Ray @ Netflix

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Ever since I first saw the trailer of Ray I was really interested in it. There was a growing buzz around it especially on Facebook. My Netflix subscription had expired so yesterday I again paid 499 bucks to renew it. I really wanted to watch Ray on the first day of its release very badly. It was like seeing the first day first show of a movie. First of all I loved the intro music and animation. The visuals in the intro reminded me of the drawings by Satyajit Ray from his story books. It reminded me of my school days in the nineties when I used to borrow Satyajit Ray's books from the school library. It reminded me of my childhood days and those beautiful afternoons which were spent in reading the works of Satyajit Ray and mentally getting lost in the world created by the Master.   

Among the four stories my most favourite one is 'Hungama Hai Kyon Barpa' directed by Abhishek Chaubey which is based on Satyajit Ray's short story 'Barin Bhowmik's Ailment'. Manoj Bajpayee is a sheer delight to watch. His subtle nuances and facial expressions help to make the character of Musafir Ali come alive. I will not write about the story here. I will not give any spoilers here. Please watch it on Netflix. And watch this story for the sheer brilliance of Manoj Bajpayee. Watch how the story goes back and forth by ten years. Watch it for the scene where Manoj Bajpayee first sees the golden pocket watch. Watch it for the toy scene from Manoj Bajpayee's childhood. The way it was shot, it reminded me of a particular scene from 'Sonar Kella'. Watch it for the sadness and helplessness in the eyes of a young and unemployed Manoj Bajpayee. Watch it for the continuous shot which shows the rise of Manoj Bajpayee as a ghazal singer. And finally watch it for the twist in the climax scene at the Rooh Safa shop. Notice how the camera tilts at the mention of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The reference to Satyajit Ray's stolen short stories is unique. Gajraj Rao, Raghuvir Yadav and Manoj Pahwa are amazing in this film. The editing is wonderful. The music is captivating. The set design is noteworthy. The cinematography is outstanding. The direction is brilliant. One thing caught my eye. In one particular shot, three toothpaste brands were shown - Colgate, Prosmile and Bicana. Colgate is okay but I don't know why the names of Promise and Binaca toothpastes were changed. 

My second favourite story is 'Forget Me Not' directed by Srijit Mukherji which is based on Ray's short story 'Bipin Chowdhury'r Smritibhrom'. Ali Fazal is brilliant. Shruthy Menon, Shweta Basu Prasad and Anindita Bose are all very good. Ali Fazal with his good looks and engrossing expressions carries this story on his broad shoulders. The dialogue "After this, therefore, because of this" is interesting and is a hint to the actual storyline. The choice of the film 'Drishyam' in the multiplex is also interesting. Those who have seen the film 'Drishyam' will know the connection. The scene with a parking space full of Mercedes Benzes is captivating. The choice of the name 'Ennui' for the American firm is interesting. The picture frame of Ali Fazal with a cricket ball is also interesting as we all know that Srijit Mukherji is a great cricket fan. Notice the names of the flat owners in Ali Fazal's building. Ali Fazal's downward spiral into madness and loss of trust on his sharp and prized brain have been effectively captured by the director. The shot where Ali Fazal walks towards Room 301 is soul stirring. The scene at the Ajanta caves is haunting. The way he loses his mind is fascinating. And again the twist in the climax scene is mind blowing. The continuous shot in the climax is just brilliant. The forget-me-not flowers are apt. The gravestone of Maria Dsouza is heart breaking. And the last shot of the camera zooming out is mesmerizing.

My third favourite story is 'Bahrupiya' again directed by Srijit Mukherji which is based on Ray's short story 'Bahurupi'. Kay Kay Menon, Rajesh Sharma, Bidita Bag, Kharaj Mukherjee and Dibyendu Bhattacharya are all very good in this story. But watch this story for Kay Kay Menon. He is simply brilliant in the role of Indrashish Shah. In the end credits, his surname is shown as Shah though I think that it should be Saha. Shah is a gujrati surname whereas Saha is a bengali surname. Anyways Kay Kay Menon's helplessness is breathtaking in the green room scene. Loved the way he mockingly says, "You want to fuck me, you fuck me...". His tussle with God is captivating. The way Kay Kay Menon and Bidita Bag look at each other at Chung Wah restaurant is heart breaking. Calcutta looks magnificent with Victoria Memorial and The 42 building in the shot on the office terrace. The scene where Kay Kay Menon goes with the name of Amit Dutta to the Peer Baba is frighteningly eerie. The words "Umar bhar Ghalib yehi bhool karta raha, Dhool chehre pe thi aur aaina saaf karta raha" are majestic. Loved the shot where Kay Kay Menon is standing on his balcony wearing only his underwear and the day turns into night. Loved the camera movement in this scene as it first zooms in and then zooms out. And the scene where Kay Kay Menon goes with the name of Rakesh Singh to the Peer Baba is simply ethereal. The last shot is brilliant with the screen blacking out and the following squish sound. The way Srijit Mukherji has made this story, it reminds one of 'Vinci Da' too. However I have one question. People who wear spectacles, do they still wear them while indulging in sexual intercourses?

Lastly my least favourite story is 'Spotlight' directed by Vasan Bala which is based on Ray's short story of the same name. This story begins with a fake godwoman. Notice her phone number which ends with 420. Harshvardhan Kapoor as Vik is unimpressive. After seeing the brilliance of Ali Fazal, Kay Kay Menon and Manoj Bajpayee, Harshvardhan Kapoor is a total disappointment. This story gets spoiled due to his acting skills or lack of it. However that is the character that he is playing in this story. Still I think someone else should have got this role. Anyways Chandan Roy Sanyal, Akansha Ranjan Kapoor and Radhika Madan are all good. The references to Agantuk, Parash Pathar, Nayak, Pratidwindi, Devi, Kapurush, Mahapurush, Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne and Joy Baba Felunath are delicious. I loved the reference to Oregon since I love Osho. The twist in the meeting between Vik and Didi is interesting. The climax is captivating though I am not sure whether it is Kafkaesque or Lynchian! Overall out of the four stories, this is the weakest link.

P.S. There is now a heated debate going on about this anthology. Some people have hated it completely and think of this as a disrespect and insult to Satyajit Ray. They are saying that Netflix and the three directors have murdered the beauty, essence and the innocence of the original short stories. While others have loved it and have welcomed this anthology with open arms. I loved two films - 'Hungama Hai Kyon Barpa' and 'Forget Me Not'. I did not like 'Bahrupiya' that much and I think it could have been better. The story could have given due punishment to the original Rakesh Singh. Indrashish should have devised a way to kill the real rapist and then believing himself to be God, because he actually punished someone for his sin, he could have happily gone to the Peer Baba as Rakesh Singh to test the Baba's supernatural powers and eventually face his own doom. And I absolutely hated 'Spotlight'. Its neither good nor funny. Its a total disaster. Its the worst film among the four. Though it is clearly written on Netflix that these films are based on the short stories of Satyajit Ray but my view is that these films are not actually based on the original short stories but are kind of inspired from them. The basic ideas have been taken from the original short stories and then the makers have made something altogether new with them. I support this endeavour and I think that Netflix must make more such films in the future from Satyajit Ray's short stories. Directors must have the creative freedom to explore new dimensions with old stories. Some people will like them. Some people will not like them. That is part and parcel of this game. Really looking forward to Ray Part Two...       

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