Le dieu éléphant

It's another masterpiece from Satyajit & Saumitra combo...2nd making of detective feluda series...

I read some Feluda stories in my childhood. Since then I haven't ventured towards the book of the ace sleuth written by Ray that have endeared him to millions across the globe. I have seen several films of the detective though, two directed by Satyajit Ray himself, and quite a few directed by his son Sandip Ray. Among the multiplicity of themes that Ray explored in his films and in his writings, one often finds a thematic recurrence interspersed among his works. The core theme in JOYBABA FELUNATH - about a thriving business involving smuggling of heritage art objects from India to the West was also seen in his book KAILASHE KELENKARI, which has been made into a film by Sandip Ray. The penchant of Ray to showcase rare skills such as jugglery (Phatikchand) is again seen in this film in the spine-chilling act of a skilled marksman aiming at humans - it was filmed on 'Jatayu.' JOYBABA .. is an engaging, suspenseful film from the master filmmaker. The film has the Hindu holy city of Benaras as the backdrop. Apart from a fine performance by Soumitro Chatterjee in the role of Feluda, the film was elevated several notches by the terrific performance of Utpal Dutta as Maganlal Meghraj - rarely has Utpal Dutta looked so menacing as a villain, his act in Bollywood films playing the evil man was mostly comical. The pivotal child character in the film, endearing called Captain Spark, brought out the child that used to reside in Ray who was enchanted by magic, mysterious occurrences & other aspects of the supernatural, besides his love of adventure. Rating; 4 out of 5

The movie is about a idol theft from the house of a old-time Benares family. Feluda, who is in Benares on holiday with his cousin and assistant Topshe and the inimitable Jatayu, is asked to help find the thief. The story moves along at a fast clip from the opening scenes when we see the holidaying trio arrive in rickshaws, with Jatayu having to constantly raise his folded hands to his forehead as they pass one temple after another. Ray is a master at showing the timeless beauty of this ancient city with its ghats, bazaars, havelis and gallis, and leverages this to the fullest to transform a mundane whodunit with a twist into a moody, sensuous, intensely funny and hauntingly musical piece of cinema which transcends its humble subject matter, but still delivers a darkly dreadful murder scene!

Great characters and a tight story made this a satisfying detective story from Satyajit Ray, one featuring a detective of his own making, Feluda. It starts with a known art smuggler showing up at the home of an old college acquaintance, asking if he can buy a valuable idol of Ganesh from Nepal. Well, he asks, but it's in a threatening way, saying that usually he just takes what he wants. He's turned down, but a few days later the idol is stolen. Good thing Feluda (good old Soumitra Chatterjee) is visiting for a festival, accompanied by his assistant Topshe and a writer, Jatayu, who is a friend. He's commissioned by the elderly man of the house who is the owner of the Ganesh, and from there methodically works to unravel the mystery.

There is of course the obvious suspect, the unscrupulous man with both a motive and means for carrying out the crime (Utpal Dutt). He's an almost James Bond like villain, offering the detective a bribe while lounging on his bed, then breaking out a set of knives for an intimidating exhibition of a crusty old minion's skill, all while having hidden guns trained on them. He's also got a connection to a guy passing himself off as a holy man, one that Feluda wonders about from the beginning, remarking "Crooks tend to make a great show of piety."

There is also clearly the possibility that it was some kind of inside job, and it's an interesting set of people living under this roof. The elderly man is in the habit of reading detective fiction and taking a little opium before nighty night. His grandson loves comic books and a character named Captain Spark, and also loves playing on the roof and shooting his toy gun at visitors. There's the poor son of the man's employee who has lived with them for 20 years, and an idol maker who spends his time painting rather buxom statues in preparation for a festival. Meanwhile, back at the hotel Feluda is staying at, he and his companions share a room with a extremely buff body builder, and there's also a humorously picky lodger often showing up to complain about something.

I loved the construction of the story, the old school emphasis on brain power to noodle things out, and the indignation Ray shows to anyone who would pillage their own country's sacred artifacts. That latter bit was rather timely, seeing as how this past week the Met in New York came under greater scrutiny for its practice of buying what it knew to be looted artifacts for decades, including when this film was made. Anyway, great stuff, and some nice spiritual music as well, composed by Ray himself.

The sequel of 'Sonar Kella'. And much better in art and camera. I mentioned earlier that Ray was an admirer of Benares' geometry and loved shooting there. You will find another set of cooler shots of the alleys of the city, which itself is a metaphor to a detective story. Contrary to the previous film, we will get to know about all the guilts at the end of this movie. And, the best villain played by the great Utpal Dutt. Someone told me West Anderson was inspired by the symmetrical shots here, to use later in his movies.