Simply Ray-levant

Nonika Singh

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An anthology based on four short stories by master auteur Satyajit Ray, Ray, an original Netflix series is undeniably an enjoyable and absorbing fare. Provided you don’t expect it to be a Ray masterpiece and view it as it is showcased to be; a tribute to one of the greatest filmmakers. As the world celebrates his birth centenary this year, show-runner Sayantan Mukherjee too tips his hat to the celebrated genius and ropes in three directors.

Directed by Srijit Mukherji, Vasan Bala and Abhishek Chaubey, with Srijit getting two in the pie, each short has its own distinctive flavour and yet is unified by a common thematic thread of duplicity. Thriller, fantasy, surrealism, humour; much defines this anthology that begins with a contemporary twist in the story Forget Me Not originally titled Bipin Choudhurir Smritibhram.

Ali Fazal plays Ipsit Nair, a man with an elephantine memory, an epitome of success with conviction. His dapper looks match the onscreen persona of ‘entrepreneur of the year.’ But just when we are taken in by the trappings of his accomplishments, suddenly the persona begins to crumble. He just can’t place this dalliance with a woman in Aurangabad, a place which he is sure he has never visited. Soon, mind games begin and the story acquires all the elements of a thriller and we wonder aloud—has he lost it or is he being conned? The pace and flow are intriguing enough to keep you on the edge even though the final swirl makes you wish it had been a sharper portrait of power and revenge.

Duality surfaces once more in Bahrupiya where you have this very fine actor Kay Kay Menon switch faces and personalities. Aided by prosthetics, his art of impersonation is complete. As he begins to enjoy the game and tries to hoodwink a Muslim seer (Dibyendu Bhattacharya), the twist is surreal and spiritual. Yet, it also has a rationale in how outward behavior becomes the real us. Menon is in top form as he transforms from a meek man lacking confidence to the vengeful one seeking revenge from those who have wronged him.

In fact, most of the stories are buoyed by top-notch performances and this is even truer for Hangama Hai Kyon Barpa. Manoj Bajpayee and Gajraj Rao match note to note in the acting department. In the hands of Abhishek Chaubey this particular story rises and falls with a lilting cadence. And you are simply entrapped by the deft directorial flourish of Chaubey and the acting jugalbandi of these two fantastic actors.

Their chance encounter in a train compartment is bound as much by yet another meeting in the past as in a common aliment. Nothing, however, ails this particular adaptation that makes you chuckle and leaves you with a permanent smile.

The final story of the lot, Spotlight, is easily the most complex and layered. Insecurity of an actor, in this case a star Vikram Arora (Harshvardhan Kapoor rises to the challenge), mercilessly criticised for absence of acting chops, is not a new theme. But the manner in which it is juxtaposed with the popularity of a religious leader makes for a fascinating interplay. Vikram the film star just can’t digest how a religious leader Didi (Radhika Madan) can usurp his place in his favourite suite in a hotel.

Vasan Bala, the director of this segment, employs many props and references to drive in the thematic punch as well as Ray’s signature motifs. Yes, at times the attention wavers, but you can’t help but laud the complexity of the story and its treatment. The twist in the end with a dash of phantasmagoria, which plays out in-between, too throws open yet another pointer. Who is the real performer here and what does it take for a star to become an actor? If the questions are worth chewing over, Ray certainly qualifies on time worthiness meter. If you are a diehard Rayphile, you may not be transposed into the extraordinary realm that Satyajit Ray created. But for the uninitiated, it is a fine introduction to Ray’s world of words and imagination. In short, Ray re-imagined makes the cut. Go for it.