ABHIJAN
A film by Satyajit
Ray
1962/ 150 mins /
Bengali with English subtitles
18th May 2014; 5.45
pm; Perks Mini Theater
Proud and hot-tempered, with a passion
for his 1930s Chrysler, Narsingh is offered work for Sukhanram, a shady
merchant, and finds himself drawn against his better judgment into trafficking
opium. Having failed in everything honest, he has to decide whether or not he
will engage in criminal activity to make money.
The two main female characters Neeli and Gulabi form a
contrast. Narasingh has a soft spot for Neeli who is a strong, reserved
Catholic schoolmistress, and has no interest in him. The other female character
is beautiful Gulabi who has been forced into prostitution by circumstances.
Narasingh falls in love with Gulabi for her basic values. In the end he redeems himself
and proves that every rule has an exception.
Starring Waheeda Rehman
as Gulabi, a prostitute; Rabi Ghosh as Rama, Narsingh's right-hand man;
and Ruma Guha Thakurata as Neeli, Abhijan was honoured with the National Award
of India in 1962.
Satyajit Ray
Satyajit Ray was born on May 2, 1921 in Calcutta into a
Bengali family of a distinguished cultural lineage. After graduating from the
famous Presidency College of Calcutta, Ray enrolled in the Visva-Bharati
University founded by noted poet Rabindranath Tagore. During his stint in the
Visva-Bharati, Ray's creative faculties were enriched by the exposure to
different nuances of fine arts.
Consequent to the course completion, Satyajit Ray joined
advertising agency D.J. Keymer as a visualiser. After a couple of award-winning
assignments, he joined publishing house Signet Press with the responsibility of
designing cover jackets for books. While the job itself was an exercise in
creativity, more importantly it led to Ray's first brush with the cream of
Bengali literature. He gradually developed a passion for films and with a few
friends founded the Calcutta Film Society in 1947.
In 1949 Satyajit Ray married his distant cousin Bijoya Das.
The same year French director Jean Renoir came to Calcutta and the great
filmmaker's encouraging words motivated Ray to tread the path of filmmaking.
Next year Ray went to London as D.J. Keymer's art director and there he got an
opportunity to watch Vittorio de Sica's film 'Bicycle Thief.' The film, a
neorealist classic, kindled the filmmaker in Satyajit Ray.
He returned home determined to realize the dream of a film
portrayal of Bibhutibhusan Bandopadhyay's novel Pather Panchali. Despite being
dogged by financial hassles, Ray and his ensemble of amateur crews finally
completed the film and released it in 1955. The film won rave reviews all over
the globe and heralded the arrival of a master filmmaker. Satyajit Ray made two
more films Aparajito (1956) and Apur Sansar (1959) based on the life cycle of
central protagonist Apu. Riding on the crest massive success and adoration, Ray
unleashed a slew of memorable films such as Jalsagar (1958), Devi (1960), Teen
Kanya (1961), Abhijan (1962), Kanchenjunga (1962), Mahanagar (1963)) and
Charulata (1964).
His credentials firmly established now, Satyajit Ray opted
for creative liberty in his later films and dabbled in themes as diverse as
fantasy and historical drama. Some of his prominent films during this period
are Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne (1969), Pratiwandi (1970), Jana Aranya (1975), crime
fiction Sonar Kella (1974), Jai Baba Felunath (1978) and Shatranj ke Khiladi
(1977), his first film in Hindi.
In 1983 a severe heart attack crippled Ray's mobility and
his last three films, Ganashatru, Shakha Proshakha and Agantuk couldn't create
the magic of his earlier films. Satyajit Ray breathed his last on April 23,
1992.
(Source: Internet)
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