Ray on Netflix: Here are Satyajit Ray’s short stories that inspired the episodes of this anthology series

Netflix recently released the trailer of its anthology series Ray, helmed by Abhishek Chaubey, Srijit Mukherji and Vasan Bala. The series is premiering on Netflix on June 25. Inspired by the stories of Satyajit Ray, the drama series will feature four episodes. Manoj Bajpayee, Ali Fazal, Harshvardhan Kapoor and Kay Kay Menon will be seen as the lead characters in each episode.

The legacy of Satyajit Ray is unmatched. His contributions to the world of cinema and literature, especially in Bengali, paved the way for a whole new understanding of films and fiction. He invented iconic characters like Feluda - the Indian Sherlock, Professor Shonky and Tarini Khuro. His short stories and novels are still widely read across the world and in 1992, the stellar personality received an Honorary Academy Award for his contribution to cinema. His dedicated work in these fields helped India gain recognition for its cinema and literature. Netflix’s Ray will feature four of the prolific author’s stories - Spotlight, Bahurupi, Barin Bhowmik-er Byaram, and Bipin Chowdhury’s Smritibhrom.

Before you watch the series, here is an introduction to the four stories:

Forget Me Not | Inspired by Bipin Chowdhury’s Smritibhrom

Bipin Chowdhury’s Smritibhrom - which translated to Bipin Chowdhury's Memory Loss is the tale of a bibliophile. He stops by a bookstore on Calcutta’s Park Street everyday on his way back from office. One day, Bipin meets a stranger who says that they have made each other’s acquaintance before. This man, called Parimal Ghosh, says that he knows Bipin very well from their shared trip to Ranchi a few years ago. Bipin has no recollection of having travelled to Ranchi, let alone with his friend Dinesh who Parimal says had accompanied them.

Bipin’s confusion leads to him leaving the store in a rush. He confirms with Dinesh if the trip ever happened- the answer is in the affirmative to Bipin’s surprise. Bipin starts to wonder if he’s losing his mind or if he is falling victim to a loss of memory. All of his contemplation leads to an unsettling revelation.

Ali Fazal will reenact the role of Bipin in this episode directed by Srijit Mukherji. Ali’s Ipsit Nair is a highly successful, very intelligent man who starts worrying when he cannot remember incidents from the past.

Hungama Hai Kyon Barpa | Inspired by Barin Bhowmik-er Byaram

Barin Bhowmik-er Byaram or Barin Bhowmik’s Ailment revolves around Barin Bhowmik, a popular singer who is travelling from Kolkata to Delhi in the first-class compartment of a train. He meets Pulak Chakraborty here, who Barin remembers meeting almost a decade ago in the first class compartment of another train.

Barin, being a kleptomaniac, had stolen Pulak’s Swiss watch in their last meeting. He decided to return the watch back to its original owner, but the plot progresses towards unexpected twists and turns.

Hungama Hai Kyon Barpa, directed by Abhishek Chaubey, stars Manoj Bajpayee and Gajraj Rao.

Spotlight | Inspired by Spotlight

Spotlight presents an interesting conundrum - the Chowdhury family cannot decide if they want to visit a 126 year old man or a famous actor on their trip to Chhota Nagpur for Durga Puja. Angshuman Chatterjee is a famous Bangla film actor who the Chowdhury family really wants to meet, but Kali Ghoshal is the 126 year old man who claims he has seem Rabindranath Tagore that ultimately emerges as the one in the spotlight.

This Vasan Bala directorial stars Harshvardhan Kapoor.

Bahupriya | Inspired by Bahurupi

This short story is the tale of Nikunja Saha who is a makeup artist. He does not aim to transform people through makeup but pursues this hobby to turn it into a passion. However, the opportunity never presents itself. He then decides to adorn himself in makeup and see how far his skills will take him in the art of disguise. He dresses up as different people, shedding his original identity. His biggest thrill is not being recognized by those who know him since he dons wigs and fake moustaches. However, he’s caught in a sticky situation one day and things start to go awry.

This episode, also directed by Srijit Mukherji, stars Kay Kay Menon.