Meetings With The Maharaja - Satyajit Ray
Satyajit Ray (1921-92) was a multi-facet genius. A legendary film director. His 'Apu' trilogy is a major landmark in Indian film making. At the 1978 Berlin Film Festival, he is chosen as one of the three all-time best film directors. He receive the Legion d'Honour from the French Government. To the very end of his life. He continue producing masterpieces such as Agantuk (1991), which won the National Awards for the Best Film and the Best Director. In 1992, he receive the Oscar for Lifetime Achievement and was honore with the Bharat Ratna by the Government of India. He revolutioniz Indian cinema, inspiring the New Wave movement in Indian cinema. His popular detective stories for children, with Feluda as the hero, and science fiction stories in which Professor Shonku is the eccentric scientific genius, testify to his literary talents.
Here he was following in the footsteps of his father Sukumar Roy and his grandfather Upendrakishor Roychoudhury. His illustrations for 'Sandesh', the children's magazine he edit, bear ample proof to his artistic abilities. His statement, 'One thing which I have tried to do is not to repeat myself thematically, is borne out by the enormous variety of his work. In 'Meetings with the Maharaja' taken from Our Films, Their Films, a collection of his articles, Ray describes some of his experiences while shooting for Goopi Gyne, Bagha Byne made in 1968. In this film, two honest rustic men, endowed with magical powers, help the Raja of Shundi, a benevolent king, repel the attack of his twin brother, the Raja of Halla, who is manipulate by an evil minister. The lucidity of the style, touch by gentle humor, is notable. The rather unusual personality of the Maharaja comes out quite vividly. The eye of a film maker is evident in the way in which the three meetings are present as three scenes. It is interesting to note how the Maharaja gradually opens up to the visitors, shows them his treasures in the last scene and even cracks a joke.
Are you coming from Bombay? "asked the Maharaja. 'No.' I say, 'Calcutta.'" This is a Bengali picture you're making? "I sense a tinge of disappointment in the Maharaja's demeanor. He take the vacant seat next to mine- one of the many sullen looking sofas which line the four walls of the Maharaja's sitting room. There were fluorescent tubes up near the four corners of the ceiling. Half-a-dozen paintings of the calendar variety hung from various positions on the wall; a Kashmiri center table had its brass top indecorously warpe .... it was hard to believe one was sitting in conference with the Maharaja of Jaisalmer, the oldest fortress town in western Rajasthan next to Chittor. It's bandit kings had once repulse a siege by Alauddin Khilji. Would the present king resist an encroachment by a film company? I wonder.
But why Jaisalmer? ask the Maharaja. A moot question to be uttered in the flattest of drawls. "Drink? Lethargy? Premature senility?" and (b) it had not been used by any other feature film makers before. The Maharaja correct us on the second point. "They made a film here some years ago - Sassi Punnu. I think it was a Punjabi company. There is a silence. We wait for the Word. The Maharaja stirre. The drooping eyelids rose a millimeter or so. 'Well,' he say, getting up from the sofa, 'you may take photos. Are there any dances in your film? asked the Maharaja. Only a dance of demons. But not here. In Bengal, in a forest. "The Maharaja smile in slow motion. This is February. The last time we have met in December. In the mean-time we have shot scenes in a Bengal village, in five feet deep snow up in Kufri in the Simla hills, "in a desert flat as a sheet of plywood which stretche and stretche until it seemed to merge into an endless, waveless ocean which turne out to be a mirage that daily drew herds of thirsty deer to their death.
Now we planne to shoot in the 800-year-old fortress town 17 which would be Halla, the kingdom of the Bad King. "I am told you need some permission,' say the Maharaja. To shoot on the roof of the old palace,' I say, "and to hoist some flags, with special emblems on them, at various points in the fort. 'You won't displace mine?' 'No, no. "That's all right then. "And we would like to use your big drum - the Bher-for a war scene. "As long as you don't take it out of the fort. "'And we want some camels. 'How many?' 'Some hundreds- caparisone" with men to ride them.
The Maharaja seemed thoughtful for a minute. Then he turne to his cousin- the Kumar Bahadur. difficulty. Is that all?" "That's all." "Oh yes. My daughter would like to watch your shooting. Please let him know your program. 'His Highness has arrive,' say someone, and I turned from the camels to see a jeep trundle up the hard, sandy slope and pull up right in front of the camel corps position for shooting. Luckily for the time being the camera face the other way. I walked up to the jeep and greeted the Maharaja. 'Good morning,' say His Highness. The smile lingered for a few seconds. So you're shooting. 'The Maharaja sat in the front seat. Right behind him was a curtain which shroude the rear. I excuse myself and went back to the camels. The jeep held its position for a good half hour until a change of camera angle made it an intruder. A crowd thronge around the jeep. We cuppe our hands over our mouths and shoute for the onlookers to move away.
They shuffled off reluctantly. The jeep revve up and took a position outside the camera field. We keep shooting till the days are long in Jaisalmer in March. By the time we finish the jeep had gone. We sat, twelve of us, in the Maharaja's sitting room, sipping coffee and eating ghulab jamons. 'We make rasgullas too,' say the Maharaja. We had finish our shooting and would be going away the next day. "You must see the collection of manuscripts before you go. There are some of the oldest Jain manuscripts in the world in the vault below the temple. "This was news. We had seen the temple but had no idea there was a vault underneath. "And some of the havelis." There are wonderful old buildings in the city.
They came and study the plan of our city before they built Chandigarh, We were curious to know what the Maharaja's taste in films was like. "I don't see many films. Only when I go to Delhi. But they are not so good these days. I like Parineeta very much. And what was the other one? Also a Bengali story ... yes - Devdas. Very The Maharaja now turned to Bagha Byne. 'Why didn't you bring your dholak? "I saw you playing the dholak today. You should have brought it and played for us." A bearer came in with a tray with an assortment of stone objects on it: a tumbler, a teacup, a spoon, a necklace, some cuff. - links. The gleaming purity of the saffron Jaisalmer marble made us hold our breath. It was as if gold had renounced its luster and turned ascetic. Bring a bowl of water,' order the Maharaja, and the bearer oblige by bringing a blue plastic bowl half filled with water. The teacup and the tumbler were now gently place in the water. They stay on the surface, floating. It was like magic, and we all but applaud.
They were made by a Muslim craftsman who is now dead. These is his last gifts to me. The only other craftsman who could carve them so thin and with such perfect balance has gone to Pakistan. The stone objects were taken out of the water and place back on the table. The Maharaja stirre. It was time for us to go. Today I can see that film making is very hard work. For some days now you must take complete rest. 'We have start to file out of the room. 'You must come to Calcutta for the premiere of our film. "I said. The Maharaja's eyes twinkl. He turne to Bagha again. 'Only if he promises to play the dholak.'
0 Comments