Probashi- Cover Story
Probashi- Cover Story
film every second day . This was his first real exposure to world cinema . The film which struck Ray the most was Vittorio De Sica ' s classic Bicycle Thieves ( 1948 ). In the movie De Sica had broken many myths about film making which echoed many of the ideas Ray had for Pather Panchali . De Sica had shot only on location , cast non actors , allowed no makeup , worked on shoe string budget and brilliantly used light and sound for stunning visuals . Bicycle Thieves is ranked amongst the top ten movies ever produced . Ray had found his framework in Bicycle Thieves which he would use to telling effect in Pather Panchali .
Back in India in later half of 1950 after his 4 months stint in London Ray was clear that he wanted to make a film which would have a treatment never before been tried in Indian films . He was ready to sail the uncharted waters , he was ready to challenge the conventional wisdom and write poetry on celluloid .
Ray now went about tying up the logistics . First was to get the filming rights for Pather Panchali , for which he approached the widow of Bhibhuti Bhushan Bandhopadhyay . Rama Bandhopadhyay was an ardent admirer of Ray ’ s father and grandfather and was privy to Ray ’ s skills as a book illustrator and immediately gave the filming rights for the movie to Ray . She did not budge even when other lucrative offers were made by established film producers . To one who had offered her Rs . 15000 she politely replied “ one does not sell ones son ”. If the film had to be made of the book it had to be by Satyajit Ray . Confident Ray now went about in search of funding for the film . It was then that he hit his first major roadblock . Ray ’ s towering presence , his family background and
Making of Pather Panchali
Chunibala Devi ( 1873- 1955 ) played the old aunt , Indir Thakrun , to Apu and Durga . Formerly a theatre actress , Chunibala Devi made her film debut with Bigraha in 1930 , though after her second film , Rikta in 1939 she retired . She was brought out of her retirement at the age of 80 by Satyajit Ray to act in the pivotal role of her career . Chunibala was living in the red light area of Kolkata and Ray paid her a visit and instantly found her suitable for the role . She asked for a very small salary but made a request that her daily quota of opium be provided for at the shooting location . The day the production crew forgot the give the daily dose Chunibala fainted . She became the first Indian to win an award in the best actor / actress category in an international film festival - The Manila Film festival , for her role of Indir Thakrun . Pather Panchali took three years to make ; Ray would often wonder what he would do if Chunibala Devi died before the film was complete . She died in Kolkata , of influenza , in the year 1955 aged 82 , before the release of Pather Panchali . Chunibala had completed the film !
Left : Kanu Banerjee ( 1905-1985 ) played the role of Harihar , the father of Durga and Apu , who is a priest and a wannabe poet in the film . On the first day of shooting , Kanu turned up with an expensive haircut . Ray was shocked ; obviously a village priest cannot afford such a haircut . The days ’ shooting was cancelled and Kanu was asked to grow his hair again . One of the few professional actors in the cast , Kanu had acted in a number of films previously , but it was Pather Panchali which made him famous . His statue can be seen at Banamali Chatterjee Street in Tala neighbourhood of North Kolkata , where he used to stay . Right : Karuna Banerjee ( 1991-2001 ) played the role of Sarbajaya , the mother of Apu and Durga . Subrata husband of Karuna and colleague of Ray recommended her . Although she had acted a good deal in the Indian People ’ s Theatre Association ( IPTA ) she viewed cinema as unsuitable for respectable women and at first instance refused to act . Though an urban socialite she was outstanding in her role of a suffering village wife . Later she went on to do number of movies with critically acclaimed directors .