Connection
Bala is a film of genre Documentary directed by Satyajit Ray with Satyajit Ray
Bala (1976)
If you like this film, let us know!
Add to a movie listLength 33minutes
Directed by Satyajit Ray
Genres Documentary
Themes Dance films, Films about music and musicians, Documentary films about music and musicians, Documentaire sur une personnalité, Musical films
Rating67%
Bala is a 1976 short documentary film made by Satyajit Ray, about a Bharata Natyam dancer, Balasaraswati, fondly known as "Bala". The film was jointly produced by National Centre for the Performing Arts and Government of Tamil Nadu. The thirty three minute documentary features the life and some of the works by Balasaraswati in the form of narration and dance, starring herself. At the age of fourteen, Ray had seen a performance of Balasaraswati in Kolkata, then known as "Calcutta", in 1935, when she was seventeen years old.
Ray had initially planned to make a film on Bala in 1966 when she was in her prime. However, he could only start filming in 1976. Incidentally, though Bala was often called as "a revolutionary Bharata Natyam dancer", she had never been filmed till she was 58 years old, in spite of having a career spanned over four decades. Ray decided to make the film on Bala, "the greatest Bharata Natyam dancer ever" according to him, to document her art for future generations with the "main value as archival". When Ray filmed then 58-year-old Bala for the documentary, she found to be wearing same pair of anklets which she wore more than fifty years ago for her debut performance, at the age of seven. Ray reported to have been said about the delayed filming of the documentary about Bala that "Bala filmed at 58 was better than Bala not being filmed at all."
The film's original script was included in a book named Original English Film Scripts Satyajit Ray, put together by Ray's son Sandip Ray along with an ex-CEO of Ray Society, Aditinath Sarkar, which also included original scripts of Ray's other films.
Synopsis
The film begins with the introduction of Bharata Natyam since its inception. It also explains the various hand gestures, known as Mudra and Bala demonstrates one of them, "Mayura Mudra" ("Peacock Mudra"). Narrated by Satyajit Ray, the film describes Bala's lineage and her debut performance in 1925, at the age of seven, at Kancheepuram at the Kamakshi Amman Temple. A noted Sanskrit scholar and musicologist explains Bala's dancing style and an Indian dancer, Uday Shankar mentions about his association with Bala.Actors
Comments
Leave comment :
Suggestions of similar film to Bala
There are 3 films with the same actors, 38 films with the same director, 8961 with the same cinematographic genres, 8526 films with the same themes (including 56 films with the same 5 themes than Bala), to have finally 70 suggestions of similar films.If you liked Bala, you will probably like those similar films :
Rabindranath Tagore (1961)
, 54minutesDirected by Satyajit Ray
Genres Biography, Documentary, Historical
Themes Films about writers, Documentaire sur une personnalité
Actors Satyajit Ray
Rating71%
Narrated by Satyajit Ray, the film begins with the funeral procession of Rabindranath Tagore. Briefly mentioning about Kolkata, then known as "Calcutta", the documentary explains the Tagore lineage, starting with Dwarkanath Tagore. While documentary mentions Dwarkanath Tagore's elder son Debendranath Tagore's association with an Indian religious, social, and educational reformer Raja Rammohun Roy and introduces some of his children out of fourteen, it moves to the birth of child Rabindranath Tagore, fondly called as "Robi". The film then narrates Robi's initial schooling days, his trip to northern India with his father, publication of his first poem in his father's magazine and his failed attempt for higher education at London.
The Inner Eye (1972)
, 20minutesDirected by Satyajit Ray
Genres Documentary
Themes Documentary films about the visual arts, Documentaire sur une personnalité, Films about disabilities
Actors Satyajit Ray
Rating72%
The documentary begins by showcasing a process by which a wall, 5 feet (1.5 m) high by 60 feet (18 m) wide, of a newly developed building in Santiniketan would be decorated by 20 murals designed by Benode Behari Mukherjee. While the narrator (Satyajit Ray) describes Mukherjee's family, Mukherjee himself explains the process of mural making and how he spends most of his time alone in Santiniketan with his favourite drink, tea. Mukherjee, the youngest child of his family among six children, is shown spending his initial days as a student in Santiniketan with his drawings and paintings. He was a student of Nandalal Bose, another acclaimed painter from Santiniketan. The film mentions Bose's influence of Mukherjee's initial work with his own "striking" originality.
Sukumar Ray (1987)
, 30minutesDirected by Satyajit Ray
Genres Documentary
Themes Films about writers, Documentaire sur une personnalité
Actors Utpal Dutt, Tapen Chatterjee, Soumitra Chatterjee, Haradhan Bandopadhyay, Santosh Dutta, Chiranjeet Chatterjee
Rating75%
With Soumitra Chatterjee as a narrator, the documentary begins by showcasing some of the drawings by Sukumar Ray, drawn for the children books Abol Tabol, HaJaBaRaLa and a short story, Heshoram Hushiarer Diary (The Diary of Heshoram: The Clever). Explaining the lineage of Ray family starting from Hari Krishna Roy Chowdhury and Upendrakishore Ray, the documentary describes initial days of Sukumar Ray, his formation of the "Nonsense Group" in the college and publication of handwritten humorous magazine, "Thirty Two and a Half Fries".
, 2h12Directed by Satyajit Ray
Origin Inde
Genres Fantastic, Comedy, Fantasy, Adventure, Horror, Musical
Themes Monde imaginaire, Films about music and musicians, Superhero films, Musiques du monde, Musical films, Children's films
Actors Tapen Chatterjee, Rabi Ghosh, Santosh Dutta, Jahar Ray, Chinmoy Roy
Rating86%
Le chanteur Goopy et le percussionniste Bagha, tous deux chassés de leurs villages respectifs à cause de leurs horribles prestations, font connaissance dans la forêt. Là, ils rencontrent le roi des fantômes, qui content d'eux leur accorde trois vœux. Pour les rendre effectifs, ils doivent en même temps prononcer leur souhait et se frapper la main mutuellement. Munis du pouvoir d'obtenir de la nourriture par magie, de chaussures qui les emmènent instantanément là où ils veulent et surtout d'une merveilleuse habileté au chant et aux percussions, nos deux héros entament un périple fantastique qui les mène à la Cour d'un roi dont ils gagnent les faveurs en remportant un tournoi musical. Ils parviendront à empêcher le déclenchement d'une guerre imminente entre les États voisins de Shundi et Halla, pourtant dirigés par deux frères, mais dont l'un est sous l'influence néfaste d'un magicien qui a du reste également ensorcelé toute la population en la rendant muette. De fil en aiguille, grâce à leur habileté, les deux héros vont combattre les forces du mal et rétablir l'harmonie entre les frères et les royaumes, obtenant même de chacun la main d'une princesse.
The Kingdom of Diamonds (1980)
, 1h58Directed by Satyajit Ray
Genres Comedy
Themes Films about music and musicians, Superhero films, Musiques du monde, Musical films, Children's films
Actors Tapen Chatterjee, Rabi Ghosh, Utpal Dutt, Soumitra Chatterjee, Santosh Dutta
Rating87%
The magically musical duo of Goopy Gyne and Bagha Byne make a comeback in this sequel, where they are invited to the court of the Hirak Raja (The Diamond King), for their musical skills. They are to perform at the kingdom's Jubilee Celebrations.
The Music Room (1958)
, 1h40Directed by Satyajit Ray
Origin Inde
Genres Drama, Musical
Themes Films about music and musicians, Musiques du monde, Musical films
Actors Chhabi Biswas, Beghum Akhtar, Roshan Kumari, Sardar Akhtar
Rating78%
Jalsaghar depicts the end days of a decadent zamindar (landlord) in Bengal, and his efforts to uphold his family prestige even when faced with economic adversity. The landlord, Biswambhar Roy (Chhabi Biswas), is a just but other-worldly man who loves to spend time listening to music and putting up spectacles rather than managing his properties ravaged by floods and the abolition of zamindari system by the Indian government. He is challenged by a commoner who has attained riches through business dealings, in putting up spectacles and organising music fests. This is the tale of a zamindar who has nothing left but respect and sacrifices his family and wealth trying to retain it.
Sikkim (1971)
, 1hDirected by Satyajit Ray
Genres Documentary
Themes Documentary films about politics, Political films
Actors Satyajit Ray
Rating71%
Banni durant 30 ans, ce documentaire décrit la culture de l'ancien royaume de Sikkim, situé entre le Tibet et le Népal, et rattaché à l'Inde en 1975.
First Position (2011)
, 1h30Origin USA
Genres Drama, Comedy, Documentary
Themes Dance films, Films about children, Films about music and musicians, Documentary films about music and musicians, Documentaire sur une personnalité, Musical films
Rating74%
At Night, They Dance (2011)
, 1h21Genres Documentary
Themes Dance films, Films about music and musicians, Documentary films about music and musicians, Documentaire sur une personnalité, Musical films
Rating73%
The movie follows the lives of a family of belly dancers living in a small Egyptian neighborhood in Cairo. Reda is the matriarch of the family who passes down her knowledge of the art of belly dancing to each of her children. Her husband died more than a year prior to the making of the documentary, so the viewer sees her in a state of mourning and uncertainty. She represents the authoritative figure, but her seven children often test the boundaries of her power. Each of her children contributes to the family profession through performing at local events, learning the trade during the day, or in the case of her younger son, watching the process of knowledge transition from generation to generation. Only three of her daughters currently perform, typically for all-male audiences. The documentary follows their journeys, from their household to the stage.
Princesa de África (2008)
, 1h16Origin Espagne
Genres Documentary
Themes Dance films, Films about music and musicians, Documentary films about music and musicians, Documentaire sur une personnalité, Musical films
Rating64%
The story of two dreams. Marem, a 14-year-old dancer from Senegal, dreams of emigrating to Europe, while Sonia, a Spanish dancer, feels drawn by the magic of Africa. Both are linked by Pap Ndiaye, Marem's father and Sonia’s husband. Africa isn't what Sonia had dreamt of (Pap Ndiaye has two additional wives), nor is Europe what Marem expected (there are no children in the street and poverty is also present). Princess of Africa is a love story, full of music and dance, where nothing is what it seems and women are the main characters.