You’re off to Cannes for the restored screening of Satyajit Ray’s Aranyer Din Ratri?
Yes, thank God the war situation did not escalate—I wouldn’t have gone if it had. I’m glad Aranyer Din Ratri is being shown at Cannes. The film was actually better appreciated outside India, even when it was originally released. Europe, especially, loved it. It was a big, big hit in Paris. Every time I watched it with an international audience—every time Robi Ghosh came on screen—they clapped and thoroughly enjoyed the film.
Sharmila Tagore on Aranyer Din Ratri at Cannes; reveals, “Satyajit Ray did everything himself”
Simi Garewal was cast as a tribal. Wasn’t that rather unusual?
It was rather unusual because the Santhals are generally shorter in stature, and Simi is quite tall.
Also, very sophisticated and urban?
She didn’t come across that way in the film… thanks to the makeup and styling. She worked very well in the role. Yes, she was tall—very tall—but no one really noticed. Her height wasn’t a concern in the overall portrayal. Of course, in India—especially in Kolkata—there was some criticism. But her performance was very, very good. In fact, the entire cast was impeccable.
You mentioned earlier that the film was more appreciated abroad?
Yes, they understood the alienation of a certain section of society from the mainstream. The class differences, so to speak. There’s a sense of superiority among the group—using English phrases, carrying an air of “I’m better than you.” Ashim, the character Soumitra Chatterjee plays, embodies that quality.
What about your character?
I’m sort of the conscience of the plot—the agent of change, really. You have to watch the film to understand it fully. The other characters become slightly better after meeting my character. Soumitra’s character has a subtle relationship with mine—his arrogance is bruised by my quiet defiance. I don’t say much, but he knows I’m a little more clever than him. So, both women in the film impact the men in different, transformative ways. It’s a very subtle film—I can’t really explain the story in words.
Where would you place this film among your vast body of work?
Of course, Devi is at the top of my list. Then Apur Sansar. I’d place Aranyer Din Ratri at number three—as far as the character, the experience, and the joy of working on a film goes. The camaraderie with the co-actors, the location—Palamu was a very challenging place to shoot in. And the film remains incredibly contemporary and relevant even today. The black-and-white cinematography looked stunning—the sharpness of the forest worked beautifully.
Ray shot the film himself.
Yes, with Aranyer Din Ratri, Manikda went solo. Subrata Mitra wasn’t involved in this film.
But Soumendu Roy was there, right?
Soumendu Roy handled the lighting, but Manikda operated the camera himself for the first time. After this film, he started doing more and more on his own—camera, dialogues, costumes, wardrobe—everything.
Not many people know this.
Yes, it’s not widely known. But Ray’s versatility was extraordinary. Maybe it was also because he didn’t have much money to work with—that pushed him to take charge of every department himself.
Many years later, Goutam Ghose remade Aranyer Din Ratri as Abar Aranye?
Yes, that was a tribute to Manikda. I won the National Award for Best Supporting Actress for that film. It was very well received.
Did you reprise the same character?
Yes, we all retained the same names. Tabu was a new addition, but otherwise we had Soumitra Chatterjee, Shubhendu Chatterjee… Samit Bhanja, though he was battling cancer at the time. He wasn’t well, but he still chose to be a part of the film. He was very happy to work. Despite his illness, he wanted to be with us. Who does that kind of thing today? It was amazing—the dedication of those days. That was his last film. He made a real effort because he wanted to be part of it.
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