If you’re fond of Bengali movies, you might already be an ardent fan of Satyajit Ray. His movies have always amazed and surprised us. With the wide range of themes and subjects and the fascinating style of storytelling, Ray is undoubtedly one of the best filmmakers in the history of cinema.
This weekend, enjoy one of his classics with your friends and family. ‘Jalsaghar’ or ‘The Music Room’ is a 1958 movie that was adapted from a story by Tarashankar Bandyopadhyay. It starred the amazing Chhabi Biswas in the lead role and had beautiful Music contributed by the likes of Ustad Vilayat Khan, Robin Majumdar, Sultan Khan, Asis Kumar and Dakhin Mohan Thakur.
The movie tells the story of Bishwambhar Roy, the Jemindar of an estate in ruins. He remembers his days of glory and tries to cope with the current state of his palace and position. When one neighbour, who was not very well-off initially, begins to gain fame and money with his hard-earned money, it becomes difficult for him to carry on a comparison with him. Bishwambhar Roy puts up a last show of ‘Jalsa’ with huge grandeur in his famed ‘Jalsaghar’ as an attempt to feed his ego.
The screenplay is beautiful and the slow execution of the movie gives the audience enough time to absorb the details of the movie. The performances are wonderful. There are songs by masters like Salamat Khan, Akhtar Bai, Bismillah Khan etc. Watch ‘The Music Room’ if you have not watched it yet and it will be one of the best experiences of your life.
The movie is available to watch on rent on Amazon Prime Video and is also streaming on the Bengali OTT platform Klikk.