240. The Big City (Mahanagar); movie review
THE BIG CITY (MAHANAGAR)
Cert PG
135 mins
BBFC advice: Contains mild sex references
The Big City is a wonderful film which steps inside India in the early 1960s. I last watched it in 2013 and, with its re-release this summer, I republish my review after seeing it again and enjoying it just as much.
I grew up in the 1960s when it was custom for women to stay at home and have meals ready for when husbands returned from work.
My own mum gave up her job as soon as I was born. It was the done thing.
But if our world was fairly traditional, it had nothing on life in India where shame was associated with working mothers.
Satyajit Ray's movie is, according to Wikipedia, set in the 1950s, but its principles are the same as I have just outlined.
The Mazumdar family are living on the breadline because Subrata (Anil Chatterjee) is supporting his mother, father, wife, son and niece on his modest bank clerk's salary.
Thus, his wife (Madhabi Mukherjee) insists she should get a job to bring in more money.
At first, her husband agrees and even fills out her application form but as pressures from his retired and ailing father (Haren Chatterjee) increase, he shifts his stance.
The trouble is that his other half has found great fulfilment in her work as a door-to-door saleswoman and does not want to give up her job.
Indeed, she has become respected in the workplace not only by colleagues but also by her boss (Haradhan Bannerjee).
Mukherjee is wonderfully spirited in her role as the meek mum whose confidence blossoms as the movie goes on.
Meanwhile, Subrata's ebbs at virtually the same rate and this is reflected by a performance of high anxiety by Anil Chatterjee.
Haren Chatterjee oozes crusty defiance as his dad.
Not since I watched the film Water have I experienced a movie which explores Indian tradition in such an incisive way.
And yet, the difference here is that The Big City makes its political points with the lightest of touches.
At no point does the wife seek to be a suffragette - she merely sees having a job as doing what is best for her family. This adds to a fierce sense of realism which is maintained throughout The Big City.
My own mum gave up her job as soon as I was born. It was the done thing.
Baca Juga
Satyajit Ray's movie is, according to Wikipedia, set in the 1950s, but its principles are the same as I have just outlined.
The Mazumdar family are living on the breadline because Subrata (Anil Chatterjee) is supporting his mother, father, wife, son and niece on his modest bank clerk's salary.
Thus, his wife (Madhabi Mukherjee) insists she should get a job to bring in more money.
At first, her husband agrees and even fills out her application form but as pressures from his retired and ailing father (Haren Chatterjee) increase, he shifts his stance.
The trouble is that his other half has found great fulfilment in her work as a door-to-door saleswoman and does not want to give up her job.
Mukherjee is wonderfully spirited in her role as the meek mum whose confidence blossoms as the movie goes on.
Meanwhile, Subrata's ebbs at virtually the same rate and this is reflected by a performance of high anxiety by Anil Chatterjee.
Haren Chatterjee oozes crusty defiance as his dad.
Not since I watched the film Water have I experienced a movie which explores Indian tradition in such an incisive way.
And yet, the difference here is that The Big City makes its political points with the lightest of touches.
At no point does the wife seek to be a suffragette - she merely sees having a job as doing what is best for her family. This adds to a fierce sense of realism which is maintained throughout The Big City.
Reasons to watch: A Bengali classic
Reasons to avoid: Fairly slow going
Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 9/10
Did you know? The Big City marked the film debut of 15-year-old Jaya Bhaduri who went on to marry one of Bollywood's most famous actor's Amitabh Bachchan.
The final word. Satyajit Ray: "Well, one understood the story [by Naren Mitra] and the context in which the story took place. Therefore you make the story not like an outsider, but as if you’re part of the milieu. It was easy because the story was very revealing, and many of the elements in the film came from the story." BFI
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