As the re-release trend is getting hotter, here is some good news for fans of Indian art-house cinema. A movie from the legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray is finally coming back to theaters soon. ‘Mahanagar’ or ‘The Mighty City’ will be released on the 13th of September and this is a huge opportunity for this generation who are having a once in a lifetime chance to experience the Ray-magic on big screens.
‘Mahanagar’ came out in 1963 and was adapted from a short story by Narendranath Mitra. It had Madhabi Mukherjee in the leading role and also marked the debut of Jaya Bachchan (Jaya Bhaduri then). ‘Mahanagar’ is the story of a housewife named Arati who disconcerts the family of her in-laws when she starts a job as a saleswoman. But soon her husband loses his job and Arati becomes the only earning member of the family and the perspective of the family changes drastically.
‘Mahanagar’ is said by some critics to be the finest work by Satyajit Ray after ‘The Apu Trilogy’. You will get a grasp of Ray’s craft of narrative in the film and also a hold on his ideas on urban life. It is also one of the few Indian films of the time that gathered huge praise internationally.
This is an opportunity that you should not miss at any cost. Being able to watch a Ray film Om big screens is indeed some achievement to boast of. The movie will stay in theaters from the 13th to the 19th of September.