Mahanagar (1963)

Original title

মহানগর

Directed by

Satyajit Ray

Genre

drama film

Country

India

Runtime

2h 08m

Rated

U

Rating

7.8 of 10 from 103 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

In 1960s Calcutta, a housewife takes a job as a saleswoman to help her family financially. Her new role challenges her husband and father in-law's traditional views about a woman's place in the home.

intimateobservationalgroundedquietly tensewarmsocially consciouseverydayrestrained

What happens

Mahanagar (Bengali: মহানগর, lit. 'The Big City') is a 1963 Indian Bengali-language drama film written and directed by Satyajit Ray. Starring Madhabi Mukherjee in the leading role and based on the short story Abataranika by Narendranath Mitra, it tells the story of a housewife who disconcerts her traditionalist family by getting the job of a saleswoman. The film marked the first screen appearance of Jaya Bhaduri, one of Hindi cinema's leading actresses. Shot in the first half of 1963 in Calcutta, Mahanagar was the first film directed by Ray set entirely in his native Calcutta, reflecting contemporary realities of the urban middle-class, where women going to work is no longer merely driven by ideas of emancipation, but has become an economic reality. The film examines the effects of the confident working woman on patriarchial attitudes and social dynamics. According to veteran film critic Philip French, the film stands alongside The Apu Trilogy as some of Ray's greatest work. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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