RB: Did Manikda believe in having script readings for his cast before going on the floor to shoot? This is a common convention with stage productions, at least.
SC: No, he did not hold script readings. He did not even give us scripts. With one exception, however: For the first time, I believe, he gave me a personal script of Apur Sansar. This was rare. Occasionally, he read out the script to a select few—mostly to his lead actors. That was quite an experience. Neatly written dialogue sheets of the film under production were sent to us a few days in advance. This was of great help. He would also read out the dialogues to us.
RB: Many great directors—Chaplin, who tops Ray’s list of favourites—act out scenes for his actors. I believe Raj Kapoor did the same. How did Manikda cue his actors to extract extraordinary performances?
SC: Manikda did not follow any method. He was against showing actors how to act. He gave enormous freedom to me. This was his way of handling actors. At the same time, I have seen him treat some actors, literally, like marionettes. He would tell them, ‘Now, look here’ or ‘Move your head a bit’. He had an intuitive understanding of the artiste’s calibre. I have not seen him miscast. Think of it: Rarely did he go wrong in his casting. The title of my keynote address for the Satyajit Ray speech on May 1, 2015, is ‘Satyajit Ray and his actors’. I am speaking about his brilliant casting skill, the way he cast.
Correction: The article has been updated. The last film in which Satyajit Ray worked with Soumitra Chatterjee was Shakha Proshakha (1990) and not Ganashatru as stated earlier.
(This story appears in the 15 May, 2015 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)
In the opening para: His partnership with Ray did not end with \'Ganashatru\' (1989) but a year later with \'Shakha Proshakha\'.
on May 12, 2015