‘Europe Loved Aranyer Din Ratri’

‘I
am
glad

Aranyer
Din
Ratri
is
being
shown
at
Cannes.’
‘The
film
was
better
appreciated
outside
India
even
when
released
originally.’

Sharmila
Tagore
is
in
Cannes
for
the
screening
of
the
restored
version
of
Satyajit
Ray’s
film

Aranyer
Din
Ratri.

Apart
from
Sharmila
the
Ray
classic
starred
Soumitra
Chatterjee,
Subhendu
Chatterjee,
Samit
Bhanja,
Rabi
Ghosh,
Kaberi
Bose,
Aparna
Sen
and
Simi
Garewal
in
key
roles.

“The
film
is
very
contemporary,
very
nice,
relevant
even
today.
And
the
black
and
white
looked
so
good,
you
know,
the
sharpness
of
the
forest,”
Sharmila
Tagore
tells

Subhash
K
Jha.

You
are
in
Cannes
for
the
restored
screening
of
Satyajit
Ray’s

Aranyer
Din
Ratri.

Thank
God
the
war
situation
did
not
escalate.
I
wouldn’t
have
gone
if
it
had.

I
am
glad

Aranyer
Din
Ratri
is
being
shown
at
Cannes.

The
film
was
better
appreciated
outside
India
even
when
released
originally.
Entire
Europe
loved
it.

It
was
a
big
hit
in
Paris.
When
I
saw
the
film
with
an
international
audience,
every
time
Rabi
Ghosh
came
on
the
screen,
they
clapped
and
they
enjoyed
the
film
so
much.

Simi
Garewal
was
cast
as
a
tribal.

Wasn’t
that
rather
unusual?

It
was
rather
unusual
because,
the
Santhals
are
short
people
whereas
Simi
was
tall.

Also
very
sophisticated
and
very
urban?

She
didn’t
look
that
in
the
film…
the
makeup
worked
very
well,
but
she
was
tall.

But
nobody
really
noticed
that
her
height
wasn’t
of
any
concern.

But
in
India,
in
Kolkata
particularly,
they
obviously
criticised
it
a
little
bit.

But
her
performance
was
very
good,
the
entire
cast
was
impeccable.

You
mentioned
that
it
was
more
appreciated
outside
India.

They
understood
this
alienation
of
a
certain
section
of
society
from
the
mainstream,
like
the
class
difference,
so
to
speak.

They
feel
a
little
superior
than
the
others,
they
would
insert
English
words,
to
prove
that
they
are
better
than
others.

Ashim,
the
character
that
Soumitra
plays,
is
more
like
that.

What
about
your
character?

I’m
again
the
conscience
of
the
plot.
I’m
the
agent
of
change,
really.
You
have
to
see
the
film,
otherwise
I
cannot
explain.

The
other
characters
become
slightly
better
after
meeting
me.

Soumitra
Chatterjee
has
a
little
relationship
with
me.

His
arrogance
is
a
little
bruised
by
my
attitude.

I
don’t
say
much,
but
he
knows
that
I’m
a
little
bit
more
clever
than
him.

So
they
all
change
because
of
these
two
women
in
different
ways.

It’s
a
very
subtle
film,
I
can’t
really
tell
you
the
story
of
it.

Where
do
you
place
this
one
in
your
astonishing
oeuvre?

Of
course,

Devi
is
at
the
top
of
my
list.
Then

Apur
Sansar.

Aranyer
Din
Ratri
I
would
place
it
as
number
three.

As
far
as
the
character
and
the
experience
of
working
in
a
film,
the
joy
of
working
in
a
film,
definitely

Aranyer
Din
Ratri.
The
fun
bit
with
all
the
co-actors.

Also
the
place,
Palamu
was
a
very
challenging
place.

The
film
is
very
contemporary,
very
nice,
relevant
even
today.

And
the
black
and
white
looked
so
good,
you
know,
the
sharpness
of
the
forest
and
everything
worked
very
good.

Ray
shot
the
film
himself?

With
that
film,
Manikda,
went
solo.
There
was
no
Subrata
Mitra
in
that
film.

But
there
was,
I
think,
Soumendu
Roy?

Soumendu
Roy
was
there,
but
Subrata
Mitra
for
the
first
time
wasn’t
there.

Soumendu
did
the
lights
but
the
camera
was
operated
by
Manikda
for
the
first
time.

Oh,
nobody
knows
this?

After
this
he
went
solo,
he
was
doing
everything
himself.

Soumendu
was
just
doing
the
lights,
but
Ray
operated
the
camera.

Then
the
dialogues,
then
the
clothes,
the
wardrobe.

Would
you
say
Ray
in
terms
of
his
versatility,
the
most
significant
filmmaker
we’ve
ever
had?

Absolutely.
Maybe
because
he
didn’t
have
much
money
to
make
the
films
with.
That
prompted
him
to
take
charge
of
every
department.

Many
years
later,
Goutam
Ghose
remade

Aranyer
Din
Ratri
as

Abar
Aranye.

Yes,
that’s
a
tribute
to
Manikda,
yes.

I
got
the
Best
Supporting
Actress
National
Award
for
that.
And
it
was
well
received.

Did
you
play
the
same
character
that
you
had
played
in
the
original?

Yes,
we
had
all
the
same
names.

Tabu
was
new,
but
otherwise
Soumitra
Chatterjee,
Shubhendu
Chatterjee.
Samit
Bhanja
although
he
had
cancer.
He
was
not
well
at
all,
but
he
was
part
of
our
cast.

He
was
very
happy
to
work
despite
being
very
ill,
to
be
with
all
of
us.

Who
does
these
things
these
days?
It’s
amazing.
That
was
his
last
film.
He
made
an
effort
because
he
wanted
to
be
part
of
this
film.