Project Tiger
by Satyajit Ray
Satyajit Ray humorously recalls the difficulties of finding and handling trained animals while making films, especially the challenge of using a tiger for Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne.
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- The memoir describes the practical problems of filming animals.
- Hollywood had access to trained animals, including many ravens.
- Ray’s team needed a tiger for a film scene.
- Finding a suitable trained tiger was difficult.
- A tiger named Bharat was eventually brought for filming.
- The animal did not always behave according to the filmmakers’ plans.
- The piece combines filmmaking details with humour.
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Ray explains that animals are often important in films but are difficult to control. He gives examples from Hollywood, including trained ravens used for Alfred Hitchcock’s Birds.
The Indian film team faced a much greater challenge when a tiger was needed for Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne. The tiger had to appear frightening while also responding safely to the requirements of filming.
The experiences reveal the gap between a filmmaker’s plan and the unpredictable behaviour of real animals. Ray narrates these difficulties in a humorous and self-aware manner.