Jindal, Suresh (Author). My Adventures with Satyajit Ray, 2017 | Authored Book

The book, presents a walk through the making of Shatranj Ke Khilari, a periodic drama set in nineteenth-century Lucknow, capital of the state of Oudh. Directed by one of the most celebrated Indian film makers, Satyajit Ray, the very many interesting facets of the book include his maneuvering through the challenges of creating a feature film in Hindi/Urdu, as he took up its directorial reins despite his definitive declaration of never wanting to write and direct a film that was not in Bengali. The book also captures the beauty of both the lavish stage design set against the backdrop of the East India Company's avaricious annexation of Oudh in 1856 and recreation of a complex character of Wajid Ali Shah in a different light. Wajid Ali's character trajectory from a decadent ruler to a connoisseur with refined artistic sensibilities also shows Ray's way of finding a common ground with its moral and ethical complexities. as he did not feel any empathy for the character in the beginning. Besides, the book wholly encapsulates the Bengali maestro's relationship with his young and artistically-driven producer, Suresh Jindal. Extracting from his unpublished letters to Jindal, the book gives the readers access to Ray's fanatical passion, original historical research, trademark attention to detail and energy with which he created this productin; his most expensive project till date.

An electronics engineer by training. Suresh Jindal got interested in cinema while studying at the University of California. Los Angeles, US, in the late 1960s. He was among the producers who made possible the dreams of film-makers working outside the mainstream. He has produced films that are considered milestones in Indian arthouse cinema, including Rajnigandha, Shatranj Ke Khilari, Gandhi and Katha. He is a recipient of the Chevalier des Ordre des Arts et des Lettres given by the French government.