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When Mrinal Sen and Satyajit Ray duelled over films
Kolkata, Dec 30 (IANS) Legendary Bengali filmmaker Mrinal Sen, who, along with his contemporaries Satyajit Ray and Ritwik Ghatak was considered a doyen of regional parallel cinema internationally, often had public debates with Ray regarding film narratives and styles, but always chose to term them as clash of ideas and not conflict.
Sen, who directed 27 feature films, including ‘Ek Din Pratidin’, ‘Kharij’ and ‘Khandahar’ had said his films are “more of a thesis and do not have the imagery of Ray’s masterpieces.”
“I am not a Kurosawa, I am not a Satyajit Ray, I am not a Godard, who believe in drawing sketches. I can’t do that. I can’t draw a single line. My films are a kind of thesis,” the Dadasaheb Falke awardee filmmaker was once quoted in an interview.
Sen, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 95, maintained he and Ray shared a warm rapport during their time but often indulged in “constructive criticism” of each other’s films.
Their differences came into public domain when the two exchanged 19 open letters in ‘The Statesman’ newspaper in 1965 over Ray’s criticism of the script of one of Sen’s film ‘Akash Kusum’.
In one of those letters, Ray questioned the topicality of the theme written by Ashish Burman, a script writer and a regular collaborator of Sen.
“May I point out that the topicality of the theme in question stretches back into antiquity, when it found expression in that touching fable about the poor deluded crow with a fatal weakness for status symbols?” Ray wrote in one of these letters.
“Had Mr Burman known of the fate of this crow, he would surely have imparted this knowledge to his protagonist, who now acts in complete ignorance of traditional precepts with, need I add, fabulous consequences,” he had noted.
Replying, Sen had written that iconic actor Charles Chaplin had also referred to the poor deluded crow of Aesop’s Fables as “My conception of the average man, of any man, of myself” and asked whether Ray doubted the topicality of Chaplin’s theme brought out with such mastery during the long years of his film career.
The polemics – rich in content, and now keenly lapped up by wannabe film makers, critics and enthusiasts – continued for months till the newspaper called for a halt.
Sen’s ‘Bhuvan Shome’ also received some caustic comments from Ray, who despairingly wrote: “Summary in seven words: Big Bad Bureaucrat Reformed by Rustic Belle.”
Sen in his autobiography ‘Always Being Born’ claimed that Ray had “reacted rather unwholesomely” to the film.
Talking about Ray in an interview, Sen said he had no conflict with the Oscar winning filmmaker from Kolkata and claimed that the media finds a sadistic pleasure in writing about their conflicts.
“I did not like ‘Abhijan’, ‘Aranyer Din-Ratri’ and ‘Asahni Sanket’ (films by Ray). I openly said it with due reasons. We believed in constructive criticism. Both of us did not support gross commercialisation of cinema. I always admire ‘Aparajito’ as his best creation,” Sen noted.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.
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