Cinema in still: Indian cinema through the lens of Nemai Ghosh

Shabana Azmi, Smita Patil, Satyajit Ray, Om Puri,

What: Nemai Ghosh is considered the quintessential Satyajit Ray biographer because of his decades-long association with the legendary filmmaker. He started his journey as a photographer shooting Ray and moments from his cinema.

A moment from the movie, Shatranj Ke Khiladi. pics courtesy DAG Modern

Shabana Azmi and Om Puri with Patrick Swayze while shooting City of Joy

But many other moments from cinema and theatre have been captured by him too. Stars, starlets, famous moments from cinema, and, of course, Ray himself feature in Ghosh's collection, which consists of over a lakh photos.

Sharmila Tagore

Shabana Azmi

For years, the collection of this octogenarian had no takers and was only acquired by Delhi Art Gallery (DAG Modern) in 2006, and later, digitised.

Satyajit Ray

Sharmila Tagore from the movie, Aranyer Din Ratri

How:Ashish Anand, Managing Director, DAG Modern, says about the collection, "Nemai Ghosh's consistent documentation of the work of the auteur Satyajit Ray and Indian cinema is an aesthetic delight and a significant record of this period in Indian cinema." But it does not just include Ray and his cinema but significant moments from those years of cinema and culture.

Smita Patil

Satyajit Ray during the shoot of Joy Baba Felunath

Both, Hindi mainstream from Mumbai and Bengali commercial cinema feature in his work. A part of this archive of India's cinematic and photographic history will be on display in the exhibition, Nemai Ghosh: Satyajit Ray & Beyond, which will focus on his lesser-known works.

Where: On: 10am to 5.30pm, till November 3
At: Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Marg, Byculla (E).
Call: 2373 1234
Log on to: www.mid-day.com for more photos from the ongoing exhibition