Satyajit Ray: Not A Filmmaker but A Visionary.
Satyajit Ray is a globally acclaimed filmmaker. His films are considered documents of human emotions. Besides actors, the way he has used sound, music, symbols, and silence in his films inspires many cinema enthusiasts all over the world. In addition, he also adopts famous literature in his own ways. He never destructs the magic of the story and never bangs him off its story rather, he believes in enhancing it with his art of filmmaking.
For example, we can discuss one of his famous films Ghare Baire which is an adaptation of a famous Bengali novel by Rabindranath Tagore.
The film Ghare Baire is a Bengali drama film that was released in 1984. It is based on a novel written by Rabindranath Tagore in 1916 by the same name. The story is set in 1907 when Bengal was divided, and a wedge was pulled between Hindus and Muslims. It was also the time of the emergence of the Swadeshi Movement.
The film revolves around the story of Bimala, a woman who is ignorant of the outside world and is trying to learn about it. Nikhil, her husband, who is well-educated and tries to empower his wife too, and his friend, Sandip, who is a revolutionist but filled with militant nationalism.
One of the major themes dealt with in this film is militant nationalism. To empower the Swadeshi movement, Sandip goes to the extent of instigating communal riots and brainwashing school-going children. He does not pay heed to the welfare of the people but rather focuses on fulfilling his political needs. That is something that is quite relevant in today’s scenario as well. People’s needs and wants, especially those who are of the lower class are suppressed for the sake of fulfilling the political agenda. Innocent people like Bimala and Amulya are brainwashed in the name of nationalism.
Another theme dealt with in this film is the emancipation of women. Nikhil gets Bimala educated and gives her the liberty to choose her own path and have her own opinions unlike the women of that time. It has also been shown symbolically in the film. Bimala crosses the door and comes out of the confinement where other women live, and they just keep observing her. It shows how Bimala broke the confinement and moved ahead while many women are still stuck there like her sister-in-law.
The way Ray has used these symbols shows that he is not only a genius filmmaker but a visionary that points out the conservational issues of the society of his time. Unfortunately, a few issues are still relevant after so many years of development.
