Pather Panchali: Ray’s first film was a lyrical glimpse into life and poverty in rural Bengal.
Adapted from Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhay’s epic novel, the film emerged as a cornerstone of Indian cinema. It’s the perfect inlet into Ray’s work: with his distinct blend of poetry and heartbreakAparajito: The second in the trilogy, Aparajito took on a darker, lonelier hue. The film bookends the adolescent Apu’s coming-of-age with the loss of his parents.The final moments, when Apu goes back to the village, are the most harrowing in any Ray film.Apur Sansar: Ray’s reputation as a visual master was cemented by Apur SansarIn one memorable scene, Soumitra Chatterjee and Sharmila Tagore take turns to fan each other while they eat. The equality of a relationship is suggested in the simplest of terms.Paras Pathar: Between Aparajito and Apur Sansar, Ray made two other films: Paresh Pathar and Jalsaghar.The film is immortalized by Tulsi Chakraborty’s comedic lead turn.Jalsaghar: Chhabi Biswas was the scion of a wealthy Calcutta family, and a star of Bengali theatre. In 1958, he worked on his first film with Ray, the haunting JalsagharInitially unsung, Jalsaghar is held now as a masterpiece, featuring great music (by Ustad Vilayat Khan) and dazzling indoor cinematography by Subrata Mitra.Devi: The film Devi examined the conservative belief systems that thrived on the oppression of women. The protagonist Doyamoyee (Sharmila Tagore) is declared to be an incarnation of the goddess KaliRay conjures some striking symbolic imagery: a superimposition of the goddess’s eyes on Doyamoyee, or the final shot of her disappearing into a field.Mahanagar: Ray based his 1963 feminist classic on a short story by Narendranath Mitra. In the film, Madhabi Mukherjee’s demure housewife takes up a job as a door-to-door salesman in Kolkata.Her growing independence causes a stir in her conservative middle-class family. The film has notable supporting performances by Anil Chatterjee, Haradhan Banerjee, and a young Jaya Bhaduri.Charulata: Charulata was the highpoint of Madhabi Mukherjee’s association with Ray.Set in Victorian Bengal, the film captured the languorous rhythms and shifting cultural mores of the timeThe opening sequence is a masterclass—as is the final use of a freeze frame.Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne: Ray’s grandfather, Upendrakishore, had written a story about two itinerant musicians in Sandesh magazineRay adapted it, spruced up the tone, added wonderful musical interludes and practical effects, and got the rollicking pair of Tapen Chatterjee and Rabi Ghosh to play Goopi-Bagha.The result was a delightful cinematic explosion, a ‘freakout’ in the nicest sense. In 1980, he added a sequel, Hirak Rajar Deshe, and a third film was made by his son Sandip Ray later on.Nayak: Bengali superstar Uttam Kumar did two films with Ray—Nayak and ChiriyakhanaIn the first, he plays Arindam Mukherjee, a popular Bengali actor with an outsized personaThe film is framed as a conversation between Arindam and a journalist (Sharmila Tagore) on a train. Ray intersperses this journey with flashbacks and dream sequences.Teen Kanya: The OG Netflix anthology. In 1961, Ray adapted three short stories by Rabindranath Tagore, each revolving around a female character or protagonist.Aranyer Din Ratri: A Ray film that eludes easy categorisation. Essentially an adventure story, Aaranyer Din Ratri follows four friends on a forest expeditionAs drinks and memory games flow, their insecurities and alienation bubble to the surface. Sharmila Tagore, Kaberi Bose and Simi Garewal join the boys in this subtle, shape-shifting drama.Two: From a high window, a rich kid shows off his toys to a boy from a nearby slumA tense rivalry grows, which ends with the rich kid shooting down his adversary’s kite. But he can’t drown out the joyous playing of his flute, and keeps looking out the windowMade in 1964, this wordless, 12-minute short film was seen as an allegory for the Vietnam War. But it equally spoke to Ray’s preoccupations with childhood and class.Joi Baba Felunath: The second in his Feluda film series, Joi Baba Felunath is Ray’s wittiest film. Feluda, Topsey and Jatayu reach Benaras, where a complicated mystery ensues.The film is rich in detail and danger, with an iconic knife-throwing sequence involving Jatayu (Santosh Dutta). It’s moving that after Dutta’s death, in 1988, Ray resolved to not make a Feluda againJana Aranya: Jana Aranya closed Ray’s Calcutta Trilogy, preceded by Pratidwandi and Seemabaddha. The film follows a frustrated middle-class youth who fails to find a decent job.Reluctantly, he becomes a ‘middleman’, but faces a moral crisis. The film is counted among Ray’s most cynical works: the opening montage is of students cheating at an exam.