Born on May 2, 1921, Ray’s artistic journey began in the realm of commercial art before he became a filmmaker. His encounter with French filmmaker Jean Renoir and his experience with Vittorio De Sica's groundbreaking film “Bicycle Thieves” during a trip to London were pivotal, steering him toward independent filmmaking.

He created two lasting popular characters in Bengali literature—the debonair detective Felu Da and the brilliant scientist Professor Shonku. The brilliance of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Isaac Asimov neatly packed into one creative mind that was Ray's.