Legacies like Ray’s seep through to become part of the social and cultural landscape- Sharmila Tagore
“I have often been asked if Indian cinema has measured up to his legacy. My answer would be, cultural influences cannot be measured, they can only be seen through the traces they leave behind. And sometimes, the traces may appear not to be influences at all. Therefore, when Mani Kaul and Kumar Shahani decided to structure their films like Indian classical music — as opposed to Western classical music like Ray — they too engaged with the legacy of Ray. Points of departure can also be tributes. It may seem at first that Ray’s films have nothing to do with the popular cinema of Bombay, but culture travels in mysterious ways. Legacies like Ray’s seep through to become part of the social and cultural landscape.” Sharmila Tagore for TheWire
In Photo Satyajit Ray and Sharmila Tagore during the shooting of Seemabaddha.
Courtesy: Nemai Ghosh / Delhi Art Gallery
