Satyajit Ray Tribute Film Fest Begins at JU
Collected Photo
Jahangirnagar University is hosting a two-day special film festival commemorating the birth anniversary of iconic filmmaker Satyajit Ray.
The festival was officially inaugurated on Sunday afternoon at the seminar hall of Zahir Raihan Auditorium. It was organized by the History and Heritage Society with support from the Indian High Commission in Dhaka and the university authorities. JU Vice-Chancellor Professor Mohammad Kamrul Ahsan formally opened the event.
In his inaugural speech, the Vice-Chancellor and other prominent filmmakers and researchers discussed the multifaceted life and works of Satyajit Ray. He described Ray as a “physician of human psychology and life realities.”
He described Ray’s films as a unique medium for understanding life and society. “Much like a doctor understands the human body in depth, Satyajit Ray deeply understood human psychology and the realities of life, portraying them with precision on screen,” he added.
He also emphasized the shared history and cultural heritage between India and Bangladesh.
Special guest Narpat Singh, Counsellor (Education and Development Partnership) at the Indian High Commission in Dhaka, said Satyajit Ray was not only a filmmaker but also a writer, illustrator, and music composer. Through Pather Panchali in 1955, he introduced a new wave of realism in world cinema. He also highlighted Ray as an important symbol of the shared cultural heritage of India and Bangladesh.
He also discussed various aspects of Sonar Kella and Nayak.
Professor Harun Or Rashid from the Department of Drama and Dramatic Theory said that every frame and shot in Ray’s films was carefully planned. He noted Ray’s exceptional mastery of camera angles and described the famous train scene in the grass fields of Pather Panchali as a reflection of deep artistic thought.
He referred to Satyajit Ray as a successor to Rabindranath Tagore and urged new generation filmmakers to learn from his works.
To make the festival more vibrant, an art workshop was also organized in collaboration with the Faculty of Fine Arts, where teachers, students, and artists created artworks inspired by Ray’s life and films.
In the evening, renowned filmmaker Tanvir Mokammel conducted a special masterclass on Satyajit Ray’s cinema.
The event was moderated by festival convener Ashraful Islam and supported by cultural organizations including Topoban, Bohumatrik, KOM, and Jahangirnagar Cine Society. The two-day festival will conclude with a closing ceremony on Monday.