Satyajit Ray

Satyajit Ray was a very tall man with a very deep voice, and he was one of India's greatest filmmakers. He wrote scripts, drew storyboards like beautiful comic books, composed music, and even designed his own posters.

His first film, 'Pather Panchali', told the story of a poor village boy named Apu and won awards all over the world. He also wrote wonderful detective stories starring Feluda that children still read today.

Satyajit Ray was born in 1921 in Kolkata into a family of Bengali intellectuals and artists. He studied art at Visva-Bharati under Nandalal Bose.

He worked at first as an illustrator and graphic designer before turning to cinema. His debut film 'Pather Panchali' (1955) launched the Apu Trilogy, followed by 'Aparajito' and 'Apur Sansar', which together are considered among the greatest films ever made.

He went on to direct 36 films in Bengali, including 'Charulata', 'Nayak', 'Aranyer Din Ratri', 'Shatranj Ke Khilari' (in Hindi) and 'Agantuk'. He composed music for most of his films and drew detailed storyboards by hand.

He also wrote children's fiction in Bengali, including the beloved Feluda detective series and the science-fiction stories of Professor Shonku. He received an Academy Honorary Award in 1992 and the Bharat Ratna the same year, becoming one of the most decorated Indian artists in the world.