Satyajit Ray’s debut film in color, “Ashani Sanket” released in 1973. The film was produced by Balaka Movies & blatantly depicted the dreadful infrastructural situation in the interiors of rural Bengal. Barring Bangsi Chandragupta, (Ashok Basu has done the art direction after the abandonment of Chandragupta) the entire unit remained almost the same. Dulal Dutta’s editing & Soumendu Roy’s camera made the screen come alive! With this there was Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay’s heart thumping novel of famine & starvation. Ray’s screenplay & dialogues made & enhanced that humane quotient of “Ashani Sanket”. Soumitra Chattopadhyay played the perplexed protagonist Gangacharan Chakraborty & perhaphs this was one of his best performances ever. Others like Babita (Bangladesh), Sandhya Roy & Gobinda Chakraborty displayed defiant characters. The film was distributed by Balaka Movies Pvt. Ltd. & remains as a classic creation.