Film, Theatre, and Media

The Apu Trilogy by Satyajit Ray consists of three films: Pather Panchali (1955), Aparajito (1956), and Apur Sansar (1959). These films follow the life of Apu from childhood through adulthood. Jalsaggar (The Music Room, 1958) and Abhijan (The Expedition, 1962) are other Ray films but not part of the Apu Trilogy.

Teen Kanya (Three Girls) is a 1961 film by Satyajit Ray comprising three segments: Postmaster, Monihara, and Samapti. These are based on stories by Rabindranath Tagore. Aranyer Din Ratri and Asani Sanket are separate films by Ray.

Satyajit Ray, the director of Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne (1969), provided the voice for the King of Ghost (Bhuter Raja) himself. Tapen Chatterjee played Goopy, and the film features Ray's distinctive voice work for the ghost king character.

Madhabi Mukherjee portrayed the title role in Satyajit Ray's Charulata (1964), based on Rabindranath Tagore's novella. Her performance is considered one of the finest in Indian cinema. Sharmila Tagore worked with Ray in other films but not as Charulata.

The 2003 film 'Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon' featured Hrithik Roshan, Kareena Kapoor, and Abhishek Bachchan in a love triangle. It was directed by Sooraj Barjatya.

The 2006 thriller 'Zinda' featured Sanjay Dutt, Lara Dutta, John Abraham, and Celina Jaitley in its cast. It was directed by Sanjay Gupta and was a remake of the Korean film 'Oldboy'.

The 2003 film 'Janasheen' was directed by and starred Feroz Khan, with Fardeen Khan and Celina Jaitley in leading roles. It was an action drama about a young man's journey.

Satyajit Ray wrote the script "The Alien" in 1967 based on his Bengali science fiction story "Banku Babur Bandhu" about an alien befriending a young boy. The script was sent to Hollywood and is widely documented as having influenced Steven Spielberg's E.T. (1982), making "The Alien" the first screenplay adaptation of the story, even though Ray's version was never produced as a complete film.

"A Wednesday!" (2008) starred Naseeruddin Shah and Anupam Kher in a story about terrorism affecting the common man, with a police commissioner (Kher) confronting a vigilante (Shah) who takes drastic action against terrorists. "Black Friday" (2004) was about the 1993 Bombay blasts, "Mumbai Meri Jaan" (2008) was an ensemble about the 2006 train bombings.

"Socha Na Tha" (2005) was the directorial debut of Imtiaz Ali and also marked Abhay Deol's debut as a lead actor. The film, about a young man caught between an arranged match and his own love interest, launched both director and actor in Hindi cinema. "Dev D" (2009) was Anurag Kashyap's modern take on Devdas, while "Ek Chalis Ki Last Local" (2007) and "Aahista Aahista" (2006) were different films.

In Satyajit Ray's "Sonar Kella" (The Golden Fortress, 1974), the character Topse was played by Siddhartha Chatterjee. Topse was the friend and companion to the young protagonist Mukul in the detective adventure. Soumitra Chatterjee played the famous detective Feluda, while Parambrata Chatterjee is a different actor from a later generation.

Biplab Chatterjee played the role of Bikash in Satyajit Ray's 'Joy Baba Felunath' (1979), a detective thriller featuring the iconic character Feluda.

Amitabh Bachchan starred as the lead in the 1973 blockbuster 'Zanjeer', which launched his career as the 'angry young man' of Bollywood and revolutionized Hindi cinema.

Shah Rukh Khan played the character Lieutenant Abhimanyu Rai in the 1988 television series 'Fauji', which was his debut acting role. The series followed the training and lives of army commandos, launching SRK's iconic career.