Latest news with #Santhal
Mint
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
Satyajit Ray's 'blackface' moment at Cannes 2025
At the screening of Satyajit Ray's 1970 classic, Aranyer Din Ratri, at the Cannes film festival earlier this month, the audience gave a standing ovation to the celebrities on stage—Wes Anderson along with Sharmila Tagore and Simi Garewal, the only surviving members of the cast. Restored by the Film Heritage Foundation, the movie was presented by Anderson, an ardent fan of Ray. Also read: Cannes 2025: 'Nouvelle Vague' is a winsome homage to Godard Tagore played the urbane and sophisticated Aparna, beguiling four young men who arrive in Palamau (now in Jharkhand) for a break from their busy and troubled lives in Kolkata. Critic Pauline Kael once described her presence as 'incomparably graceful", a sharp contrast to Garewal's Duli, a Santhal woman, who plays a pivotal role in the denouement. For the first few days of the shoot, Ray had Garewal observe tribal women at a local watering hole. Once she had absorbed the nuances of their demeanour, she had her body blackened. On her website, the actor says it took four hours for her to become Duli, and three hours to remove the paint afterwards. In the 1960s, when Ray shot Aranyer Din Ratri, featuring a 'blackface" (an actor whose face and/or body are darkened to represent someone unlike them) on screen was par for the course. Through the 1960s, Hindi movies embraced the blackface trope with impunity. From Ashok Kumar in Meri Surat Teri Aankhen (1963), where he played the dark-complexioned Pyare with fanged dentures and a wild wig to boot, to Meena Kumari playing Rajni in Main Bhi Ladki Hoon (1964), examples of such misuses abound. Sadly, the tradition remains unbroken to this day, albeit with a shift more towards 'brownface"—Alia Bhatt in Udta Punjab (2016), Hrithik Roshan in Super 30 (2019), and Bhumi Pednekar in Bala (2019), the examples are plenty. It's disappointing, though not entirely surprising, that mainstream cinema is yet to rid itself of such regressive traits. After all, misogyny, homophobia and Islamophobia, in various degrees, not only continue to be part of India's commercial cinema, but have led to blockbusters like Kabir Singh (2019) and Animal (2023). The baffling part is that a director like Ray, widely lauded for his humanism and aestheticism, should have fallen for the same problematic trope. When questioned about her choice to play a Santhal, Garewal spoke of the exigency behind the decision: 'You needed a professional to play the role." One wonders if Ray would have taken the same line to defend himself. The irony is heightened, considering that the film (inspired by a novel by Sunil Gangopadhyay of the same name) lays bare the hypocrisy of upper-caste elites towards those they regard as less 'civilised" than them. The word sabhya (civilised) appears several times in the original Bengali novel, especially in the context of the young men who want to momentarily relinquish all decorum of modern life to immerse themselves in the 'wild" freedom of the forests. Their distance from civic rules gives them an unfettered licence to behave like overlords in the land of the oppressed. They demand to be served, sexually and otherwise, and remain largely oblivious to the inconveniences they cause to the dwellers of the forest. A couple of these men do feel periodic stabs of conscience, triggered by the fragile political ecosystem of the 1960s, when the novel was written. Sanjay, who is in charge of labour relations in a factory, is particularly pricked by the disgraceful behaviour of his friends. Back home in Kolkata, as the ultra-left Naxal movement upturns systems of governance, in the so-called idyll of the forests, Sanjay and his well-educated friends hanker for a taste of the lives of the nobles savages—by partaking of their food, liquor and women, while refusing to give up their daily necessities, like having boiled eggs for breakfast. Did Ray internalise this mindset while casting Garewal as Duli? Or was he, in fact, mocking himself as a member of the same elite as the protagonists, by putting her in the role? From the distance of 55 years, we can only speculate on these questions, while reckoning with our discomfort, either way. Also read: Lounge Loves: Sri Lankan director Sumitra Peries' 'Gehenu Lamai'
India Today
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Simi Garewal to make Cannes red carpet debut for Aranyer Din Ratri screening
Veteran actor Simi Garewal is all set to make her debut at the Cannes Film Festival, where she will attend the screening of the 4K restored version of Satyajit Ray's 1970 classic 'Aranyer Din Ratri.'The 77-year-old actor, who played the role of the tribal Santhal girl Duli in the Bengali film, will be attending the screening under the Cannes Classics section on May veteran actor, known for her iconic films like 'Karz', 'Chalte Chalte', and 'Mera Naam Joker', shared a video on Instagram and gave a glimpse of her picking out an outfit for the special occasion. "So I've finally decided as to who will design my ensemble for the red carpet in Cannes!! It's on 19th May, when we present my film with Ray, Aranyer Din Ratri, restored by Wes Anderson, Martin Scorsese, and the Heritage Foundation. Because I love their aesthetics...I've chosen @karleofashion (sic)" she the video here: The actor will wear an ensemble from Karleo, a couture label established by Karan Berry and Leon global screening will be attended by Sharmila Tagore and filmmaker Wes Anderson, among other presenters. The two will also be joined by Purnima Dutta, Margaret Bodde of The Film Foundation, and Shivendra Singh Dungarpur of the Film Heritage Cannes Film Festival, scheduled to kick-start on May 13 at the French Riveria, will celebrate Satyajit Ray's film as part of its commitment to preserving and promoting heritage prestigious film festival, which will conclude on May 24, will witness a plethora of Bollywood stars walking the red carpet and highlighting Indian cinema on the global platform.
Deccan Herald
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Deccan Herald
Cannes 2025: Simi Garewal to make red carpet appearance at 'Aranyer Din Ratri' screening
Garewal, who played a tribal Santhal girl named Duli in the Bengali movie, will attend the showcase which will be held under the Cannes Classics section on May 19.
NDTV
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Cannes 2025: Simi Garewal To Make Red Carpet Appearance At Aranyer Din Ratri Screening
New Delhi: Veteran actor Simi Garewal is set to make her debut at the 2025 edition of the Cannes Film Festival as part of the screening of the 4K restored version of Satyajit Ray's 1970 film Aranyer Din Ratri. Garewal, who played a tribal Santhal girl named Duli in the Bengali movie, will attend the showcase which will be held under the Cannes Classics section on May 19. The actor, also known for films such as Karz, Chalte Chalte, and Mera Naam Joker, shared a video on her Instagram handle on Monday in which she could be seen choosing her outfit for the event. Garewal, 77, will wear an ensemble from Karleo, a couture label established by Karan Berry and Leon Vaz. "So I've finally decided as to who will design my ensemble for the red carpet in Cannes!! It's on 19th May, when we present my film with Ray, Aranyer Din Ratri, restored by Wes Anderson, Martin Scorsese and Heritage Foundation. Because I love their aesthetics...I've chosen @karleofashion (sic)" she wrote in the caption. Aranyer Din Ratri is presented and restored by The Film Foundation's World Cinema Project at L'Immagine Ritrovata in collaboration with the Film Heritage Foundation (FHF), Janus Films, and the Criterion Collection. The funding was provided by the Golden Globe Foundation, a press release issued by the festival organisers said. Based on the novel of the same name by author Sunil Gangopadhyay, the film, titled "Days and Nights in the Forest" in English, also featured an ensemble cast of Soumitra Chatterjee, Subhendu Chatterjee, Samit Bhanja, Robi Ghosh, Aparna Sen, and Sharmila Tagore. Besides Garewal, producer Purnima Dutta, Tagore, Margaret Bodde, executive director of The Film Foundation, and FHF founder Shivendra Singh Dungarpur will also attend the screening of Aranyer Din Ratri. The premiere of "Aranyer Din Ratri" will be presented by renowned Hollywood filmmaker Wes Anderson, a long-time admirer of Ray. The 78th Cannes Film Festival is set to begin on Tuesday (May 13).
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First Post
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- First Post
Cannes 2025: Simi Garewal to make red carpet appearance at 'Aranyer Din Ratri' screening
Garewal, who played a tribal Santhal girl named Duli in the Bengali movie, will attend the showcase which will be held under the Cannes Classics section on May 19. read more Veteran actor Simi Garewal is set to make her debut at the 2025 edition of the Cannes Film Festival as part of the screening of the 4K restored version of Satyajit Ray's 1970 film 'Aranyer Din Ratri'. Garewal, who played a tribal Santhal girl named Duli in the Bengali movie, will attend the showcase which will be held under the Cannes Classics section on May 19. The actor, also known for films such as 'Karz', 'Chalte Chalte', and 'Mera Naam Joker', shared a video on her Instagram handle on Monday in which she could be seen choosing her outfit for the event. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Garewal, 77, will wear an ensemble from Karleo, a couture label established by Karan Berry and Leon Vaz. 'So I've finally decided as to who will design my ensemble for the red carpet in Cannes!! It's on 19th May, when we present my film with Ray, 'Aranyer Din Ratri', restored by Wes Anderson, Martin Scorsese and Heritage Foundation. Because I love their aesthetics…I've chosen @karleofashion " she wrote in the caption. .boxes3{height:175px;width:153px;} #n img{max-height:none!important;max-width:none!important;background:none!important} #inst i{max-height:none!important;max-width:none!important;background:none!important} 'Aranyer Din Ratri' is presented and restored by The Film Foundation's World Cinema Project at L'Immagine Ritrovata in collaboration with the Film Heritage Foundation , Janus Films, and the Criterion Collection. The funding was provided by the Golden Globe Foundation, a press release issued by the festival organisers said. Based on the novel of the same name by author Sunil Gangopadhyay, the film, titled 'Days and Nights in the Forest' in English, also featured an ensemble cast of Soumitra Chatterjee, Subhendu Chatterjee, Samit Bhanja, Robi Ghosh, Aparna Sen, and Sharmila Tagore. Besides Garewal, producer Purnima Dutta, Tagore, Margaret Bodde, executive director of The Film Foundation, and FHF founder Shivendra Singh Dungarpur will also attend the screening of 'Aranyer Din Ratri'. The premiere of 'Aranyer Din Ratri' will be presented by renowned Hollywood filmmaker Wes Anderson, a long-time admirer of Ray. The 78th Cannes Film Festival is set to begin on Tuesday .
