Jana Aranya

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.

As bleak a film as Ray ever made and as brutally honest and disturbing as a film can be, Jana Aranya aka The Middleman, the final chapter in the master Indian filmmaker's highly acclaimed Calcutta Trilogy, jabs us in the small of our backs, rudely reminding us of the moral corruption that surrounds our society at large.

And, like most Satyajit Ray films, it is as relevant today as it was back then. Jana Aranya is not an easy film to watch and is certainly not meant for the faint-hearted.

For more on the world of cinema, please visit my film blog "A Potpourri of Vestiges".

" 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".

" 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".

Quite probably the greatest Calcutta movie ever made, this is an astonishing work, especially to someone who has lived in that city before the current period of television and "modernism". How it will appeal to a non-Calcuttan is difficult to judge, and I am not bothered about it anyway, but I thank the master for this masterpiece.