats who make an appearance in this book- Rabindranath Tagore, JC Bose, Nandalal Bose and several film makers of note. It was a delight to meet so many famous names and see their impact they had on Satyajit Ray.
6. The art in this book is quite lovely.
Here are some examples:
Minimal and so pretty.
7. This is a great introduction to Ray especially for those curious about his life and who don't know much apart from his cinema. It is a look into his life and his many talents. I also enjoyed reading about his writing and how and what inspired his immortal characters.
8. I knew a few of these anecdotes and stories associated with Ray and his family, but most of them, especially those about his adolescence and young adulthood were unknown to me. So even if, you know a fair amount about him I am sure you'll learn something new in this book.
9. I loved the insight into how Ray moved heaven and earth to get his first film- Pather Panchali made. How it was such a labour of love and will and a result of so many forces coming together.
10. This is a great book for children, to introduce them to one of our greatest creative minds. Yet, this book is also perfect for adults who grew up on his films and for whom his characters are more than people who occupy the silver screen.
Rating: 4/5
I highly recommend this book for fans of Ray and those who wish to know about the man behind the legend.
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