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No plan to make full length Hindi feature on Feluda: Sandip

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Press Trust of India Kolkata
Satyajit Ray's son Sandip Ray today said that he had no plan to make a full length Hindi feature film on Ray's iconic fictional sleuth, Feluda.

Sandip Ray was talking to PTI during the 96th birth anniversary celebration of the master film-maker at his 1 Bishop Lefroy Road residence.

"No plan to make a Hindi feature film on Feluda now," Sandip said.

The maker of hit Bengali film "Jekhane Bhooter Bhoy", Sandip had earlier expressed doubts if the quintessential Bengaliness of Feluda and his companions could be recreated properly in Hindi adaptations of the Feluda films for big screens.

The Ray family holds the rights of the literary works on ever-popular Feluda.
 

"How can you transcreate the dialogue "Uth Ki Kanta Benchhe Khay" (Can a camel eat fish in the way humans can?) if you make a Hindi remake of 'Sonar Kella'? the director, whose last Feluda film was "Double Feluda", had wondered during an interview earlier.

In 1986, Sandip had directed some TV films on Feluda stories for Doordarshan under the banner "Satyajit Ray Presents".

On the topic of films facing the Censorship hurdle these days, Sandip said today, "Baba (Satyajit ray) was not very bothered about the issue to that extent during his time."

Asked if he was feeling the pressure of being the son of a legend like Ray, Sandip observed, "If I say no, I will be lying. In fact, I don't think about that very much. If you do (think) you won't be able to work."

Sandip said the Society for the Preservation of Satyajit Ray Films, popularly known as Ray Society, would hold "a very big exhibition encompassing the multiple identities of of the legend as director,writer,illustrator and composer during the 100th birth anniversary programme, which will tour all over India and even may travel abroad."

"We are already making preparation on a low key to make it an event befitting the occasion," he said.

Meanwhile, as hundreds of people thronged the residence of Ray and stood before the maestro's garlanded black and white photo, an emotional Sandip said, "Many of them belong to the present generation. And this is most heartening."

"Almost 85 per cent of the visitors today are not familiar faces belonging to previous generations. And it is a very good sign, healthy sign," he said.

To mark Ray's birthday, the Satyajit Ray Short Film Festival was being held at state-run Nandan theatre comprising six short films and two documentaries on Ray's life through his work, while the Ray Society was holding an exhibition at ICCR to celebrate 50 years of the creation of Feluda.

"I think all the events will throw up his multiple sides and not solely a film maker," he said.

Sandip said the birthday of the maestro was not a 'public affair' when his father was alive the way as it is now. "At that time some close friends only came and it was a low key affair.

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First Published: May 02 2017 | 4:13 PM IST

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