Children’s Day Special: Satyajit Ray films that are all-time favourite among kids

You don’t have to wait for your child to grow up before opening the world of Satyajit Ray’s classics to him or her. The auteur, respected for his sensitivity towards a child’s mind besides addressing serious social issues, handled it himself by introducing tropes – be it fantastical elements, adventure, music and dance or fable-like story narration –in his works, which can appeal to children anytime. So, you enjoy his master creations as a child as much as you do while growing up. Grow your child’s interest in Satyajit Ray’s world of art through these classic Bengali films.

This is the Soumitra Chatterjee we will remember forever. Gentle and tough, soft yet unbroken and intelligent but humble; wielding his famous Magajastra, Feluda became a complete man and a balanced human being in Joy Baba Felunath. The Feluda movies made by Ray have literally stood the test of time and have emerged as classics, which both kids and adults love to binge watch. Another interesting character is Maganlal Meghraj. He is touted to be the most famous villain in Bengali cinema and who could have played the iconic villain better than legendary Utpal Dutt! He literally brought the character to life. His diction, speaking ‘Sudh Desi’ Hindi and Bengali with an apparent twang of flawless Hindi, was just what needed from a criminal who operates from Barrabazar and Benaras.

The detective genre was an unexplored area in Indian cinema at that time and ‘Sonar Kella’ became a significant milestone for its unique subject matter and its scope. Ray used Indian history to explore the mystery genre. Based on a novel of the same name by Satyajit Ray himself, it deals with detective Feluda’s adventures. He gave Bengali literature a series of short stories involving Feluda and his cousin Topshe. Any cinephile who loves classical detective storytelling will become a fan of Ray after watching this pleasing yet thrilling mystery adventure.

‘Pather Panchali’ (A Song of the Little Road) marked Satyajit Ray’s debut as a director. This masterpiece from Ray is a social drama inspired by a famous novel of the same name, by Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay. The film plots a young boy, Apu from a poor family and his daily life in a rural Indian village. The film was produced by the then West Bengal government as the legendary filmmaker ran out of money after only shooting half the movie. It’s sure to resonate with the children mind. The simple joys of rural life Apu and his sister Durga relish – like making mango pickle, watching jatra or seeing the train for the first time – will move the young audience.

Who could have better played the tyrant and greedy ruler of Hirak with a twist of madness? Utpal Dutt slips into the character of Hirak Raja supremely. A little more than a decade after ‘Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne’ was made, a colourful ‘Hirak Rajar Deshe’ comes with a coded message. It’s basically an allegory of contemporary politics. In the film, a famine-stricken rural Bengal sees Goopy and Bagha using their three boons to put an end to all the wrongs of the greedy Diamond king and giving the children a taste of freedom. However, the eccentric scientist will surely make the children laugh. Soumitra Chatterjee’s portrayal of a rebellious schoolteacher leading an uprising against the dictatorship of Hirak Raja is also a treat to watch.

‘Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne’ is believed to be one of the most interesting decisions in Satyajit Ray’s career, given his tradition of making films with serious and strong social messages. It’s a fantasy adventure revolving around the titular characters Goopy and Bagha and inspired by a story written by Ray’s grandfather Upendra Kishor Roychoudhary. With the help of the two village simpletons Goopy and Bagha and their rags-to-riches story, Ray narrates a story of socio-political satire and also adds to it the funny ghosts (bhooter raja), magic, rhyming dialogues, the enchanting music and dance in simple language along with fairytale motifs. Kids would no doubt enjoy the marvelous dance-of-ghosts scene in the film.