My uncle and Satyajit Ray's son were (and still are) great friends. I met Mr. Ray (senior) a few times, and I remember him as a wonderfully gentle man, who took the time to talk to a six year old me as if I was an adult. He didn't talk down to me, he sat and told me stories.

I didn't know then that he was such a famous man. I just knew him as the sweet man who told great stories - and he did tell great stories! He also asked me about my life (my six-year-old life), and genuinely listened to everything I said. He was just a great guy.

One of my prize possessions is a sketch he did for me - he saw me reading a comic book (Tintin - The Secret of the Unicorn), and asked me to name my favorite character. I pointed to a panel showing Snowy (Tintin's dog) running. He whipped out his pad, and sketched that panel for me. I remember watching with amazement as Snowy came to life!

I still have that sketch, carefully framed. I wish I had been older and gotten to know him better, but I'm glad I met him. My uncle grew up with Sanjit (Ray Junior), and has a treasure trove of stories, but I can't share those.