Starting his career as a commercial artist, Ray was drawn into independent filmmaking after meeting French filmmaker Jean Renoir and viewing Vittorio De Sica's Italian neorealist film Bicycle Thieves (1948) during a visit to London.
Duke filluar karrierën e tij si artist komercial, Ray u tërhoq në filmin e pavarur pas takimit me regjisorin francez Jean Renoir dhe shikimin e filmit italian neorealist Vittorio De Sica, Bicycle Thieves (1948) gjatë një vizite në Londër.