March 13, 2018 (XXXVI:7) Satyajit Ray THE BIG CITY (1962), 122 min. The online version of this Goldenrod handout has color images. Directed by Satyajit Ray Writing Credits Narendranath Mitra (from a story by), Satyajit Ray (scenario & screenplay) Produced by R.D. Bansal Music Satyajit Ray Cinematography Subrata Mitra Film Editing Dulal Dutta Production Design Bansi Chandragupta Art Direction Bansi Chandragupta CAST Anil Chatterjee…Subrata Mazumdar Madhabi Mukherjee…Arati Mazumder Jaya Bhaduri…Bani Haren Chatterjee…Priyogopal (Subrata's father) Sefalika Devi…Sarojini (Subrata's Mother) (as Shephalika Devi) Prasenjit Sarkar…Pintu Haradhan Bannerjee…Himangshu Mukherjee Vicky Redwood…Edith SATYAJIT RAY (b. May 2, 1921 in Calcutta, India—d. April 23, 1992, age 70, in Calcutta, India) is the son of Sukumar Ray, Gandhi in 1983. Ray has been both the writer director for 33 an eminent poet and writer of Bengali literature. The younger films including, The Stranger (1991), An Enemy of the People Ray worked as an advertising artist before shifting his focus to (1989), The Home and the World (1984), Pikoor Diary (1981, film. He was first drawn to independent filmmaking after TVShort), Deliverance (1981, TV Movie), Heerak Rajar Deshe meeting French filmmaker Jean Renoir and viewing Vittorio De (1980), Joi Baba Felunath: The Elephant God (1979), The Chess Sica’s Italian neorealist film Bicycle Thieves (1948). Ray's first Players (1977), The Middleman (1976), The Golden Fortress film, Pather Panchali (1955), won eleven international prizes, (1974), Ashani Sanket (1973), The Inner Eye (1972, documentary including the inaugural Best Human Document award at the short), Sikkim (1971, Documentary), Company Limited (1971), 1956 Cannes Film Festival. The large director who stood at about The Adversary (1970), Days and Nights in the Forest (1970), The 6' 5"— nearly a foot taller than the average Indian of his Adventures of Goopy and Bagha (1969), The Zoo (1967), Nayak: generation—was also a fiction writer, publisher, illustrator, The Hero (1966), Two (1965, TV Short), The Coward (1965), calligrapher, music composer, graphic designer and film critic. The Holy Man (1965), Charulata (1964), Abhijaan (1962), He authored several short stories and novels, primarily aimed at Kanchenjungha (1962), Rabindranath Tagore (1961, children and adolescents. At the 1992 Academy Awards he won Documentary), Teen Kanya (1961), The Goddess (1960), The a special lifetime achievement award. He’s only the second World of Apu (1959), Paras-Pathar (1958), The Music Room Indian to have won an Oscar, the first being Bhanu Athaiya for (1958), Aparajito (1956) and Pather Panchali (1955). He has Ray—THE BIG CITY—2 also written for the films Goopy Bagha Phire Elo (1991, story), to meet her. Madhabi wasn’t sure if he was serious about giving Branches of the Tree (1990, screenplay/story), Kissa Kathmandu her a role. Ray cast her in Mahanagar, then again in Charulata Kaa (1986, TV Mini-Series, novel by), Phatik Chand (1983, (1964) and Kapurush (1965). Ray never worked with her after novel/ screenplay), Baksa Badal (1970, screenplay). Also, many that. She once recalled how Ray’s sense of beauty was more of his stories have been made into films, some of which are about the flutter of a searching mind. Ray’s daughter speculates Badshahi Angti (2014, novel by), Chaar (2014, story), Feluda that her father was looking for this type of ‘beauty’ while casting (2013, Short, original novel), Jekhane Bhooter Bhoy (2012, the female lead for Mahanagar, arguably one of the best woman- story), Some Maana (2011, Short, adaptation), Royal Bengal centric movies made in India. Of the role, Mukherjee said, “For Rahasya (2011, novel), Gorosthane Sabdhan (2010, novel), Aarthy, her home was her world before she ventured out. But the Tintorettor Jishu (2008 novel), Kailashey Kelenkari (2007, process transforms her into someone for whom the world outside novel), Bombaiyer Bombete (2003, novel), Dr. Munshir Diary becomes her home. It wasn’t tough to understand Aarthy for a (2000, TV Movie based on a story by), Golapi Mukta Rahasya woman of my generation, whose views were sure home-bound (1999, TV Movie/ story), Baksha Rahasya (1996, story) and yet, strong with streaks of empathy. In fact, it was not tough to Uttoran (1994, screenplay/story). understand any of the characters I played because they reflected the ethos of the period.” For a time there were rumors about the NARENDRANATH MITRA (b. 1916—d. 1975) was born in relationship between Mukherjee and Ray. When questioned the district of Faridpur now in Bangladesh, graduated from about her relationship with the then-married director, she was Bangabasi college, Calcutta. Initially, he worked in a bank before quick to point out, “Let me say one thing. I acted with Satyajit- becoming a writer. By the 1950s, he shifted his career toward babu in three films, and Soumitra (Chatterjee) acted in 14 films journalism, early on working for Krishok, Swaraj, Satyajug. In directed by him. I am surprised that nobody ever said anything 1951 he joined the daily Anandabazar Patrika, an association he about that.”Always known as a Bengali film actress, “I never stayed with until his death in 1975. He also tried his hand first in accepted films from any other languages because Bengali gave poetry publishing a book of poems, Janaki (Firefly), with me so much. That culture is dying, and so is the cinema here,” Bishnupada Bhattacharya and Narayan Gangopadhyay. An she says. Always devoted to the cinema, when the Star Theatre in author of about fifty short collections, a few of his short stories Calcutta caught on fire, Madhabi led a campaign to rehabilitate were made into film by Satyajit Ray, Rajen Tarafdar, among those affected by the fire. She asked Marxist leaders Jyoti Basu others. His story Abataranika was adapted into Mahanagar (The and Bhattacharya for help — but it was Calcutta mayor Subrata Big City) by Ray in 1964 and his story Ras was adapted into Mukherjee who finally came to the aid of the artistes. “I had then Hindi film, Saudagar (1973), by Shubendu Roy. The 1988 told Subrata Mukherjee that I would do anything in return.” The Bengali film, Phera by Buddhadeb Dasgupta, was also adapted mayor demanded his pound of flesh three months before the from his story. West Bengal election when he asked the actress to contest against the chief minister. “I counted till three under my breath SUBRATA MITRA (b. October 12, 1930 in Calcutta, India—d. — and said, Yes!” She lost the election by 30,000-odd votes but December 7, 2001, age she has no regrets about not making her mark in politics. 71, in Calcutta, India) is often considered one of the greatest of However, there is one area she has spoken about remorsefully— Indian cinematographers. At the age of 21, Mitra, who had never her decision to never act in Hindi films. “In our days, we were operated a motion picture camera, began his career as a rather uppity about Bengali cinema, which was so much more cinematographer with Satyajit Ray for Pather Panchali (1955). superior to Hindi films. But there has been a change, and one He continued to work on many of Ray’s later films, pioneering failed to grasp that Bengali cinema had long been overtaken by the technique of “bounce lighting” while filming The Apu Hindi films.” Trilogy. In 1999 Mitra won the Award for Technical Excellence at the Bombay International Film Festival and a Silver Lotus Award for Best Cinematography for New Delhi Times (1986) at India’s National Film Awards. He worked on 18 films: New Delhi Times (1986), Mahatma and the Mad Boy (1974, Short), Bombay Talkie (1970), The Guru (1969), Nayak: The Hero (1966), Teesri Kasam (1966), Shakespeare-Wallah (1965), Charulata (1964), The Householder (1963), Kanchenjungha (1962), The Goddess (1960), The World of Apu (1959), Paras- Pathar (1958), The Music Room (1958) and Aparajito (1956) MADHABI MUKHERJEE (b. February 10, 1942 in Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India) began her acting career at the age of eight. Madhabi—then known as Madhuri—lived with her mother, after her parents separated.. “Our financial situation was such that I had to work. So, I started acting in plays,” she says. Her first roles were in Dui Beyaai and Kankantala Light Railway in 1950. She was given the name Madhabi when she was ANIL CHATTERJEE/ CHATTOPADHYAY (b. October 25, introduced as a lead actress in Mrinal Sen’s Baishey Shravan 1929 in Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India—d. March 17, (1960). Then one day Ray sent her a message saying he wanted 1996, age 66, in Calcutta, West Bengal, India) began his career Ray—THE BIG CITY—3 in the Bengali cinema during the early ‘50s and continued acting financial acumen. When he himself died in 1923 of blackwater until his death in the ‘90s. Initially, Chatterjee wanted to be a fever, the company was near collapse. It was liquidated three radio artist, however, his film career geared up when he became years later, and Suprabha Ray took Satyajit, her only child, to an assistant director to Ardhendu Mukhopadhyay, a reputed live in the house of her younger brother, P. K. Das. The Das filmmaker of that time. Though he planned on becoming a film household was comfortably off, not particularly literary but director, he made several cameo appearances in films made by highly musical. Ray developed an abiding love of classical his friends. His first substantial role was in Jog Biyog (1953) music, both Indian and western. He also became a keen directed by Pinaki Mukherjee, a close friend. By the time Ray cinemagoer. “I was a regular film fan. But I don’t know when it approached Chatterjee about being in one of his movies, both became serious.