Ray trailer out: Satyajit Ray, dark

Netflix India has dropped the trailer of its new anthology series, Ray. 

Adapted and contemporized from Satyajit Ray’s stories, the series is a collection of four short films. It’s directed by Vasan Bala, Abhishek Chaubey and Srijit Mukherji, with Srijit helming two segments.

The four films are themed around ideas of success, failure, destiny and divinity. Each revolves around a distinguished figure in their respective fields.

In Forget Me Not, directed by Srijit Mukherji, Ali Fazal is a star entrepreneur with a superhuman memory.

In Vasan Bala’s Spotlight, Harshvardhan Kapoor is an actor with ace looks but no accompanying talent.

In Hungama Hai Kyon Barpa, directed by Abhishek Chaubey, Manoj Bajpayee plays a Urdu poet named Musafir Ali.

And in Behrupiya, also directed by Srijit Mukherji, Kay Kay Menon portrays an obsessive make-up artist. 

There’s a twisted, adrenaline-rush feeling to each story, which might upend conventional notions about Ray’s work. The four films have been written separately by Niren Bhatt and Siraj Ahmed. The extended cast of Ray includes Gajraj Rao, Shweta Basu Prasad, Anindita Bose, Bidita Bag, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Radhika Madan, Chandan Roy Sanyal and Akansha Ranjan Kapoor.

Talking about his film Hungama Hai Kyon Barpa, Abhishek Chaubey said, “I’m drawn to stories that twist with whimsy and humour. Hardly anyone crafts those better than Satyajit Ray and a chance to tell this story is a great opportunity for me. With Manoj Bajpayee and Gajraj Rao playing off each other on screen, Hungama Hai Kyon Barpa, I hope is as much of a joy to watch as it was to make. Super stoked about the show and can’t wait for people to watch it!"

Srijit, who previously helmed the Bengali web series Feluda Pherot, said it was an honour to adapt more works by Ray.

“It is an honour and very fulfilling to reinterpret two more stories of Ray in a decidedly darker space. I also got the opportunity to work with a brilliant cast including actors like Kay Kay Menon, Ali Fazal and Sweta Basu Prasad across the two stories. I’m excited to see how the viewers will react to these imperfect and somewhat broken characters,” he shared.

On his short film Spotlight, Vasan Bala said, “Spotlight is inspired by the prolific and illuminating works of Ray. An opportunity that led me to collaborate with wonderful talent. It's a pulpy, quirky, music filled tale of some very interesting characters. Harshvarrdhan Kapoor, Radhika Madan, Akanksha Ranjan Kapoor and Chandan Roy Sanyal are in crackling form. Can't wait for the audience to watch and react to it.”

Ray is set to premiere on June 25 on Netflix.