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01
Akira Kurosawa, the Japanese filmmaker, was acquainted with Ray and said, To have not seen the films of Ray is to have lived in the world without ever having seen the moon and the sun.
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02
The Legion of Honor, France’s most prestigious award, was presented to Ray personally by President François Mitterrand at his Calcutta doorstep, rather than in a ceremony in France.
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03
In 1967, Ray wrote a script for a movie titled The Alien. Columbia Pictures was in talks to produce it, with Peter Sellers and Marlon Brando considered for leads. After legal disputes and Brando’s departure, Ray abandoned the project. He later believed Steven Spielberg’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial 1982 borrowed from his script, though Spielberg denied this as a high school student at the time.
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04
Ray won a special lifetime achievement award at the 1992 Academy Awards, becoming the second Indian to win an Oscar after Bhanu Athaiya in 1983.
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05
He was an enormous man, about 6 feet 5 inches and well over two hundred pounds, standing nearly a foot taller than the average Indian of his generation.
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06
Voted the twenty-fifth greatest director of all time by Entertainment Weekly.
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07
He was very fond of actor Nana Patekar and wanted to direct him before he died.
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08
Another huge fan of Ray’s work was John Huston.
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09
Ray was a fan of the Tintin comics and even incorporated shots of the books in his movies.
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10
Regarded as India’s most important director so far, together with Mrinal Sen and the late Ritwik Ghatak.
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11
He is the author of several science-fiction short stories.
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12
A talented graphic artist, Ray designed numerous book jackets and magazine covers, as well as two typefaces.
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13
Member of the jury at the Berlin International Film Festival in 1961.
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14
Member of the jury at the Venice Film Festival in 1982.
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15
His niece Ruma Guha Thakurta was married to Bollywood legend the late Kishore Kumar.
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16
He was made a Fellow of the British Film Institute in recognition of his outstanding contribution to film culture.
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17
Son of the late Sukumar Ray.
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18
Father of Sandip Ray.
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19
Interviewed in World Directors in Dialogue by Bert Cardullo Scarecrow Press, 2011.
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20
Grandfather of Souradip Ray.
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21
Grandson of the late Upendra Kishore Raychowdhuri.
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22
Father-in-law of Lalita Ray.
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23
He was an only child.
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24
He was known among his family and later close colleagues as Manik Bengali for jewel because his parents had wanted a child for a long time before his birth.
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25
He was a fan of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories since childhood.
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26
His father died when he was three.
