Manikda – Memories of Satyajit Ray

It is hard for me not to be awestruck and star struck while talking about Satyajit Ray. It is hard to find someone who understood the art, craft and science of film making so completely. Satyajit Ray (1921-1992), is one of the great masters of world cinema. He was born on 2nd May 1921 in Calcutta and died on 23rd April 1992. Director, Producer, Screenwriter, Composer, Writer, Graphic Designer, Satyajit Ray is perhaps best known across the world for his Apu Trilogy. I have loved so may of his films like Jalsaghar, Charulata, Seemabaddha … and not to forget Sonar Kella, Jai Baba Felunath. Ray created only four Roman fonts (Ray Roman, Ray Bizarre, Daphnis and Holiday Script), while he created numerous new fonts in Bengali. Anyone who has seen the posters of his films will remember the posters he made for each of his films and the scores of short stories featuring “Feluda” the detective and his sidekick “Topshey” and of course the humor of Lalmohan Ganguly aka “Jataayu”.The book Manikda is the photographer Nemai Ghosh’s view of “Manik da” as Ray was affectionately called by his friends and family. Chances are that if you see a black and white photo of Satyajit Ray at work, it has been shot by Nemai Ghosh. The association of the photographer and Ray, goes back to the late sixties. This book narrates the transition of Nemai Ghosh from his first love – theater to becoming a celebrated photographer. He “bought” his first camera when his friend brought him a fixed lens camera someone had left behind in a cab. Nemai Ghosh bought it off the friend and waived off the sum of Rs240/- (approx $5) that his friend owed him.The poverty stricken and unemployed Nemai Ghosh continued to click photos of an oblivious Ray for a long time until one day he blurted out to Ray that he should be paid at least a token one Rupee so that he could shake off the amateur label and call himself a “professional photographer”. The book is fan’s view of God. It follows a narrative that describes someone who chased his dreams simply because he wanted to capture every single moment of Ray’s life.Nemai went on to work with the filmmaker for most of the films that Ray made like ‘Aranyer Dinratri’, ‘Pratidwani’, ‘Seemabaddha’, ‘Asanti Sanket’, ‘Shantranj Ke Khiladi’ and ‘Ghare Baire’. The book is the journey of an amateur photographer who learnt the craft from the subject of his best known photographs – Ray. The greatest endorsement of his craft came from Henri Cartier-Bresson who wrote a foreword to a picture book on Satyajit Ray.

“When I asked him, he would explain, like a teacher, instructing a student, why those were not good in all respects. Some shots might have been good but the background was not proper. This is how I learnt the art of perfect photography from him.”

The narrative is like Nemai Ghosh is explaining to you the anecdotes and trivia behind each photograph as he shares his chosen few black and white photographs of Ray. The narrative is unpretentious and at times even a bit too syrupy for my taste (even though I am a Ray worshipper myself) – but the honesty of the narration makes it an enjoyable read. The poetry lies in the photographs. Never once has Nemai used a flash. Each plate is shot in pristine black and white. The B&W photographs capture the play of light making each shot look magical.They capture the mystique behind the 6’2″ frame of the auteur in his may moods and moments.Highly recommended for every photography enthusiast. If you are a fan of Satyajit Ray, then you have to add this book to your collection – like I did.