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HT This Day: April 1, 1992 -- Ray calls it career best achievement
A thunderous applause greeted the video recording of the presentation of the Oscar award to Satyajit Ray at his hospital bed in Calcutta which was shown during the colourful Academy Awards ceremony here last night
A thunderous applause greeted the video recording of the presentation of the Oscar award to Satyajit Ray at his hospital bed in Calcutta which was shown during the colourful Academy Awards ceremony here last night.
Holding the two kg Oscar statuette Ray (70) was beard saying in a voice choked with emotion, “it is a magnificent award, certainly the best achievement of my movie-making career” spanning over four decades.
“I have learnt everything about the Cinema from the making of American films,” said the master Indian film-maker adding: “I have been watching American films over the years. I loved them for their entertainment value and what they taught”.
Earlier, veteran actress Audrey Hepburn appeared on the stage to announce that the Academy of Motion Picture of Arts and Sciences, which gives the Oscar, recognised Mr Ray’s “real mastery in the arts of motions pictures and his profound humanism which has had indelible influence on film-makers throughout the world”.
She also recalled Mr Ray having said that he aimed to capture something which was unique in Indian experience and that which was universal.
Before showing the montage of clips from his films, Ms Hepburn said “it begins when Mr Ray began with his very first film Pather Panchali, the masterpiece that established his international reputation”.
Unfortunately, she said “Mr Ray is not well. He cannot be with us tonight but he is able to speak with us from his hospital in Calcutta”, then, the video was shown.
Mr Ray was awarded the Oscar for lifetime achievement on March 16 in Calcutta hospital in the presence of his family members. Three members of the Academy had specially gone there to present the award.
Mr Ray who was selected for honorary Oscar in December had hoped to be present at the Academy Awards ceremony if he was well enough to travel. But be was admitted to hospital several weeks ago after complaining of chest pain and respiratory problems.
Mr Ray noted that he once wrote actress Ginger Rogers to express his interest in motion pictures. “I hadn’t get a reply,” he said, eliciting chuckles from the audience.
I wrote a 12-page letter to Billy Wilder after seeing Double indemnity. “He didn’t reply, either, “Mr Ray said to laughs. Well, there you are”.
