Teen Kanya (Bengali, Three Ladies, 1961)
Director: Satyajit Ray
This 1961 offering was in conjunction with Rabindranath Tagore's centenary birth celebration. The stories were penned by Tagore and modified for the screen by Ray. Women was the theme behind the three stories, hence the name. Watching a 'new' Ray's film is like opening a Pandora box, we would be pleasantly surprised how it turns out. Or like how Forrest Gump would put it, "...like a box of chocolate, you never know what you're gonna get!"
Postmaster
Nanda, a Calcutta boy is posted as a postmaster in a tiny village out in nowhere. Living with the bare minimum, he has only a pre-teen orphaned illiterate girl, Ratan, who is the helper to postmasters posted there. Also for company, he has a bevvy of toothless old men who keep looking at him like he was a stuffed animal. To pass time, he writes to his mother, tells stories about Calcutta to Ratan and the old men and he also starts teaching Ratan to read and write. Ratan and Nanda develop a unique sibling kind of bond.
After a late session of traditional musical extravaganza with the oldies in the village, Nanda is bedridden, afflicted with malaria. He had not been taking his prophylactic quinine. Ratan nurses him day and night back to health.
The bone-breaking chills of malaria broke Nanda's spirit to stay any longer in the wilderness. After failing to obtain a transfer, he resigns. A disappointed Ratan refuses to see him and take his tips.
She is now immersed in serving the new officer. Nanda just leaves...
A movie to highlight that something which we think would be uninteresting will grow on us. We will find it difficult to leave it, but then life has to go on.
Monihara (The Lost Jewel)
A teacher Sri Gobinda Chakravarthy who takes a keen interest in ghost and spirits takes a seat by the bank (ghat) of the river of the Saha residence. He complains that after being in the 'business' for so long, he is yet to meet a ghost. He meets a hooded man by the ghat and strikes a conversation and reads his text on the history and grandiosity of the Saha Estate.
30 years previously, Phanibhusan Saha and his wife Monimalika moved in from Calcutta to take over mansion after his father's death.
The childless couple after 10 years of married life is happy with each other, away from the prying and gossipy relatives in Calcutta. She also likes the frequent gifts of jewels from her beloved husband!
One day, Madhusudhan, a guy claiming to be Moni's brother appears at the doorstep looking for a job. He gets a job through Saha's recommendation. Moni is uncomfortable with the mention of Madhusudhan's name but we are not told why.
Director: Satyajit RayThis 1961 offering was in conjunction with Rabindranath Tagore's centenary birth celebration. The stories were penned by Tagore and modified for the screen by Ray. Women was the theme behind the three stories, hence the name. Watching a 'new' Ray's film is like opening a Pandora box, we would be pleasantly surprised how it turns out. Or like how Forrest Gump would put it, "...like a box of chocolate, you never know what you're gonna get!"
Postmaster
Nanda, a Calcutta boy is posted as a postmaster in a tiny village out in nowhere. Living with the bare minimum, he has only a pre-teen orphaned illiterate girl, Ratan, who is the helper to postmasters posted there. Also for company, he has a bevvy of toothless old men who keep looking at him like he was a stuffed animal. To pass time, he writes to his mother, tells stories about Calcutta to Ratan and the old men and he also starts teaching Ratan to read and write. Ratan and Nanda develop a unique sibling kind of bond.
After a late session of traditional musical extravaganza with the oldies in the village, Nanda is bedridden, afflicted with malaria. He had not been taking his prophylactic quinine. Ratan nurses him day and night back to health.The bone-breaking chills of malaria broke Nanda's spirit to stay any longer in the wilderness. After failing to obtain a transfer, he resigns. A disappointed Ratan refuses to see him and take his tips.
She is now immersed in serving the new officer. Nanda just leaves...
A movie to highlight that something which we think would be uninteresting will grow on us. We will find it difficult to leave it, but then life has to go on.
Monihara (The Lost Jewel)
A teacher Sri Gobinda Chakravarthy who takes a keen interest in ghost and spirits takes a seat by the bank (ghat) of the river of the Saha residence. He complains that after being in the 'business' for so long, he is yet to meet a ghost. He meets a hooded man by the ghat and strikes a conversation and reads his text on the history and grandiosity of the Saha Estate.
30 years previously, Phanibhusan Saha and his wife Monimalika moved in from Calcutta to take over mansion after his father's death.
The childless couple after 10 years of married life is happy with each other, away from the prying and gossipy relatives in Calcutta. She also likes the frequent gifts of jewels from her beloved husband!
One day, Madhusudhan, a guy claiming to be Moni's brother appears at the doorstep looking for a job. He gets a job through Saha's recommendation. Moni is uncomfortable with the mention of Madhusudhan's name but we are not told why.
The peace and happiness of the couple came to nought on one fateful day when Saha's jute business is burnt to the ground. A distraught Saha hints to Moni that he may need to liquidate his belongings (her pricey jewellery included) to keep the business afloat. Moni, who loves her jewels too much is morbidly fearful of losing her priced ornaments that she takes great pride in adorning.
Saha goes to Calcutta to secure loans. Fearing that the husband would eye to sell off her set of jewellery if he failed, Moni absconds from the house with the help of Madhusudhan.
As she leaves the house, she mockingly tells her partner that the only thing that she would miss about her husband would be the necklace that he promised to buy if he were successful in his attempts in getting finances.
Saha goes to Calcutta to secure loans. Fearing that the husband would eye to sell off her set of jewellery if he failed, Moni absconds from the house with the help of Madhusudhan.
As she leaves the house, she mockingly tells her partner that the only thing that she would miss about her husband would be the necklace that he promised to buy if he were successful in his attempts in getting finances.
Saha returns victoriously to an empty house. Devastated that his wife had gone missing, he pines for her whilst constantly holding the jewellery set that he bought for her. Almost every night, he hears the jingling sounds of his wife's anklet filling the still of the night at the stroke of midnight. One night an apparition resembling the silhouette of Moni manifests in front of him in the dark. The figure tries to snatch the jewellery box. Only then, he realizes that it is the skeletal bone of Moni covered in saree donning all her jewels! Guess, even in spirit, her desire for jewels had not waned.
Back to the ghat, the hooded man insists that there were factual errors in the story. Annoyed, Gobinda demands to know how he knew of the errors. To this, the listener introduced himself as Saha and disappeared into thin air. Govinda scuttled away helter-skelter.
Ray's attempt at horror and managed to hoodwink viewers to show a ghostly ending!
Samapti (The Conclusion)
Amulya returns home after his examinations. His mother, as all Indian movie mothers, put forward the idea that he should get married. The son, however, wants to study law.
On mother's insistence and emotional melodrama, he relents to pay a visit to a prospective bride. The outing did not go well at all. He had to walk through a treacherously muddy road, lost his shoes just to see an uneducated young bride child and a commotion was set by a stray frog in the living room, sending Amulya into a coughing fit.
Here the story pokes fun at the traditional Indian matchmaking.
On the way back, he is fascinated with a boisterous tomboyish girl who is full of foolhardy named Mrinmoyee (a.k.a. Pagli - mad girl as she is known around the village as she is always roaming doing pranks.)
The mother is disappointed with his choice but gives in and promises to 'domesticate' her. Mrimoyee is kept indoors much to her resistance and is advised on how ladies should behave. Mrinmoyee tries to avoid wedding by cutting her hair short but it goes on anyway.
After the ceremony, Amulya realises that she is not ready to let go of her childish ways. On the wedding night, she sneaks out to see her pet squirrel, creating such a commotion in the household.
Feeling disappointed by his own choice and humiliated by relatives, Amulya leaves Mrinmoyee with his mother and leaves for Calcutta to continue his studies. He reiterated that he would only return with Mrinmoyee's letter. 6 months passed without any word and news from Amulya.
Mrinmoyee's and Amu's mother hatch out a plan to bring Amulya back by sending a postcard to announce that his mother is sick. He comes back to see a changed Mrinmoyee and all is well.
A simple story with intense but non-melodramatic human emotions.
Back to the ghat, the hooded man insists that there were factual errors in the story. Annoyed, Gobinda demands to know how he knew of the errors. To this, the listener introduced himself as Saha and disappeared into thin air. Govinda scuttled away helter-skelter.
Ray's attempt at horror and managed to hoodwink viewers to show a ghostly ending!
Samapti (The Conclusion)
Amulya returns home after his examinations. His mother, as all Indian movie mothers, put forward the idea that he should get married. The son, however, wants to study law.
On mother's insistence and emotional melodrama, he relents to pay a visit to a prospective bride. The outing did not go well at all. He had to walk through a treacherously muddy road, lost his shoes just to see an uneducated young bride child and a commotion was set by a stray frog in the living room, sending Amulya into a coughing fit.Here the story pokes fun at the traditional Indian matchmaking.
On the way back, he is fascinated with a boisterous tomboyish girl who is full of foolhardy named Mrinmoyee (a.k.a. Pagli - mad girl as she is known around the village as she is always roaming doing pranks.)
The mother is disappointed with his choice but gives in and promises to 'domesticate' her. Mrimoyee is kept indoors much to her resistance and is advised on how ladies should behave. Mrinmoyee tries to avoid wedding by cutting her hair short but it goes on anyway.
After the ceremony, Amulya realises that she is not ready to let go of her childish ways. On the wedding night, she sneaks out to see her pet squirrel, creating such a commotion in the household.
Feeling disappointed by his own choice and humiliated by relatives, Amulya leaves Mrinmoyee with his mother and leaves for Calcutta to continue his studies. He reiterated that he would only return with Mrinmoyee's letter. 6 months passed without any word and news from Amulya.
Mrinmoyee's and Amu's mother hatch out a plan to bring Amulya back by sending a postcard to announce that his mother is sick. He comes back to see a changed Mrinmoyee and all is well.
A simple story with intense but non-melodramatic human emotions.
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