2 Satyajit Ray's Movies : Jalsaghar (1958) + Charulata (1964)

Director: Satyajit Ray
Writer: Satyajit Ray, based on the short story "Jalsaghar" by Tarasankar Banerjee
India - 1958 - B&W
Cast: Chhabi Biswas, Padma Devi, Pinaki Sen Gupta, Gangapada Bose



1930's, Bengal. Biswambhar Roy is the last in a long line of rich patriarchs. He continues to cling to his refined tastes even as his estate is diminishing. On his terrace, smoking a hookah, the zamindar(landlord) has his memory stirred by the sound of some music from the coming of age ceremony of his neighbor's son. He recalls his own son's initiation and the recitals in his salon to which he invited the finest musicians, the most beautiful singers, the greatest dancers. After his wife and his son are dead and his status as an important landowner has declined, Roy falls into a depression. His inability to adapt with changing times has made him into a recluse. He has closed the music room for good. Goaded by his neighbor, an arrogant pretender who boasts of his taste in music, the zamindar opens his salon once again and ruins himself with a final recital. He savors the music. He savors his victory and toasts his ancestors. At dawn, he departs on his horse and leaves this elegant world behind.
This film is a masterpiece, with great Indian dance, singing and great musical score by the famous Indian musician Ustad Vilayat Khan.







Director: Satyajit Ray
Writer: Satyajit Ray, based on Rabindranath Tagore's story
India - 1964 - B&W
Cast: Soumitra Chatterjee, Madhabi Mukherjee, Shailen Mukherjee, Bhupati Dutta, Shyamal Ghoshal

A story of trust, betrayal and loneliness set in the 19th century. Charulata lives a lonely and idle life in 1870s India. She is interested in the arts, literature and poetry. Although her husband devotes more time to his newspaper than to their marriage, he sees her loneliness and asks his brother-in-law, Amal, a would-be writer to keep her company and to encourage Charu's cultural interests. However, after several months, Charu and Amal's feelings for each other move beyond literary friendship. An intimate relationship develops between them.

1879, dans une Inde en effervescence et un Bengale en pleine renaissance culturelle, Bhupati s'efforce de lutter contre la domination britannique. Pour cela, il consacre son temps et sa fortune au petit journal politique qu'il a créé. Cette passion, cet engagement, l'éloigne peu à peu de Charulata, son épouse qui mène une vie oisive, solitaire et ennuyeuse. Conscient de ce qui se passe, Bhupati se décide à faire venir Amal, son jeune cousin, écrivain en herbe, pour la distraire. Charulata retrouve le joie de vivre ; de plus en plus, l'amitié qu'elle éprouve pour Amal se transforme en un sentiment plus profond…