No plans for another film on Satyajit Ray sleuth 'Feluda' now: Son on director’s birth anniversary

Kolkata: On Satyajit Ray’s 104th birth anniversary, his son and acclaimed filmmaker Sandip Ray said he does not have any immediate plans to direct another feature film on the maestro's immensely popular fictional detective ‘Feluda’.

Sandip said he has a long-term plan to make a two-part film featuring both 'Feluda' and 'Professor Shonku', a scientist and inventor, but added that it will take some more time.

He has been planning the two-part film on 'Feluda' and 'Shonku' since the maestro’s centenary year in 2021.

He made one film on the inventor, 'Professor Shanku O El Dorado' (Professor Shanku and El Dorado, 2019).

"I think with several projects on 'Feluda' adapted for OTT platforms, a little more space should be given to Feluda at present (as far as the big screen is concerned). Rather, I wish to direct a film based on Bengali short stories now," he said.

Sandip's Feluda films are 'Bombaiyer Bombete' (Thugs of Bombay, 2003), 'Kailashey Kelenkari' (Crime in Kailash, 2007), 'Tintorettor Jishu' (Jesus of Tintoretto, 2008), 'Gorosthaney Sabdhan' (Be careful in cemetery, 2010), 'Royal Bengal Rahashya' (Royal Bengal tiger mystery, 2011), 'Badshahi Angti' (The royal ring, 2014), 'Double Feluda' (2016), 'Hatyapuri' (Murder in Puri, 2022), and 'Nayan Rahasya' (The mystery of Nayan, 2024).

He has also made TV films based on the 'Feluda' stories.

Sandip was interacting with reporters at the legendary director's residence at 1 Bishop Lefroy Road in south Kolkata.

He had earlier made non-sleuth fictional feature films like ‘Nishijapon’ and ‘Jekhane Bhooter Bhoy’, which explored the impact of a natural disaster on vacationing middle-class urban families and presented a collection of spooky ghost stories by several leading Bengali authors.

Asserting that the Feluda-Shonku project will be taken up one day, he said, "As earlier planned during the centenary year celebrations of my father, we hope the project incorporating two popular fictions—Feluda and Professor Shonku—in two parts will certainly happen one day."

Meanwhile, hundreds of Ray lovers and film enthusiasts thronged the master filmmaker's house, visiting his study and drawing room, where his garlanded photo was kept, to pay floral tributes.

Readers of the heritage Bengali children’s magazine ‘Sandesh’, associated with Ray’s family since its inception, also gathered at the residence, as the study and drawing room were opened to Ray’s countless fans and followers for the occasion.

Sandip and Ray’s daughter-in-law, Lolita Roy, welcomed the visitors, including several prominent personalities from the Bengali film industry and members of Sandip’s production team.