Sahajatrir Katha by Ramesh Sen [Hardcover]

A 15-16-year-old boy came to Kolkata to play football and found himself caught in the riots of 1946. Returning to Dhaka, he faced the same volatile environment. Having already started living alone after quarrels with his family, he now set out to Kolkata in search of fortune.

Ramesh, also known as Punu Sen, later became a well-known figure in Tollygunge as a close associate of Satyajit Ray. His memories capture fragments of the Bengali film industry in the early 1950s. His first mentor was the formidable film editor of that era, Ardhendu Chattopadhyay, under whom legends like Dulal Dutta (who later edited all of Satyajit Ray’s films) and many others learned their craft. Punu, too, formed connections within the industry and got the opportunity to work in Ray’s unit.

He became an assistant on Pather Panchali and Aparajito, before moving on to work with Ritwik Ghatak on four films. Later, he collaborated with Tapan Sinha and Tarun Majumdar, but his heart remained with Manikda (Satyajit Ray). By the mid-1960s, Punu became Ray’s trusted associate, remaining closely connected to the Ray family until his final days.

Ramesh Sen’s memories are not just personal—they bear witness to an era. His recollections offer an invaluable account of Satyajit Ray, Bengali cinema, and the essence of Kolkata.