Jana Aranya

I have often felt irked by uninformed interpretations of certain works of art and the feeling was similar when I chanced upon a review here that announced Ray's "Jana Aranya", also known as "The Middleman", as a "dud from a master". The movie is most certainly wordy and full of urban dark humor that only a Calcuttan would be able to appreciate naturally. For the very same reason, a Western viewer would only be left to grapple with a bare minimum structure of the plot and would be at a loss to understand why people had to talk so much when the story simply said this: "A young man fares badly in his exams for no fault of his own, is unable to find himself a decent job, becomes a middleman and ultimately sets out to clinch the big deal." People talked so much because a lot of pet Bengali sentiments that mean nothing at other corners of the world are at play here. Terribly parochial and fragile concepts of morality, dignity and forthrightness are bludgeoned with Satyajit Ray's acid humor, albeit compassion and sensitivity worthy of Ray alone weave through the fabric of the story simultaneously. Somnath is hungry for success, but are his Victorian values strong enough to keep him from paying the terrible price for it? Ray bares his fangs and slashes the dark underbelly of Calcutta to spill its guts out. He shows us what his take on morality, immorality and integrity is. It's certainly one of his starkest films and one of his most important.

Before I get to the movie, there are a few things I should mention about the DVD for "The Middleman" ("Jana Aranya"). Like many other Satyajit Ray films I have seen from the 60s and 70s, it's in black & white. Apparently color films were very, very late coming to the Indian film industry--just like the Japanese and Chinese were still making silent films up until WWII. The print is also pretty fuzzy and has an annoying 'Shradha' (the distributing company) pasted across it. It's a pretty ugly looking film, that's for sure.

The film is about a young man named Somnath has taken a college exam. By a weird chance occurrence he's cheated out of the grade he's learned. This element of chance is something that will come into play a bit later in the film. In the meantime, he's graduated but finds the job marked glutted. Considering he didn't graduate with top honors, he's unable to stand out from the crowd and he spends a year looking for work. By chance, later he slips on a banana peel--and this ushers in an unusual opportunity. Now the non-Indian viewer might not understand the significance, but Somnath is from a Brahman family (from the top of the caste system) and the job he takes is NOT one a Brahman would normally do--it would be beneath him and dishonor his family. But he needs work and goes into business becoming a 'middleman'--a schemer who buys and sells practically anything to make a buck. The work isn't really bad at first, but later when he needs to give kickbacks and twist the truth, Somnath's father is heartbroken. But Somnath can live with this--after all, it's business. But, when he learns what he needs to do with one big client, it tests his mettle--what is he willing to do and not willing to do to make it in business?

There were some very positive things about the film. I agree with another reviewer who felt the father was an excellent and well-acted character. I also loved the big moral dilemma--this made the film end exceptionally well. However, I also should point out that this is a Ray film that is NOT for those unfamiliar with the man's work. That's because it's far from his best work--mostly because the pacing is like lead through the first half of the film. Slow and, I must add, it's hard to really like the main character, as he just seems to exist--and there's little with which to connect. Worth seeing and close to a 7, but it's not quite there.

Last movie from the city series. This was the second novel by Shankar which Ray adapted. But these are just mere trivia. In an universe where there is no Apu series, I would call this Ray's best. What do you need in a super cool film. Dark comedy - this is overflowing with it. Fuzzy ending; you will get shocked with the climax and will understand the meaning of depression from the last sequence. And, I had to mention it, ensemble. This flick can be used as a textbook of ensemble cast for those directors who celebrates the guest and cameo appearances. The character actors are so powerful in their scenes, you will even not be interested in what the hero is saying. And that is done purposefully here. References of growing interest for maoism in the veins of a city were shot in guerrilla style makes this a documents of time too. In that way, Ray completes his 'Socialist Trilogy' too :P.

" The middleman is the last film on the Calcutta trilogy if we do not consider Mahanagar along the same genres. The protagonist Somnath is an educated unemployed youth struggling with his life in Calcutta. Somnath fails to get the distinctions in his BA because his answer scripts from university exam goes to a professor who had problems in reading his small hand writings with his broken borrowed specs. The result of which is a mere pass marks in literature much to the irk of his retired father. Somnath's quest with job in corporate Calcutta develops a chain of frustration, regrets, new relationships and dark humors to the amusement of the audience. He finds no answers to stupid questions asked by interview board as "what is the weight of the moon". The only support he gets is from his affectionate sister in law who gifts him a new watch as he enters the challenging phase of job search.

To add to his worry his long term girl friend dumps him in order to seek stability for her by an arranged marriage. There is a strong melodrama on the break up scene which catches the audience. Probably women always break up with a sense of encouragement with the dumped men and Ray brilliantly uses Aprana Sen for this role of Somnath's ex girl friend. Destiny chances upon Somnath when he meets an old football game friend who offers him support to start his own business and to leave the false illusion of cracking a job interview. The rest of the story involves Somnath learning the business rules as an order supplier or middleman.

The script is adapted from the story of Sankar and portraits the missing ethics in corporate world very strongly. The use of PRO (public relations officer) and tricks for luring procurement managers forms the main learning curve for Somnath as his middle class values are put to test for these tricks. Finally Somnath gives up and decides to follow the road ahead at the cost of his internal soul sufferings.

Ray brilliantly uses the plot in a simple and lucid way and this film is not a complex film as "The competitor". The climax is the last 20 minutes when Somnath struggles with his PRO to get a women (escort) for the client manager and ends up hiring his best friend's sister who has unfortunately turned into an underground call girl forced by sheer poverty. Somnath commercial success and his moral failure marks the end of the film as he fails to make an eye contact with his sister in law in the last scene. Somnath's win's in the end but fails to earn the respect and admiration from himself or from his sister in law. Somnath is definitely gray in shades or rather gets converted from a white shade to gray as he fights back the whole system for his own metabolism and future of a better tomorrow. For sure this contrast makes the end of the Calcutta trilogy".

" The middleman is the last film on the Calcutta trilogy if we do not consider Mahanagar along the same genres. The protagonist Somnath is an educated unemployed youth struggling with his life in Calcutta. Somnath fails to get the distinctions in his BA because his answer scripts from university exam goes to a professor who had problems in reading his small hand writings with his broken borrowed specs. The result of which is a mere pass marks in graduation much to the irk of his retired father. Somnath's quest with job in corporate Calcutta develops a chain of frustration, regrets, new relationships and dark humors to the amusement of the audience. He finds no answers to stupid questions asked by interview board as "what is the weight of the moon". The only support he gets is from his affectionate sister in law who gifts him a new watch as he enters the challenging phase of job search.

To add to his worry his long term girl friend dumps him in order to seek stability for her by an arranged marriage. There is a strong melodrama on the break up scene which catches the audience. Probably women always break up with a sense of encouragement with the dumped men and Ray brilliantly uses Aprana Sen for this role of Somnath's ex girl friend. Destiny chances upon Somnath when he meets an old football game friend who offers him support to start his own business and to leave the false illusion of cracking a job interview. The rest of the story involves Somnath learning the business rules as an order supplier or middleman.

The script is adapted from the story of Sankar and portraits the missing ethics in corporate world very strongly. The use of PRO (public relations officer) and tricks for luring procurement managers forms the main learning curve for Somnath as his middle class values are put to test for these tricks. Finally Somnath gives up and decides to follow the road ahead at the cost of his internal soul sufferings.

Ray brilliantly uses the plot in a simple and lucid way and this film is not a complex film as "The competitor". The climax is the last 20 minutes when Somnath struggles with his PRO to get a women (escort) for the client manager and ends up hiring his best friend's sister who has unfortunately turned into an underground call girl forced by sheer poverty. Somnath commercial success and his moral failure marks the end of the film as he fails to make an eye contact with his sister in law in the last scene. Somnath's win's in the end but fails to earn the respect and admiration from himself or from his sister in law. Somnath is definitely gray in shade or rather gets converted from a white shade to grey as he fights back the whole system for his own metabolism and future of a better tomorrow. For sure this contrast makes the end of the Calcutta trilogy".