Ray’s Masterpiece Restored and Re-Released After 59 Years

Once again, producers R. D. Bansal and family have brought back a 2K restored version of Satyajit Ray’s Nayak across Indian theatres on 21st February after 59 years; the film had previously premiered in 1966. The restored print includes English subtitles. Varsha Bansal, granddaughter of R.D. Bansal and representing the RDB Organisation, has taken charge of this rebirth. Uttam Kumar was apprehensive about Satyajit Ray presenting him in Nayak without make-up. He had never done this before. In mid-1965, when shooting for Nayak began, Uttam Kumar had just recovered from a bout of chickenpox. Ray asked him to touch up his face only in flashback scenes as if he were a younger man. When the shooting was over, Uttam Kumar said, ‘‘I have discovered a new side to myself. Unhindered by make-up, I felt freer while expressing my emotions.’’

Critics and filmmakers initially came down with hammers and tongs against the film, the main grouse being the casting of Uttam Kumar as the film's hero. They concurred that Ray could have easily chosen an equally talented actor to portray the role of Arindam Mukherjee in the film. Looking back on the film, the critics turned around and said in a chorus that Nayak was perhaps the most outstanding performance of Uttam Kumar in his entire career, where he remained the numero uno till he passed away at a comparatively young age.

This writer chooses, for a change, to read Nayak as a road movie, as it is a journey from Kolkata to Delhi on the Rajdhani Express. The span of the film covers this journey, beginning with the train chugging off and ending at New Delhi railway station.

The road strips away moral virtues, exposing people to their bare essentials, often leading to introspection and philosophy when they leave the comfort of the familiar for the unknown. However, this notion doesn’t entirely hold true for the Indian road movie. Take, for instance, Satyajit Ray’s Nayak—where the film star protagonist embarks on a journey to Delhi, not in search of self-discovery, but to receive the National Award. His secretary failed to get air bookings, so he was forced to travel by Rajdhani Express. Irritated with the unwanted attention of fellow commuters, he goes to the dining car. There, he chances upon Aditi, an editor of a woman's magazine who is travelling to Delhi to receive a grant for her magazine. The physical and geographical journey changes into a journey of introspection for the hero and of discovery for the journalist. To celebrate their brief bonding, Aditi tears up the sheets where she had noted the interview, and when the engine arrives at the Delhi train station, the two part ways.

Says Dipankar De Sarkar in his re-reading of the film: “According to Ray, through Nayak, he wanted to: 1. Investigate the psychology of a movie star; 2. Investigate the psychology of fans; 3. Make a film about a train journey. But there’s one element in the critical narrative about Nayak that remains underplayed, and that is the character played by Tagore.”

The journey unfolds through flashbacks, including a few nightmarish scenes from the hero’s perspective. His past traces his rise from a small-town theatre actor to a film star, but the film omits details of his family background, as they seem unnecessary in retrospect.

The Rajdhani Express carries multiple journeys within its journey. Aditi’s past remains unknown, except for what emerges in conversation. She is single, has a cousin who edits a women’s magazine, and recognises Mukherjee’s name and face but has rarely watched his films.

As the train pulls into Delhi railway station, fans crowd around the hero, greeting him with bouquets and garlands. A crowd forms, but the journalist quietly walks away with her uncle. The hero tries to catch her eye over the heads of the crowd, but she does not turn back.

For her, it was a fleeting yet memorable encounter. For him, an emotional journey he never anticipated. The train’s journey from Kolkata to Delhi is real but layered with stories branching from the hero’s meeting with the obscure editor. Through his interview with Aditi, Arindam’s inner journey unfolds in flashbacks—from a suburban theatre actor to a matinee idol. While the train moves forward, his memories pull him back into the past.

Nayak is a perfect blend of technical and aesthetic craftsmanship. Every aspect—acting, framing, sound design, and art direction—is meticulously executed. Bansi Chandragupta’s brilliance shines in his creation of an entire train solely for the shoot. Sharmila Tagore, free from her starry razzmatazz, delivers a subtle and restrained performance. Nayak is not just a film; it is the film—a masterclass for today’s filmmakers and students.

(The author is a films researcher based on Kolkata.)