It stuns me to think of the sheer genius of some people.
Everything they touch seem to turn to gold.
One such man was Satyajit Ray.
Writer, film-maker, illustrator, educator, critic – he was probably what marked the pinnacle of the Bengali genius and intellect.
I have had the good fortune of being exposed to his works since I was a child. Nonsense limericks by his grandfather Upendrakishore Ray, articles by his father Sukumar Ray and movies by him.
This particular post is about,what I feel was the most creative and intelligent writing of our time. Ray’s own private investigator – an Arthur Conan Doyle inspiration – Feluda.
Feluda or Prodosh Chandra Mitra is a fictional private investigator starring in a series of Bengali novels and short stories written by Satyajit Ray. Narrated by Topshe, his cousin – something of a Watson to Feluda’s Holmes, these stories were a blast of fresh air to the Bengali literary scenario.
Much like our much loved Sherlock, Feluda enjoys delivering classroom-like lectures and often uses his oratory skill at the climactic scenes. He is an early riser, smokes Charminars and is a connoisseur of delicious foods, popular music and movies, and books. The duo are often accompanied by Lalmohan Ganguly – a writer of crime thrillers under the pseudonym ‘Jatayu’, who more than once gets valuable education from Feluda –in addition to free proof-reading services! The stories are usually be fairly complicated plots across the length and breadth of India where Feluda’s super sleuth skills would untangle a plot and brilliantly come together at the end in an unexpected twist. It is no surprise why most Bengali children and adults remember the thirty-five Feluda stories with extreme respect and nostalgia.
Like I’ve mentioned before, Satyajit Ray was a versatile genius. Along with being a great director and a writer, he used to make the illustrations and covers for his books, write his own screen-plays, design the posters for his films, and above all was passionate about music. He directed the music in his own films – Feluda and others. The theme music he created continues to be used in the more recent movies directed by his son Sandip Ray. The books and movies have a strong streak of Bengali-ness, with a multitude of cultural references which make it a delight to read or watch!
For the past two weekends, the family and I have been watching the Feluda movies in a marathon. Satyajit Ray’s stories, dialogues, music and aptitude leave us astounded. A must-read and must-watch for anyone who appreciates literature!