Satyajit Ray

Satyajit Ray is considered as one of the most influential filmmaker in the history of cinema. The man behind the camera was much more than just a filmmaker. He was a great writer, illustrator, composer, and graphic designer.

Satyajit Ray was born in 1921 and grew up in the house of his grandfather, Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury, and of his printing press. He was attracted by the machines and process of printing from an early age, and took particular interest in the production process of Sandesh, a children's magazine started by Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury. Ray studied at Ballygunge Government High School in Calcutta, and completed his BA in economics at Presidency College, Calcutta. In 1940, his mother insisted him to study at Visva-Bharati University in Santiniketan, founded by Rabindranath Tagore but he dropped out of the art course in 1942 as he could not feel inspired to become a painter.

In 1943, Ray started working at D.J. Keymer, a British advertising agency, as a junior visualiser. He spent 13 years there, working on his skills in graphic design, typography, and illustration. During this period he designed various book covers for Signet Press. He combined Indian aesthetics with modernist influences that resonated deeply with audiences.

In 1965, he revived the children's magazine "Sandesh," his grandfather's legacy. He designed covers and illustrations (see images below), wrote stories, created brainteasers and puzzles for the magazine for a long period of time. He designed logos for several organizations like Sahitya Academy and Rupa Publications. He also designed four typefaces for roman script named Ray Roman, Ray Bizarre, Daphnis, and Holiday script, apart from many Bengali typefaces for the Sandesh magazine.

Ray's design sensibilities also reflect in his filmmaking. He controlled every aspect of his films, from set design and costumes to title sequences and music. As a graphic designer, Ray designed most of his film posters, combining folk art and calligraphy to create themes ranging from surreal, mysterious to comical;

Ray's impact on Indian design goes beyond his individual contributions. He inspired a generation of designers to embrace their cultural heritage and experiment with bold, innovative forms. His ability to blend tradition with modernity, simplicity with depth, continues to resonate with audiences and inspire contemporary designers. As we celebrate his cinematic genius, let us not forget the multifaceted artist who left an indelible mark on the world of design.