Apr 05, 2025

Top 10 underrated Satyajit Ray movies

Anushka Roy Choudhary

Kanchanjungha (1962)

Ray’s first original screenplay and first color film. Set in Darjeeling over a single afternoon, this layered ensemble drama is a masterclass in visual storytelling and atmospheric tension.

Source: canva

Kapurush (The Coward) (1965)

A haunting short feature about lost love, choices, and cowardice. it's like Ray looked into your soul and whispered, “Regret tastes like yesterday’s coffee.”

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Aranyer Din Ratri (Days and Nights in the Forest) (1970)

A group of city boys escape to the forest, but the jungle reveals more than they bargained for. the movie is moody, provocative, and ahead of its time.

Source: canva

Joi Baba Felunath (1979)

Feluda gets his serious moment in this one. A whodunit with the holy city of Varanasi as a backdrop, this is mystery wrapped in silk

Source: canva

Bala (1976, Documentary)

A documentary on the Bharatanatyam dancer Balasaraswati. Ray’s delicate, reverent approach to documenting art is mesmerizing

Source: canva

The Music Room (Jalsaghar, 1958)

emi-famous but still doesn’t get its full due. The decadence, the music, the melancholy of a dying aristocrat—it’s lush, tragic, and hauntingly beautiful

Source: canva

Shatranj Ke Khilari (1977)

Ray’s only full Hindi feature. A satirical period piece but make it intellectual. The Nawabs play chess as the British take over Awadh.

Source: canva

Agantuk (The Stranger) (1991)

His final film—and what a parting gift. A mysterious man appears, claiming to be a long-lost uncle. Philosophical, warm. Utpal Dutt owns this.

Source: canva

Sadgati (1981, TV film)

A short film, but one of his most powerful. A piercing commentary on caste and exploitation. Om Puri was magnetic

Source: express-photo

Pikoo (1980)

A short film told through the eyes of a child amidst a broken marriage. Quiet, tender, and devastating. Ray always knew how to say the most with the least.

Source: canva

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