Mahapurush

"Mahapurush: The Holy Man" is a decent little film, but I definitely should point out that it is little in scope and style. Satyajit Ray has taken one of his short stories and brought it to the screen. And, at only a little over an hour and a very simple plot, it seems pretty obvious that it was a short story. Because of this, the film is rather slight and I don't recommend it for folks not familiar with Ray's work, as he's done better and more amazing films. This one is more for someone wanting to see all of Ray's films--even the minor ones.

The film begins with a widower meeting a holy man on a train. Soon, the man is won over by the holy man and has convinced practically everyone in his family to become disciples of the guy and he comes to live with them. There is only one problem--he spouts nothing but hogwash and he's clearly a phony. For example, the guy claims to be older than the Buddha and Jesus AND that he told Einstein about the theory of relativity!! So how are the family's friends going to expose the truth? See the film and find out for yourself.

My biggest complaint about the film is much of the ending--which I found a bit vague and confusing. However, there are some nice character studies and the film is enjoyable. In many ways, this is like an Indian version of the old Moliere play, "Tartuffe".

A short, simple & straightforward comedy released as one half of the double bill presentation along with Kapurush, Mahapurush (The Holy Man) concerns a devout Hindu family that falls victim to a charlatan posing as a holy man and a group of rational, intelligent men who take it upon themselves to expose him.

Co-written & directed by Satyajit Ray (The Music Room, The Big City & The Hero), the film may lack the scope of his best-known works but it still does well with the little material, thanks to its rich script, excellent cast & brief 65 mins runtime. Ray only keeps what advances the story and narrates it with aplomb while keeping things lighthearted.

The film shows the so-called god-men for who they really are and how they seduce the pious & vulnerable people into their swindling schemes without mocking the ignorance & blind following of their victims. The plot is easy to follow, even allows the viewers to catch up when it drops too many details, and maintains its neat composure from start to finish.

Overall, Mahapurush features a premise that could've been expanded upon for greater impact but it still goes past the finish line with the elegance that Ray films are known for. Not amongst his finest but a fun & enjoyable outing nonetheless that delivers both as a satire & farce and is patient in its approach & execution of the proceedings despite the limited runtime.

On a railroad trip back home, a retired lawyer meets holy man Charuprakash Ghosh and falls under his spell. So does his daughter, which worries the young man who loves her. He investigates and soon becomes convinced he is a fraud.

Satyajit Ray's comedy credits an Indian writer as its source, but strikes me as owing a good deal to Moliere's TARTUFFE. Ghosh's babbling line includes being friends with all the great holy man of the past, and urging followers to achieve enlightenment by going onto the roof at noon and staring at the sun while they recite a prayer 972 times. I don't find this one of Ray's more compelling movies; the nonsensical things his con man continually says are arrant nonsense..... but that may be a reaction due to the fact that as a westerner, what he says makes no sense and is offensive. The offensiveness is probably deliberate on Ray's part, but makes the whole thing seem trivial.

This may be a short film, but it is packed with clever dialogue. And a comedy that uses words to be funny is worth celebrating.

Charuprakash Ghosh plays a holy man (Birinchi Baba) who talks a good game of spiritual enlightenment. He travels with his assistant (played by Rabi Ghosh), looking for believers who might be tricked by his "wisdom". Actually, many of the things he says are somewhat meaningful or half-truths, and he is quite intelligent. But he really goes overboard, claiming to have known and educated everyone from Albert Einstein to Jesus and the Buddha.

The monk-ish mountebank and his attendant meet a grieving man and his daughter on a train, dazzle them with petty witticisms and cheap tricks, and establish a cushy existence in their care. But there are others who are not so easily duped; they seek a way to expose the charlatans.

It's a funny story that reminds me of O. Henry's humorous tales. Director and co-writer Satyajit Ray deserves credit for this comedy with a cautionary core.

Watch for the trick with the fingers that must have had viewers trying to replicate it.

We came to know about the concept of double-features from the 'Grindhouse' project made in 2000's. This one, even though having completely different source, was released together with the yin and yang kind of title; even I have seen photos and posters of these getting released in some theatres in Calcutta. Kapurush : story of a coward lover in a dark themed drama; speaking about contemporaneous, do not miss this. Mahapurush : story of a con godman in comedy genre - speaking about relevance, watch this right now. I think this was the first project of Ray with Soumendu Roy as his new DoP