Satyajit Ray: In Search of the Modern

A study of modernity in the work of Satyajit Raj, Suranjan Ganguly’s book examines in depth six of Ray’s major films, focusing on such issues as the nature of human subjectivity, the importance of education, the emancipation of women, the rise of the new middle class, and the crisis of identity in post-independence India.  Ganguly provides close readings of Pather Panchali (1955); Aparajito (1956); Apur Sansar (1959); Charulata (1964); Aranyer Din Ratri (1970); and Pratidwandi (1970)-filsm that reflect Ray’s interest in how a culture shapes consciousness through its encounter with history and modernity.