For Satyajit Ray, the entire gamut of film activity was elevated art. As a film-maker there was no aspect of the process he left untouched or influenced. The way he composed his film titles gives another insight into the mind of a genius. Fascinating episodes surround his film titles.
Let us start with Aranyer Din Ratri. The titles appear against the background of woodlands and foliage.
‘Father designed a new typeface for this title. This is a novel typeface, an archetypal Ray typeface. There was no typeface like that then and now. It was a freshly invented font for this effect of the bushes appearing through the letters. They were large block and bold transparent letters. The visibility of foliage was done through a special effect known as double-printing,’ explains Sandip. ‘They are not cutout letters as could be popularly thought. Cutout letters were used in Ghare Baire. The fire in Ghare Baire appears through the cutout letters, but Aranyer Din Ratri is a completely unique font. It can’t probably be a body font but certainly can be used in headlines.’
For Ray, devising titles for his films was a creative pursuit, as important as the other aspects of his craft. His first film itself displays that. Pather Panchali’s titles are written in calligraphic font on handmade paper in the style of a scroll, synonymous with folktales.
Nayak’s title again stands out for its novelty. In the opening sequence, Arindam Chatterjee (Uttam Kumar) is seen behind bars which slowly vanish as the titles progress till the star is revealed in entirety. Sandip agrees that this title is open to interpretation. The star could either be a prisoner of his world or may be behind ‘gates’ of a celluloid strip. The film, in fact, brings out the real life of the star behind his gloss and glamour.
Agantuk’s main title again dissolves in a mist, on which the other titles emerge, underscoring that Agantuk, the protagonist (played so brilliantly by Utpal Dutt), is an enigma.
Pratidwandi brings out that conflict through the title, and Siddhartha’s (Dhritiman Chatterji) father’s death is shown in negative print underscoring a loss in the protagonist’s life. In some interviews, Ray had, of course, extended a simple explanation to his going for a negative style, saying that it was to disguise flaws which may appear while showing a death scene with a person who was actually alive.
But the use of the negative recurs in the film when the nurse, played by Shefali, lights a cigarette for Siddhartha, thus throwing open these scenes to subtle interpretation. Anything that Siddhartha deeply mourns (his father’s death) or dislikes in shown in negative.
‘Father’s titles are up for interpretation. In fact, just in case a documentary film is made on Father’s film titles, one will witness the progression. During Aparajito, Father had bought several decorative wooden blocks which were available in the ghats of Benares. He used these in the calligraphic titles of Teen Kanya. He would engage in these pursuits,’ Sandip reveals.
Seemabaddha (Company Limited) witnessed a split-screen approach in the title – tele-printers reeling out sheets or telephone calls where the title music is reduced, again opening up an interpretation that the protagonist Shyamalendu (Barun Chanda) is confined in his corporate world.
Parash Pathar’s original title negative is either lost or damaged. It reflected letters designed in the shape of diamonds. What we see now is the title of the French version of the film. Devi’s title is also extremely interesting. It shows the transformation of the character and role from the outset till the finish.
The title of Ganashatru was again done with woodblocks. ‘Woodblocks were a vanishing art by then. We went to Chitpore (in north Calcutta) looking for woodblocks and luckily stumbled upon them in a shop. We picked up some of them, of which Father chose one for the title. Shakha Proshakha witnesses the graphic of an ECG machine running through the tile,’ Sandip says, describing the uniqueness of Ray’s film titles continuing till the end of his film-making life.
Satyajit Ray was suffering from a debilitating cardiac ailment in the end years of his life. Shakha Proshakha’s title probably manifests his state of mind when he made the film.
Excerpted with permission from Ray on Ray – A Son Remembers, Ashoke Nag, Om Books International.
