Kapurush - Der Feigling

Two years after Jean Luc Godard's brilliant "Contempt" ("Le Mepris," 1963), about a feckless screenwriter, who loses his wife to a wealthy and powerful man, Satyajit Ray released his film about a feckless screenwriter, who lost his college girl friend to a wealthy and powerful man. I wonder what these directors have against screenwriters. Could it be that they did not like the scripts they were getting and had to sweat over their own? A car driven by Soumitra Chatterjee breaks down in a remote village and the local garage will have to send away for a part. But it just so happens that a friendly man of substance is in that same garage at that same time and offers the writer the hospitality of his home. The writer agrees and when they reach their destination, it just so happens that the man of substance is married to the writer's college girl friend (Madhavi Mukherjee), who he rejected but never got over. Perhaps a professional screenwriter would be uncomfortable with all these coincidences, but, once accepted, there's much suspense in how this ends.

This can be categorized as another Ray short-of-a-full-length venture! The title could not be more apt, as COWARD is written all over the young writer(Soumitra Chatterjee)- especially after we are told of the past sequence. Some years ago, Amitabh had refused to marry lover Karuna in haste. He needed 'time' to think it over, the city was big, he was starting to work, he wasn't even established properly- how could he marry Karuna suddenly?

Many years later, his car breaks down and he is given shelter for the evening in Bimal Gupta's house- a successful tea planter somewhere in Darjeeling. The tea-planter is lonely in that part of the world with no neighbors nearby, hence he talks garrulously about his takes on life. Amitabha is now an established screen-writer who talks less but is astounded to meet Bimal's wife- Karuna.

A breakthrough performance by Madhabi Mukherjee, this is a wonderful movie which will not fail to appeal anyone.

Kapurush / The Coward (1965) : Brief Review -

Satyajit Ray's burning take on incomplete lovestory. A Classic contrary version to his own Masterpiece Charulata. You know i often say that Indian Cinema can never have a Masterpiece like Casablanca (1942) but we have Charulata (1964). It was Ray's visionary take on a Woman's Love for the other person than her Husband but the person with high ethics doens't fall for it. That reminds me of Casablanca, you know Rick sending off the couple to stay happy in their married life in the legendary climax scene. Though, Ray's Charulata was differen. But for me that's the only thing from India which i can compare to Casablanca and you know it's a big statment. So, Kapurush is contrary to Charulata or should i say it's a male version of it. A by chance meeting rekindles old memories between a screenwriter and his ex-girlfriend, who is by now married to a well-to-do man. Here, we see the woman having those ethics and showing her loyalty. However, her burning heart and pain does not remain hidden and that's what delivers a Classic heartbreaking climax to this short film. In 67 minutes, Kapurush smartly manages to showcase all the required things including past events. It's an achievement for any film with this much short runtime. Remember those Classic love stories of Hollywood from silent era? Kapurush is that for Indian cinema. I know it's too late, i mean 4 decades, yeah but still at last we have something to tell. Soumitra Chatterjee, Madhabi Mukherjee and Haradhan Bandopadhyay are in their sublime forms in the film. Satyajit Ray's dark theme and extremely earnest framework are the two major highlights of Kapurush. Even though that 'Coward' element seems little udiscovered considering the importance it holds towards the title, the rest of the narrative is nothing short of a Classic Cinematic Experience.

RATING - 8/10*

By - #samthebestest.

After watching two rather lengthy, rambling Ray films, "Big City" and "Charulata", it was nice to see this concise, 70 minute parable about the folly of turning one's back on love because one is scared to commit. Felt like a combination of DeMaupassant, with the twist of the knife at the end, and Maugham, with the tawdry, tea plantation setting. Add a dash of James M Cain (the lonely, alcoholic husband) and you've got a most satisfying movie. Give it an A.

This Satyajit Ray movie, made in 1965, is virtually unknown here and while it's not one of his great masterpieces it is very fine and well worth seeing. "The Coward" is very much a chamber piece with really only three main speaking parts. The great Soumitra Chatterjee is Amitabha Roy, the screenwriter who finds himself stranded in a remote backwater after his car breaks down. He is 'rescued' by a friendly plantation owner, (Haradhan Bannerjee),, who invites him home for the evening but when he gets there he discovers the plantation owner's wife, (the equally great Madhavi Mukherjee), is his old love he let go years before. He still carries a torch for her but she seems indifferent to him.

Is Chatterjee the coward of the title for not committing himself to Mukherjee when he had the chance or is she the coward, unable or unwilling to face up to her feelings in the present? In just seventy minutes Ray presents us with a devastating character study as he peels away layers from each of the three protagonists revealing the feelings and the frustrations beneath. (He's also not afraid to tackle issues like colonialism and the caste system). In the grand scheme of things this may be 'minor' Ray and yet it is a film that will stay in your memory long after it's over.