2 iconic film-makers of Bengal to get pride of place at puja pandals

Kolkata: Two cine maestros, one whose centenary was celebrated with much fanfare four years ago and the other whose 100th birth anniversary this year has not attracted much attention, will feature in two Durga Puja pandals. Works of Satyajit Ray and Tapan Sinha, two among the legendary quartet that includes Ritwik Ghatak and Mrinal Sen, will be showcased at the Durga Puja organised by Tala Barowari and Dakshindari Youths.
The Tala Barowari puja committee, now in its 104th year, is paying homage to Ray’s birth anniversary, also in its 104 years. The organizers have decided to honour Ray’s legacy and his immense contributions to the world of cinema. As a mark of respect, they are dedicating their puja festivities to the memory of the great auteur who had shot one of his most iconic movies ‘Apur Sansar’ in the neighbourhood.

Legendary theatre and film actor Kanu Banerjee was once a resident of this neighbourhood and the face of this puja committee. He played ‘Harihar’ in the first two films of Satyajit Ray’s Apu Trilogy. It is said that in the 1970s, many iconic film artists used to gather regularly in this neighbourhood to receive training from Kanu Banerjee, along with Ray, his beloved ‘Manik’.
The building where Ray’s Apu resided in‘Apur Sansar’ was there till a few years ago. It has since been redeveloped into an apartment, but the neighbourhood still has the old charm which the organisers are trying to make use of.
“We will attempt to showcase Ray’s life, world view and some iconic moments from his movie ‘Hirak Raja Deshe’. Ray was known to his intimates as Manik – and taking off from there we have named our theme as Hire Manik Jwale. There will be the brain washing machine from ‘Hirak Rajar Deshe’ and the iconic moment of the statue of the dictator king being pulled down. We will also enact Hirak Rajar Darbar with all iconic characters including the king, vidushak and the scientist. The Durga idol has been modelled around Udayan Pandit. Our message is that only education can bring in the real revolution,” said Abhishek Bhattacharya, one of the functionaries of the puja committee.
At Dakshindari off VIP Road near the Ultadanga flyover, Dakshindari Youths will celebrate Tapan Sinha’s centenary. Tapan Sinha was a sound engineer who became one of India’s most important directors. Sinha started his career in 1946, as a sound engineer with New Theatres film production house in Kolkata. In 1950, he left for England where he worked at Pinewood Studios for two years, before returning home to start his six decade-long career in Indian cinema.
He blurred the distinction between commercial and art films effortlessly. Among his works include ‘Kabuliwala’ (1957), ‘Louha-Kapat’, ‘Sagina Mahato’ (1970), ‘Apanjan’ (1968), ‘Kshudhita Pashan’ and children’s film ‘Safed Haathi’ (1978) and ‘Aaj Ka Robinhood’. Posters from these and several other movies of Tapan Sinha, whose surname is pronounced Singha in Bengali that stands for lionwill be showcased in an installation in the centre of the sprawling ground in Dakshindari.
Another installation there will be a replica of the bus that featured in ‘Khaniker Atithi’(1951). Two giant wings will flank either side of the bus, each 100 ft long and 30 ft tall. “Clips from Sinha’s movies will play on these wings that will act as giant screens. We will also have audio clips from his movie being played in various locations in the large ground,” said theme artist Anirban Das.