Ray started his professional career in film at the age of 22 as assistant director on the sets of his father's film Shatranj Ke Khilari (The Chess Players, 1977). Prior to this, he had aided his father in various capacities including still photographer on set. His own directorial debut was Phatik Chand (1983) based on Satyajit Ray's Fatik Chand – the film received an award in the International Children's Film Festival in Vancouver.