All lovers of brilliant Indian cinema rejoice! A heritage centre consisting of an exhibition hall, a seminar room, an auditorium, an archive for storage, preservation and display of Ray’s luminous creations like his movies, stories, papers and other mementos is coming up in Kolkata. Satyajit Ray, the universally acclaimed maestro of Indian cinema has created eclectic masterpieces in Bengali and Hindi which has been highly applauded globally, and till date superior Indian cinema is incomplete without showcasing Ray’s works. But it’s a matter of ignominy that except Kolkata, which happens to be the city that was very close to Ray’s heart, no other Indian city has taken any steps towards preservation and display of his movies. Even in Kolkata, the effort is primarily by his son Sandip Ray, who is a revered filmmaker himself and a member of the Society for the Preservation of Satyajit Ray’s Films.

The society has been collecting, cataloguing and reinstating all of Ray’s prized creations, as well as his valued belongings that have been in family possession for long. In fact, movies like “Pather Panchali”, “Apur Sansar”, “Kanchanjungha”and other rare gems have to be refurbished and stored properly, as they are very susceptible to temperature and humidity. To facilitate this ultra modern storage vaults are created in the heritage Centre.

The approximate expenditure for this mammoth and illustrious project is touted to be Rs 50 million, quite high by Indian standards! But at least, for avid movie buffs and lovers of excellent Indian cinema this information is like manna from heaven. Or should I say a “Ray” of hope!!