La diosa

'Devi' is so good I went out and bought the whole 'Apu Trilogy.' Which was expensive, and I'm poor. 'Devi' is so good that I've watched it enough times to be able to mouth along to it in Bengali, and I don't speak Bengali. "Khoka khotay?" "Aaaa... cheko ta." (I'm now learning Bengali because I love this movie so much!)

There is such an intricate web of relationships between the characters, that it reminds me of Macbeth. The story is very specifically about the Indian culture (it's revealing investigation into Hinduism could have happened nowhere else) but its tale of strife between generations is something anyone can understand and feel.

If you would like to talk about this film, please email me! "Namoskar." (I'm pretty sure that means 'goodbye!')

"Devi" (Hindi, 1960): Directed by Satyajit Ray, and banned in India until the intercession of Nehru, this is the story of a lovely 17 year old wife, who is suddenly labeled as a "Goddess" (while her husband is absent to complete his final exams in college), due to a dream ("vision") by her father-in-law. What follows is a fascinating, multi-angled look at the transitional Indian culture (and MOST cultures, frankly). Is this any different, any worse, or any more desperate than seeing the face of Jesus in a grilled cheese sandwich or the grain of a wooden door? Is her overnight change in status unique? Are the people who have confused motives, hopelessness, or malleable minds any less vulnerable here and now? The quality of the video copy I viewed was rough – a copy of a copy of a copy – yet even then, the power of Ray's vision shines through. This is a serious, beautiful, insightful, tragic film. (It has something of a "cousins" relationship to the film "Anchoress".)

Examining the dangers of blind faith & superstitious beliefs through the adversity of a young woman who finds herself deified by her father-in-law following a vivid dream, Devi captures the absurdity of religious delusion and the oppressive role a patriarchal society plays by not giving women their own voice even when they are held to a divine status.

Written & directed by Satyajit Ray (The Apu Trilogy & The Music Room), the story aptly introduces us to all the characters before the main plot surfaces but once it kicks into action, things only get more tragic & heartbreaking from there on. Ray makes sure his critique doesn't mock the Hindu religion, and is mainly concerned with the grave consequences of such blind conviction.

The religious fervour that erupts from one man's idiotic interpretation of a dream is depicted with both honesty & understanding. The splendid camerawork, steady pace & skilful editing do their part but what makes the ride so gripping, involving & interesting is the strong & sincere performances from the committed cast, with Sharmila Tagore impressing the most in the designated titular role.

Overall, Devi (The Goddess) is yet another socially relevant film from Satyajit Ray that tackles a sensitive subject matter with elegance & composure, and delivers a rich, evocative & thought-provoking experience. As is the case with most films of this esteemed auteur, the story brims with a timeless quality, the social themes it addresses have a universal appeal, and the sensible storytelling makes it worth a shot.

Being a Bengali, I had the privilege to read the original story by Prabhat Kumar from which the screenplay was adapted, and the story had a concrete conclusion with a deep impact where Ray finished it with surrealism and abstraction. Mostly he avoided the actual ending to bypass the social stigma which prevailed at that time. Also the story provides a very intimate adoration between the lead couple which was also avoided for probably the same reason.

Apart from that it possesses all the characteristics of Ray's direction with thrilling music, cinematography and screenplay. Definitely a must watch.

Devi / The Goddess (1960) : Brief Review -

A Satyajit Ray Classic on Superstition and Religious Dogmatism. Master Ray had to make that one woman oriented film with fictionalized mindset of society and i think this story of blind devotion and incarnation stuff was a perfect fit for it. Devi was Ray's 6th film after Appu Trilogy, Jalsaghar and Parasha Patthar and eventually it was far different with the content. A young woman is deemed as a goddess when her father-in-law, a rich feudal land-lord, has a dream envisioning her as an avatar of Kali. This leads a devotional rampage in the village and the woman finds herself caught in the crowd which she didn't want and then after the rituals stays very lonely remembering her earlier happy life. Sharmila Tagore in the lead role portrays the character with utter finesse. Those long shots have been framed by her expression without any cuts which shows how dedicated and immersed she was into the character. Soumitra Chatterjee as her husband has sort of supporting role if we go with the screen space but whatever scenes he has, he does it comfortably. Karuna Banerjee came as a complete surprise for me because the role was very sidelined and i didn't expect her to do so well with less potential of the character. I loved her in Pather Panchali so i never doubted her acting skills and she did not disappoint but moreover surpassed my expectations. The supporting cast too does well with everyone having important scenes. Devi has Satyajit Ray marking all over. From framework to storytelling to pauses and scene cutting everything has Ray's artistic touch to it. The climax is more subtle than what it looks and i am sure Satyajit Ray's Fans will understand it. However, the mass audience would never reach to the bottom of it. Overall, another Ray Classic but this time with an Important Subject like Superstition in rural areas.

RATING - 8/10*

By - #samthebestest.