Introduction - We have in Indian English Literature a famous essay entitled 'A Long Time On the Little Road' written by the great Oskar winner Satyajit Ray. The essay is based on the first hand experience of Ray in time of shooting of the film 'Pather Panchali' and some problems faced by this artist of Bengal in time of doing so. Different setbacks and uncertainties sometimes made him standstill but those were temporary and Mr. Ray ultimately overcame and succeeded in giving a precious gift 'Pather Panchali' to the film lovers.
Though beset with different problems Satyajit Ray did gain a great satisfaction at different stages of this shooting.
Problems : The problems faced by Satyajit Ray in time of shooting his film 'Pather Panchali' may be divided into four groups -
(a) Financial Problem (b) Location Problem
(c) Technical Problem and (d) Human Problem .
(a) Financial Problem : The problem of money stood before Ray like a mountain . Actually, He started shooting with a paltry amount of rupees 8000/- only at the bank. As Ray was new in film direction it was hard for him to get financer Naturally, his intention was to produce cheaply and quickly a reasonable length of 'rough cut',that would help to establish his bonafides and getting some financer. Lack of fund delayed the production
for one and half year. Satyajit Ray had to suffer some pangs and peculiar torments for the financial crisis or 'enforced idleness'.
(b) Location Problem : Mr. Ray had to go for the outdoor shooting and there he faced difficulties.
It was the first day's shooting in the field of white kaash flowers in a rural area. The maxim 'well begin is half done' proved wrong in this case. Ray took eight shots and returned half-finished but when the other day he came the same place to make it complete, he with utter surprise and dismay discovered that the ' sea of fluffy whiteness' has gone and turned into an expanse of brownish wasteland. Where was the field of white sea of kaash flowers ? A local people explained that the Kaash was a sort of fodder and a herd of cattle had come and 'had literally chewed up the scenery'. Such heart-breaking the location problem is !
(c) Technical Problem : It is the problem of instruments , the problem that centered round the position of camera in time of shooting.Where would the camera be placed ? Near of far , high or low, on the dolly or on the ground? There were some problems arisen after the shooting. The problems were in the work in the laboratory, in the process of cutting and joining. The writer had to wait in the laboratory with much patience and anxiety for the ghost like negatives of the film.
(d) Human Problem : Human factors appear as a great problem to Mr. Ray. He was much tensed and anxious about the characters of film. Much delay in shooting means the children acting here were growing fast. Besides, it was not possible to keep an old lady of eighty standing on the mid day sun for taking shots repeatedly for perfection.
To conclude,the artistic conscience of Satyajit Ray when he had to compromise,not his liking, with some situations and matters. Ray had to carry on the work of film making by all sorts of balancing and he overcame the sereas of problems stood before him.
