DIRECTOR RAMIN BAHRANI CONTINUES TO DRAW INSPIRATION FROM SATYAJIT RAY’S WORK

NEW DELHI: American-Iranian director Ramin Bahrani was struck by the realism and humanism in the works of Satyajit Ray, and continues to reflect upon his cinematic craft and imbibe some of the hues on his canvas.  “In the 1990s, (author) Aravind (Adiga), I and one of our friends, would walk to the Lincoln Plaza Cinema as that summer Martin Scorsese was releasing nine of Satyajit Ray’s films. So, we would walk all the way and see the films and on the way back talk about them,” Bahrani told IANS. “I was struck by the humanism in his films, the focus on simple character-based stories. It was a fresh revelation. I continue to draw upon his work,” he added. “You can have an outsider perspective within your own country. I’ve tried to do that with my films in the US, where I have tried to pick subjects that aren’t typically noticed, and I see that (happening) in new independent cinema in India, which I find amazing,” said Bahrani. He continued: “The burgeoning new indie cinema here is awesome. I think there’s really talented work being done that is fresh and made from a new perspective as the Indian directors are trying to find a new way to see their own country.” “I had read the rough drafts of ‘The White Tiger’ book before it was published and then read it many times. The first time he showed me some rough chapters, I thought, ‘how can this not be published? It’s so funny, insightful and engaging. And, many years later, I connected to (‘The White Tiger’ producer) Mukul Deora and we clicked creatively,” he shared.