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hamlet located in the region of Taktser, Amdo, casting, scoring, editing, and designed his own
north-eastern Tibet. At the young age of two, credit titles and publicity material. Ray received
the child, then named Lhamo Dhondup, was many major awards in his career, including
recognized by the people as the reincarnation of 32 Indian National Film Awards, a number of
the previous 13th Dalai Lama, Thubten Gyatso. additional awards at international film festivals

The Dalai Lamas are believed to be the and award ceremonies, and an Academy
manifestations of Avalokiteshvara or Chenrezig, Honorary Award in 1992. The Government of
the Bodhisattva of Compassion and the patron India honoured him with the Bharat Ratna, its
saint of Tibet by the Tibetan people. Bodhisattvas highest civilian award, in 1992.
are the realised beings inspired by a wish to
attain Buddhahood. They aim for the benefit and 10. Tom Whitewashes the Fence
prosperity of all sentient beings, who have vowed Once upon a time, a man sold his well to a farmer.
to be reborn in this world to help humanity. A The next day, when the farmer went to draw
man who is revered by millions is His Holiness water from the well, the man did not allow him
the 14th Dalai Lama. to do so. He said, ‘I have sold you the well, not the
water. So, you cannot draw water from the well.’
8. Lights... Camera... Action! The farmer felt cheated and came to the emperor’s
The Life and Times of Dadasaheb Phalke court. He described everything to Emperor Akbar
and asked for justice.
The Master Filmmaker
The emperor called Birbal and asked him to solve
Satyajit Ray was an Indian filmmaker and author, the farmer’s problem. Birbal called the man who
widely regarded as one of the greatest filmmakers had sold the well to the farmer. Birbal asked,
of the 20th century. Ray was born in the city of ‘Why don’t you let this farmer use the water from
Calcutta into a Bengali Brahmo family which the well when you have already sold it to him?’
was prominent in the field of arts and literature. The man replied, ‘Birbal, I have sold the well to
Starting his career as a commercial artist, Ray the farmer, not the water. He has no right to draw
was drawn into independent filmmaking after the water from the well.’
meeting French filmmaker Jean Renoir and Birbal smiled and said, ‘I see. Since you have sold
viewing Vittorio De Sica’s Italian film Bicycle the well to this farmer, and you claim that the
Thieves (1948) during a visit to London. water is yours, you have no right to keep your
Ray directed 36 films, including feature films, water in the farmer’s well. Either you pay rent to
documentaries and shorts. He was also a fiction the farmer to keep your water in his well, or you
writer, publisher, illustrator, calligrapher, music take the water out of his well immediately.’
composer, graphic designer and film critic. The man understood that his trick had failed.
He authored several short stories and novels, Birbal had outwitted him.
primarily aimed at children and adolescents.
Feluda, the sleuth, and Professor Shonku, 12. A Stormy Day
the scientist in his science fiction stories, are
popular fictional characters created by him. He Two friends went out on a long journey. They
was awarded an honorary degree by Oxford happened to pass through a thick forest. They felt
University. a bit nervous; but as each promised to stand by
the other and share the same fate they could walk
Ray’s first film, Pather Panchali (1955), won on with some confidence in their mind.
eleven international prizes. Ray did the scripting,

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