Govind Nihalani releases book on Satyajit Ray in Pune

Satyajit Ray Ani Bharatiya Manvantar, a book based on the works of legendary film-maker, Satyajit Ray, written by film scholar, Shyamala Vanarase, was released by film-maker, Govind Nihalani, at the National Film Archive of India (NFAI) on Friday.

“The argument that Satyajit Ray always portrayed poverty and showed India in a stereotypical manner is passe now,” said Nihalani. The function was organised by Shabdaparva Prakashan and Aashay film club.

Nihalani said, “Ray was a thinker. He was aware of the history and changes around him. He was a serious and sensitive film-maker who always responded to the situation.”

Talking about the book, Nihalani said it is not based on Ray’s life but on how his films reflect the way he negotiated the changes around him.

“His work has become symbol of the times he lived in and his later films were about individuals living in urban areas, the situations they lived in, their issues, morals and choices. His journey is not only of subjects but about how the protagonist in his films confronted the problems which changed with him. The changes in social flux of time are reflected in his films.”

Vanarase said, “Ray touched our hearts as a film-maker whose films were rooted in Indian soil. The villages, children, citizens in Ray’s films are close to our experiences. No other film-maker has understood the Indian psyche the way he did.”

Theatre and film actor Mohan Agashe; son of celebrated film-maker V Shantaram, Kiran Shantaram; founder secretary of Aashay Film Club, Satish Jakatdar; senior member of Aashay Sanskrutik, Virendra Chitrav and film critic Sudhir Nandgaonkar also attended the function.