Nemai Ghosh Satyajit Ray And Beyond

Santanu Ganguly

Photographer Nemai Ghosh has been the quintessential Satyajit Ray biographer through his decades-long close association with the master filmmaker. Over a lifetime of work, he has built up a vast and valuable photographic archive, now housed at Delhi Art Gallery. To mark the occasion of the centenary of Indian cinema this year, the Delhi Art Gallery (DAG) is showing the Nemai Ghosh Archive: Nemai Ghosh: Satyajit Ray and Beyond. While justly associated primarily with photographing the films and the person of the auteur, Satyajit Ray, the exhibition attempts to bring to light his esserknown but equally extensive documentation of cinema, both mainstream Hindi cinema from Bombay as well as regional Bengali cinema. This exhibition brings together for the first time this rich body of work as a tribute to the individual filmmakers, including Satyajit Ray, Indian cinema in its centennial year, as well as the power of the photograph to witness, record and tell stories. In an exclusive interview with Santanu Ganguly for Art and Deal, Nemai Ghosh pours his heart out.

Santanu Ganguly: Please tell us about the initial days, how you started, and what inspired you?

Nemai Ghosh: It was around 1967, I was an active theatre artist. Every evening many artists, film technicians used to come to our house, play cards and discuss the technicality of acting as well as cinematography and other aspects of filmmaking. Though I don’t play cards but I loved to be part of the gatherings so that I could be enriched by their knowledge. That time I used to love to get photographed, I used to think that I am an artist so photographer should take my photograph. I would like to share a funny story. One gentleman forgot his camera in my friend’s mother-inlaw’s taxi and the honest taxi driver gave the camera to my friend, he gave a very small amount of money to the driver as bakhshish. He had no interest in photography, so I asked him for the camera, anyway he was supposed to return me some money. So I said that, in return of money he could give me the camera. He was reluctant but he finally gave in . I was quite happy that the Canon8 Fixed lens came almost free. Then assistant cinematographer,Joy Pratap Mitra, arranged some reel for me, free of cost. I was the happiest man as the camera and reel both came free. That time veteran actor Rabi Ghosh was shooting for Gupi Gyne Bagha Byne with Satyajit Ray at Rampurhat in Birbhum. Rabi Ghosh had a theatre group and was a regular at our house adda. He suggested me to attend the shoot and develop my skill. So we, couple of friends, went there with a car to basically enjoy the shooting.