The Man Behind the Maestro

Beyond the towering reputation of Satyajit Ray lies a more intimate story—of a husband, artist, collaborator and dreamer, seen through the eyes of a trusted companion

- Jai Arjun Singh

A CLICHÉD WAY OF describing the relationship between photographer Nemai Ghosh and legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray is that the former was a ‘Boswell’—working with camera rather than pen—to the latter.

From their first collaboration in 1968, on the sets of Ray’s classic fantasy Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne, a kinship formed: Ray appreciated the shooting stills taken by Ghosh, and for the next 24 years Ghosh would devotedly chronicle the life and art of the man he admired so much.

But a more amusing description of their working relationship can be found in the book Faces and Facets: Satyajit Ray in Colour, published by DAG (formerly Delhi Art Gallery) to accompany an ongoing exhibition of Ghosh’s photos. Ray—no doubt with great affection—once said, “Nemai is like a bug on my windowsill.” It’s a droll image that makes sense when you look at these images, which are intimate and expansive at the same time, effortlessly bringing together Ray the person and Ray the multi-talented artist.