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SATYAJIT RAI |
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As a master
film maker Satyajit Ray had a huge international following. Many admired the
films for their lyricism and authenticity, a few were quick to recognise
that these low budget films also meant enormous returns. Now, this eagerness
to cash in on his International appeal and make fast buck has resulted in
the worst archived tragedy in recent times. Original negatives of six of his
earlier classics, like Patter Panchali, Apu Trilogy, Jalsagar and
Teen kanya which were taken out of the film Archives in India for
restoration abroad were destroyed in a fire in the Hendersons Laboratories
in London. Worse, a bitter legal battle is being fought between the Indian
film agency NFDC and Ismail Merchant of MIP.
Certainly not a worthy tribute to one of the world's finest directors.
The Chronology of events of this depressing tale are some what like this. Prof.Dilip Basu, an academician at the University of California, Santa Cruz, had proposed to establish a Ray film and study collection at his university. In 1992 he obtained a seed grant from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts to conduct a survey of Rays' films. Accordingly he commissioned Denis Shepard, Director of the Louis .B. Mayer School of film and video studies and restorer of Charlie Chaplin's films to make a status report on Ray's films. Denis Shepard came down to Calcutta, sometime in early 1993 and on examination 15 Ray films and aided with some hear say information and personal observations about the film preservation practices prevelantin India. Through the report made depressing reading about the conditions of many of Ray's popular films, it still gave some hope that it is perfectly possible to preserve and restore the films of Satyajit Ray. Roughly at about the same time, there was another scheme being worked out. In 1992, Ismail Merchant of Mip made a real with Sony corporation to provide them with fresh prints of early RAy classics like Apu Trilogy, Devi, Jalsagar, Teen Kanya, Mahanagar, Charulata and Jan Aranya all in 35mm fresh prints. The amount involved reportedly was $2.5 million. So, from January to May 1992, Merchant entered into agreements with the NFDC, Chayabani, Calcutta and RDB films Calcutta. The broad outline of the agreement were for distribution rights in USA and Canada for 12 years at the rate of $23000-$25000 per film and more importantly, that MIP will bear the complete cost of reservation of the films at a mutually acceptable Laboratory. These films were screened in NewYork cash December under the Sony Classics banner, all in fresh 35mm prints. But between the deal and its execution fell the shadow of Hendersons fire. On the night of July 4, 1993 a fire broke out at Hendersons Laboratory destroying nearly 60% of the building which was housing the original negatives of these films. The fire rendered most of the negatives unusable and beyond repair. Merchant did not inform the Indian agencies about the fire or its consequences. According to the Lab owner, soon after the fire he had taken out the remaining negatives. It was only through other sources that the Indian agencies came to know about. However, by the time they could realise the magnitude of the disaster, Merchant had executed another neat manouvre, taking out four time grain master position and sound negatives of Pather Panchali, Jalsagar, Apur Sansar, and Devi out from the national film Archives of India. |
