Ray (2021) | Netflix

2021 marks the hundredth year of one of cinema history's greatest auteur, Satyajit Ray. The literary works of Ray are as brilliant as his films, if not more. Netflix's latest outing is a befitting celebration of the occasion as some of his prominent works are expertly adapted to screen.

Srijit Mukherjee takes charge of the first two episodes and starts with a meticulous adaptation of Bipin Chowdhurir Shritibhoram and presents a brilliant rendition of an entrepreneur, whose life goes down crashing in a maelstrom of self-doubt after a startling encounter. Though it has a familiar premise with dementia at its core, the episode soon shifts gears and flings into a psychological suspenser with capricious turns and twists, all bought together by a sizzling Ali Fazal at his apex.

Forget Me Not

Based on a short story of the same name, the sophomore episode is an enthralling and humorous tale of a makeup artist and his crusades to seek validation in society and unearthing his identity through ego clashes. Shot in the environs of dilapidated Calcutta, Bahrupiya is overcast and murky in tone, Srijit paints down a superlattice character study with Kay Kay Menon playing the multifaceted man with unreal brilliance.

Bahrupiya

The third segment by Chaubey inaugurates with Manoj Bajpayee, playing Musafir Ali as he strolls down a railway tunnel mumbling until he crosses path with his nemesis. It's one amusing ride with Bajpayee and Gajraj Rao bonding majestically and Chaubey's remarkable dark humour lurking and scattered all over it. Almost entirely betiding inside a train, it does bring back the memories of Nayak.

Hungama Hai Kyon Barpa

Vasan Bala's piece is precisely the one I enjoyed the most. It's just so spectacular how flawlessly he slides in pop culture references. It ranges from Kafka to Lynch to DeNiro to DDL. Never for a moment it feels forced, it just flows smoothly with the narrative. Also, the comportment of stars and exploration of God complex in Indian suburbia deserves all the more praise.

Spotlight 

What works for the show as a whole is the near-perfect production design and the use of light. The choices heighten the identity crisis of the characters. The Production design though might feel a bit overdone at times, but still everything is so beautifully executed, It all comes together as a splendid illustration, and how can one ignore those mesmerising costumes, which gives it a vibrant and energetic touch.

The casting is the biggest strength of the show. To begin with Harshvardhan, the man is just effortless in Spotlight and lived a role made in heaven. The plethora of supporting characters also makes it a world of their own and giving the thespians like Manoj and Kay Kay a tough time.

Watch the trailer of Ray here

Though heavily tinkered in form, the essence of Ray remains unscathed and his tinge of macabre humour and unprecedented thrills and euphoria is present in ample measures, making this a perfectly binge-worthy show.