Satyajit Ray is the only Indian film director to have gained world wide recog- nition. His first film, Pather Panchali, catapulted him to the forefront of young directors in 1956 when the Cannes Film Festival honoured it as 'the best human document' of the year. By 1959 Ray had completed the Apu Trilogy with two sequel films, Aparajito and Apur Sansar. These three films have won an outstand- ing number of international awards.

His films have ranged from his uniquely sensitive depiction of the vil- lage and family in Pather Panchali to the comic and musical Goupi Gyne, with its undertones directed at the stupidity of war; while one recurrent theme, how power and wealth corrupt, emerges through his own stories, Kanchenjunga, Nayak and The Alien and another, the challenging of tradition, through stories such as Tagore's Teen Kanya.

Marie Seton examines in detail Ray's work as musician, scenarist and direc- tor-his inheritance, and development.

Well known to film audiences for her writings, notably her biography of Eisenstein, she is particularly well equipped in this task. She has spent much time in India on film work and for fifteen years has been in close working contact and friendship with the Ray family.