A centenary show is a testament to the pertinence of an artist even after 100 years. The relevance of works of a giant like Satyajit Ray has only evolved with time. The splendour of his genius remains untarnished. We proudly presented The Satyajit Ray Centenary Show (Volume I), in collaboration with Kolkata Centre for Creativity. The exhibition showcased lesser-known aspects of Ray’s work like his lobby cards, pressbooks, posters, costumes and props used in the films and book covers—divulging the creative process behind his meticulous designing—along with rare photographs of the master at work by Nemai Ghosh. One can say that we tried to bring forth the ‘Other Ray’. When some of these were shown in an exhibition organised at The Village Gallery by Mrs. Dolly Narang in 1990, Satyajit Ray himself wrote a note that sheds light on his thought process and his opinion about his other works:

My grandfather was, among other things, a self-taught painter and illustrator of considerable skill and repute, and my father—also never trained as an artist— illustrated his inimitable nonsense rhymes in a way which can only be called inspired. It is, therefore, not surprising that I acquired the knack to draw at an early age.

Although I trained for three years as a student of Kalabhavan in Santiniketan under Nandalal Bose, I never became a painter. Instead, I decided to become a commercial artist and joined an advertising agency in 1943, the year of the great Bengal famine. Not content with only one pursuit, I also became involved in book designing and typography for an enterprising new publishing house.

In time I realised that since an advertising agency was subservient to the demands of its clients, an advertising artist seldom enjoyed complete freedom.

This led me to the profession of filmmaking where, in the 35 years that I've been practising it, I have given expression to my ideas in a completely untrammelled fashion.

As is my habit, along with filmmaking, I have indulged in other pursuits which afford me the freedom I hold so dear. Thus, I have been editing a children's magazine for thirty years, writing stories for it and illustrating them, as well as illustrating stories by other writers. While preparing a film, I've given vent to my graphic propensities by doing sketches for my shooting scripts, designing sets and costumes, and even designing posters for my own films.

Since I consider myself primarily to be a filmmaker and, secondarily, to be a writer of stories for young people, I have never taken my graphic work seriously, and I certainly never considered it worthy of being exposed to the public…I must insist that I do not make any large claims for them.

Although Ray insisted on not making “large claims”, his ‘other’ works are all a testament to his genius. Every work makes the viewer engage in deep contemplation. Our viewers got to experience the artistic genius of Ray as they stood before his mammoth body of work. The artistic flair and flourish were palpable in all his designs. Nemai Ghosh’s photographs further enhanced the experience where Ray’s intense gaze and innocent laughter resonated through the exhibition space. The original costumes and props exhibited also added an air of authenticity. Every element present in space throbbed with memories, adding to the ever-growing fabric of memories of the viewers.