The Odds against Us

Varun 11T81A0339Venkatesh 11T81A0340Vijay Reddy 11T81A0341

The Odds Against Us

o Written by Satyajit Ray.o Source: Our Films , Their Films ; Orient

Longman,2001

Source of the present Selection

Vignettes of Ray’s Life

Flashback of the Filmmaker

The legendary’s life began on 2 may 1921 and ended on 23 April 1992.

Well known Director, producer, writer, composer and graphic designer.

A towering figure in the world of cinema with 6 feet and four inches tall, born in a Bengali family

He founded first film society in Calcutta.Ray also edited “Sandesh” a children’s magazine.

He wrote numerous fiction & non fiction stories.

Well known Indian film maker to the western world.

Satyajit Ray speaks on Films….

There is a vague awareness that it is a tough business.

The accurate involvement of a film maker was never published.

WHY?

Hollywood Blockbusters wear the toughness on their sleeves

Battles Orgies Earthquakes Conflagrations Triumphal Processions etc…

Is possible with money, men and materials.

Battles

Battles and Processions

Conflagrations

Earthquakes

Triumphal Procession

Hollywood & Soviet Russia(possibility)

Hollywood - Spartacus. Soviet Russia- War and Peace Madrid shows – Cities of Rome, Moscow,

Peking..(left as tourist attractions)

Hollywood – Spartacus

A 1960 film directed by Stanley Kubrick.

Spartacus was born from the struggle of many powerful people working against in collaboration with each other

It depicts the events of III servile war.

Russia – War and Peace

Indian films – Bengal(impossibility)

Due to lack of money, market, technical know-how.

Chosen Intimate Cinema of Mood (aspects of society, new themes, new facets of human relationships)

Rather than grandeur and spectacle.

Pather Panchali in Making

Took two years. It is a cadence of dirge (rise & fall of a sad

song) Rather than a fanfare.

Funds were not flowing but trickling (drop by drop)

The Making of Pather Panchali

His pather panchali won award at Cannes

Directions to the Director

Affinity to the theme of the story (or property)

Strong belief that it will make a good film Experienced Director takes Public in to

account. [ if he is not a greenhorn] Otherwise backers brand him as a bad risk.

Indigenous Problems

Avant –Gardism is a luxury, unaffordable. Can not operate fashionable aesthete like

Alain Resnais. Impossible to sugar the pill. Masses used to morsels of make-believe. Be content with minority public. Tight rein on the budget.

Avant Gardism- Experimental Movies

Alain Resnais

French film Director whose career extends to 6 decades.

His films are based on relationship between consciousness, memory and imagination.

French film Director whose career extends to 6 decades.

His films are based on relationship between consciousness, memory and imagination.

Alain Resnais

Problems while Producing Romantic themes

Story of physical passion is unthinkable on Indian screen.

Romantic shots have to be silhouettedClose-ups result in catcalls from lower stallsMar delicate mood setting

Thus result in sounds of shrilling crickets and howling jackals….

Picturisation of Devi

Silhouetted Images

Crickets

Howling Jackals

Victorian Moral ConventionsCENSOR BOARD

Films have been reduced to a formula of:-

Clasping Hands Longing Looks Vapid Talk Amorous Verbal Exchanges Love duets sung in artificial romantic

backdrops

Censor Board Certificate

Clasping Hands

Longing Looks

Political Themes Prohibited

Corrupt congressman. Poor bank clerk by dubious means getting rich. Gandhi cap to hide baldness, censor board will ask

to paint the cap black. Boss prejudice on an Anglo Indian employee can

not be portrayed (even in an empathetic manner) Tiny deviation in picturising Epics is intolerable to

a horde of belligerent Titans (the host of intellectuals)

Swoop down on a script writer and tear him limb from limb.

Advice& Consent

A 1962 American picture based on the Pulitzer prized novel by Alen Dury.

President of the united states nominates Leffingwell as secretary of state.

Leffingwell’s nomination is controversial within united states senate

Senate with its Advice& Consent powers must either prove or reject the appointment.

A judgment at Nuremberg

A 1961 fiction film based on the post world war-II trials.

Written by Abby Mann and directed by Stanley Kramer.

It centers around a military tribunal in which four judges are accused of crimes against humanity.

Dr. Strangelove

Diffusion of B-52 by Dr.Strangelove

Gandhi Cap

Bits that dot the story- difficult to find

GrandpaMen, women and childrenPeasants Shopkeepers ProfessorsProstitutesSo on & so on ………

Grandpa

Men, women and children

Peasants

Shopkeepers

Professors

Interpretation of worthwhile proposition- Casting

In the pre-cast itself director can picture X, Y, Z as playing husband, wife and baby simultaneously.

Difficult to find doddering, toothless 80 year old grand pa (once in a blue moon, ‘pa’ will be accepted by big ‘B’)

one has to go for talent scouting to introduce unknowns.

Though ads are given in news papers people with talent suffer the inhibition of rejection.

To find extras, one has to scan and scour streets for pedestrians, search in cocktails and wedding receptions

Advertisements in the dailies

Scan the faces of pedestrians

Cocktail Parties

Wedding Receptions

Chinese Extras in Aparajitho

A search in a Chinese brothel Author waited in Anteroom (small waiting

room)Dank and Dark as a primordial cave.Smell of opium stifling the nostrils.Madam saunters with a smile.They take hours to show up thus stuck out for

the shot.

Chinese Extras for Aparajito

Chinese Brothel

Opium stifles one’s nostrils

Right Players for Right Playwright

Alarming shortage of professional talent.Difficult to find middle aged actors and

actresses.Pather Panchali can not be reproduced as

chunibala isn’t there.Jalsaghar, devi, kanchenjungha can't be

casted without Chhabi Biswas.Ray has not written a single middle aged

character after their demise for lack of talent.

Chhabi Biswas

Chunibala in Jalsaghar

Ray has not written single middle aged part

After Casting – It’s Shooting

Calcutta Studio’s hallowed past.Crevice on the Wall.Tatter on the Canvas that covers the Ceiling.Rafters are inhabited by the families of rodents.Camera groans as it turns.Voltage drops down at sunset.Air of shabbiness is unnerving.

Finally these hurdles were not hindrances to Mr.Ray

Calcutta studio’s Hallowed past

Crevice on the Ceiling

Rafters inhabited by Rodents

Camera groans at Calcutta Studio

I am happy where I am – Satyajit Ray

Despite all odds he is the happiest.As he has the essentials to make a good film.Bareness of means make one economical and

inventive.There is a craftsmanship in creating beauty in

the circumstances of shoddiness and privation (lack of basic things).

This makes the journey into Films truly exiting.