Rent Mahanagar (1963)
4.1 of 5 from 99 ratings
2h 2min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- Set in the mid '50s, Ray's often humorous story of conflicting social values in India's lower-middle class stars Madhabi Mukherjee as housewife Arati Mazumdar. Finding it difficult to make ends meet on her husband's salary alone, Arati takes up a job as a sales woman and finds that she revels in her new-found freedom. But Arati's independence and burgeoning confidence alarms her traditionalist family and threaten to throw her life into chaos.
- Actors:
- Madhabi Mukherjee, Anil Chatterjee, Jaya Bhaduri, Haren Chatterjee, Sefalika Devi, Soumitra Chatterjee, Shailen Mukherjee, Shyamal Ghoshal, Gitali Roy, Uttam Kumar, Sharmila Tagore, Bireswar Sen, Somen Bose, Nirmal Ghosh, Premangshu Bose, Haradhan Bannerjee, Vicky Redwood, Bibhuti Banerjee, Manisha Chakraborty, Subrata Sensharma
- Directors:
- Satyajit Ray
- Producers:
- R.D. Bansal
- Writers:
- Narendranath Mitra, Satyajit Ray
- Aka:
- The Big City
- Studio:
- Artificial Eye Film Company Ltd.
- Genres:
- Classics, Drama
- Collections:
- The Instant Expert's Guide, The Instant Expert's Guide to Satyajit Ray
- Countries:
- India
- Awards:
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- Unknown
- Run Time:
- 141 minutes
- Languages:
- Bengali Dolby Digital 1.0
- Subtitles:
- English
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 1.78:1 / 16:9
- Colour:
- B & W
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
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Reviews (2) of Mahanagar
Life affirming film - Mahanagar review by TE
A typically low-key masterpiece from Satyajit Ray. The film explores the changing role of women in Indian society post-independence, but also shows the lingering influence of British imperialist rule and the generational conflicts within families.
Ray is an expert at dealing with profound themes with a lightness of touch. 'Mahanagar' (which means "Big City") is like the best Shakespearean comedies: the characters are beautifully drawn and are put through serious challenges, but the final emphasis is on re-birth and positive ways forward.
We are slowly drawn into the lives of the family portrayed, and there is an effortless grace about the relaxed performances from the cast, with Madhabi Mukherjee on spellbinding form as the working wife.
As stated by another reviewer, this film is (sadly) still very relevant today.
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.
highly intelligent social commentary - Mahanagar review by KR
Set in Calcutta in the 1950's this brilliant film is as relevant now as it was in '63 when it was made.
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.