Sandip Ray, the son of writer-director Satyajit Ray, has said that he hasn’t yet seen the four-part Netflix anthology based on his father’s short stories, but is aware of the mixed reception that it has received. Ray, created by Sayantan Mukherjee, features four films directed by Srijit Mukherji, Abhishek Chaubey, and Vasan Bala.
In an interview, Sandip Ray, who himself has adapted his father’s works in the past, said that he was never meant to be involved in the making of Ray.
“I will soon see all the four works to have my own opinion but I will form that opinion only as an individual,” he told news agency PTI. He added, “I am hearing both praises and criticisms and that is quite natural for any work of art, including something adapted from the works of a personality like Ray.”
Ray’s four chapters include Srijit Mukherji’s Bahupriya and Forget Me Not; Abhishek Chaubey’s Hungama Hai Kyon Barpa; and Vasan Bala’s Spotlight. The sprawling cast includes Ali Fazal, Manoj Bajpayee, Gajraj Rao, Harsh Varrdhan Kapoor, Radhika Madan, Chandan Roy Sanyal, Kay Kay Menon, and others.
In an earlier interview with Hindustan Times, Viacom18 COO Ajit Andhare said that they’d scored the rights to 12 Ray stories from Sandip. Ray sits at an 87% score on the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, based on seven reviews. Most critics noted the mixed quality of the series as a whole, and directed particular praise towards Abhishek Chaubey’s Hungama Hai Kyon Barpa, starring Manoj Bajpayee and Gajraj Rao.
Also read: Ray review: Manoj Bajpayee, Harsh Varrdhan Kapoor stand out in irreverent but inconsistent Netflix anthology
The filmmaker joked in an interview with Hindustan Times that he’d be happy for Satyajit Ray to watch his film, hypothetically, on the condition that he’s near the exit door so that he’s able to make a quick escape. Vasan Bala joked that he’d feel like a plagiarist.