New Delhi: There is some good news for Satyajit Ray fans. The NFDC-National Film Archive recently announced that they have restored an old conversation between legendary actor Marlon Brando and Indian auteur filmmaker Satyajit Ray. The conversations happened in 1967 when Brando was in India as an ambassador for UNICEF.
Taking to their official Instagram account, National Film Archive shared a picture of Ray and Brando in black and white and wrote, “We are delighted to announce that NFDC-National Film Archive of India has recently acquired an audio recording of a conversation between two of world cinema's finest, Satyajit Ray and Marlon Brando, thanks to the generous efforts of artist Ayan Nandi. The conversation, moderated by the acclaimed film journalist Amita Malik, was considered to be lost with only a transcript of it available to access.
“The interview was held in 1967 by Doordarshan when Brando visited India as an ambassador for UNICEF. In the illuminating and wide-ranging conversation, Ray and Brando talk about Charlie Chaplin, Stanley Kubrick, Andy Warhol, Alan Ginsberg, the Vietnam War and Charulatha (1964) among other fascinating topics. We thank Mr. Nandi for his generous donation! #SatyajitRay #MarlonBrando” The post added.
Soon after the post was shared, Ali Fazal wrote, “Oh my GODDDDDD!!!! How can i hear this conversation?” on Instagram.
Interestingly, not many know that Satyajit Ray was supposed to direct an Indian-American science fiction film which would have starred Peter Sellers and Marlon Brando.
The film was to be bankrolled by Columbia Pictures. Titled 'The Alien', the film's script was written by Ray in 1967, loosely based on 'Bankubabur Bandhu', a Bengali science fiction story.
Bankubabur Bandhu was eventually adapted into a television film by Satyajit Ray's son Sandip Ray, and a play by the theatre group Swapnasandhani Kaushik Sen, in 2006.
Satyajit Ray was also an Oscar winner.