Ray is indeed a Netflix Indian anthology drama web series made by Sayantan Mukherjee based on Satyajit Ray’s works. Srijit Mukherji, Vasan Bala, and Abhishek Chaubey directed the series. Ajit Andhare, Tipping Point, as well as Viacom18 Studios are the producers. Manoj Bajpayee, Ali Fazal, Harshvardhan Kapoor, and Kay Kay Menon star inside the key roles. The series premiered on Netflix on June 25, 2021.
The four stories featured inside the anthology are as follows:
Srijit Mukherji’s Forget Me Not is based on Ray’s short tale Bipin Chowdhury’s Smritibhrom. This is about a successful business owner, Ipsit Rama Nair (Ali Fazal), as well as an event that changes the course of his life.
Srijit Mukherji’s Bahrupiya is modelled on Ray’s short tale Bahurupi. It’s about Indrashish (Kay Kay Menon), an office worker who inherits a precious book about the art of prosthetics from his grandmother.
Kyon Barpa Hungama Hai Abhishek Chaubey writes: Ray’s short tale Barin Bhowmick-er Byaram inspired this film. This is about two persons, Musafir Ali (Manoj Bajpayee), a prominent musician and vocalist, and Aslam Beig (Gajraj Rao), a wrestler turned sportswriter, who meet on a train ride and the much older bond between them reopens.
Vasan Bala’s Spotlight is based on Ray’s eponymous short tale. It follows a prominent actor, Vikram “Vik” Arora (Harshvardhan Kapoor), who is recognised for a certain characteristic appearance and an existential crisis that he experiences when he meets a godlike person known as Didi. It is a simulated version of two of Satyajit Ray’s most popular movies, Mahapurush o Kapurush (Didi’s role) and Nayak (Vik’s character). Mahapurush was adapted from Rajshekhar Basu’s short novel Birinchibaba.
According to Anupama Chopra of Film Companion, “Ray, like other anthologies, is a mix of brilliant and poor stories. More dazzling filmmaking from the master is due.” According to The Daily Star, “if not coupled with Satyajit Ray’s name, the series would most likely have received a better grade for its entertainment value alone.” “In an attempt to intellectualise Satyajit Ray via a modern prism, Netflix India’s Ray entirely alienates his compassion and effortlessness in presenting people’s weaknesses,” Shreya Paul of Firstpost said.
“There could not be a finer way to commemorate Satyajit Ray’s birth anniversary than to present the brilliant filmmaker-writer to an entire generation that is possibly unaware of his legacy,” stated Taisa Bhowal of India Today.
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