The lost story of Satyajit Ray

 His only Ghost Story

                                         Cinema in India

This is the story of how I came across the lost film of Satyajit Ray, the premier film director in India during the 1960s, and 70's.

I could say I found the film through a dedicated search stretching over years, that is partially, but not totally, true. When I read the story behind the disappearance of the short story, Mohinara, I was intirgued.

As a top director, Ray was invited to enter stories for the 1961 International Film Festival, held in Paris. He entered the trilogy Teen Kanya, a triple bill of stories about three girls, and moments that shaped their lives. However, to enter, he was asked to cut the film as his entry wsa too long. The director cut Mohinara, and left it on the floor of the cutting room, where it lay for years.

There was no trace of any part of the film since 1961, this roused my interest, and I began a search online; after a while I gave up the serious search, and did the odd hunt, but never imaging to get anywhere.

Then, the unthinakable happened!

While watching another film, on the same site, I came across a link to the lost film. My first thought was "This has to be another film of the same title." The film had been lost for over 60 years, without trace, how could I have come across it when reaswerchers with knowledge couldn't locate it?

I was wrong.

The link took me to the lost film, which I downloaded.