RAY’S reel women

Women in Satyajit Ray’s films defy stereotyping. In conventional narrative films, forms are complicit in producing women as subordinate, but the creative imagination of Ray has used these forms to present positive, dynamic and alternative representations of the fair sex, writes Shoma A. Chatterji

WOMEN in the films of Satyajit Ray (May 2, 1921 — April 23, 1992) depict a society where they are silenced, and where their experience and particular insights are undermined or dismissed. Yet, they differ in their historical contexts, their social backdrops, their positioning within the family and their financial status. They represent the marginalisation of women, sometimes in subtle ways such as Charu in Charulata.

CALL OF Odissi
The classical dance form, which mesmerised Japanese dancer Masako Ono 14 years ago, continues to be her passion, writes Jatindra Dash
SHE decided to learn Odissi when she saw legendary dancer Kelucharan Mohapatra’s performance on video in Tokyo. Masako Ono came to India in 1996 and has not looked back since. After 14 years, Ono has earned fame not only for her dance but also for her innovative choreography, her lectures and demonstrations on Odissi — one of India’s oldest surviving classical dance forms.

Born to act
Son of a staunch Arya Samaji who was against acting, Balraj Sahni was an actor with the talent for stealing the show and capturing the maximum applause, writes Paramjit Singh
Birth anniversary on May 1
Balraj Sahni was a highly talented, diligent, sincere and serious actor. He was an actor with the talent for stealing the show and capturing the maximum applause. He was born on May 1, 1913, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. His father, Harbans Lal Sahni, was a staunch Arya Samaji with a strong dislike for acting and dancing.