As we are celebrating the centenary year of Satyajit Ray, the legendary filmmaker, some of his short stories were extracted into an anthology of 4-episodes, Ray produced by Tipping Point of Viacom 18 is streaming now on Netflix.
https://snooper-scope.in/satyajit-rays-anthology-of-short-stories-ray-on-netflix/
Forget Me Not
A dynamic entrepreneur Ipsit Nair (Ali Fazal) who played a pivotal part in the phenomenal growth of the company Chrysalis suddenly develops Dementia. As a result, his personal, as well as career, goes for a toss pushing forward many darker shades of Ipsit into the centerstage.
Fazal as Ipsit has done a fabulous job and the variation he showed before and after Dementia was extraordinary. Shweta Basu Prasad sparkles in a short but memorable role showing the world one more time about her striking competency levels.
Srijit Mukherji’s narrative was great along with the screenplay of Siraj Ahmed providing the perfect edge and Nitin Baid’s editing was top-notch without any single extra or unwanted scene in the whole episode.
The photography of Swapnil Sonawane and the background score by Peter Cat Recording Co. lead by Dhruv Bhola, Karan Singh, Kartik Sundareshan Pillai, Rohit Gupta, and Suryakant Sawhney need special mention in this episode.
Rating : 3/5
Bahrupiya
The fortune in the form of a make-up guide and lakhs of rupees from the grandmother turns the life of Indrashish (Kay Kay Menon) into a rigmarole of events but the reality had the last laugh due to his overconfidence and the challenge he makes with a godman Peer Baba (Dibyendu Bhattacharya) boomerangs, in the end, leaving him high and dry.
Again Srijit Mukherji wins hands down as he encapsulates the most appealing episode of this anthology in the form of true reflection of a man’s alter ego. Siraj Ahmed’s screenplay too made it a crispy watch without any glitches whatsoever.
Kay Kay Menon was the right choice as he has done a brilliant job as Indrashish. Dibyendu and Bidita Bag as Debashree along with Rajesh Sharma are in their elements making Bahrupiya thoroughly enjoyable though gut-wrenching at times.
The mellowed background score by Sagar Kapoor was exemplary while the photography by Arkodeb Mukherjee and editing of Pronoy Dasgupta was just right for the mood.
Rating : 4/5
Hungama Hai Kyon Barpa
After two episodes that are high on emotions, Hungama Hai Kyon Barpa comes as a relief. The story unfolds with the most versatile actors Manoj Bajpayee as famous ghazal singer Musafir Ali and Aslam Baig a one-time wrestler (Gajraj Rao) who embark on a journey share a quirky past which culminates into an unexpected ending.
The kleptomania concept has turned quite exciting and reaches its zenith in the end with both stalwarts Manoj and Gajraj essaying their roles with ease that made Hungama Hai Kyon Barpa a delight to watch.
Those ‘shayaris’ and ghazals are an extra highlight and it was quite thoughtful to incorporate the tone of the actual story in its truest form by remembering the all-time greats Ghulam Ali and Akbar Allahabadi. Director Abhishek Chaubey has delivered a masterstroke with this Hungama…… and Niren Bhatt too had made it more absorbing with his slicker screenplay.
Rating : 4.5/5
Spotlight
This final episode in this anthology Spotlight is somewhat the only weaker link. A topmost actor Vik (Harshvardhan Kapoor) who makes his fans swoon over with his killer look gets stumped by the popularity of a god woman whose divine power makes him restless as people surrender to her powers rather than to this looks is the brief story of Spotlight.
The director Vasan Bala’s interpretation of the insecure feeling of an actor is quite palpable but it got a wee bit overdramatic in the end. But it’s Harshvardhan and Radhika Madan as Didi, the god woman who added more glow to the Spotlight with their ultimate screen presence as that anti-climax scene where they both met was a winner. Chandan Roy Sanyal as Manager Roby was amazing along with Akansha Ranjan Kapoor who impresses despite limited screen time.
Rating : 3/5
Final Verdict
Ray was a sheer delight to watch. It’s a poignant reflection of different slices of life in the true light. The hidden fears, fallacies, and insecurities that lie in a human being were projected exceptionally well on the screen by highly talented directors with a touch of technical brilliance which was evident in every frame all through the series. The variation in stories which was distinct and exhilarating performances make this a not to be missed series.
Overall Rating : 4/5
