MOVIE REVIEW:
Nayak is a 1966 film directed by Satyajit Ray. The film stars Uttam Kumar, Sharmila Tagore, Sumila Sanyal, Bireshwar Sen, Kamu Mukherjee, and several other film stars from the early ’90s. It is a 2-hour film, with genres set to Drama/Satire. Though not yet available on the major OTT Platforms, it can be streamed over YouTube for free.
The film is considered a legendary classic by Satyajit Ray in today’s age. Rated 5/5 by French Films, 8.3/10 by IMDb, and an unbelievable 100 % by Rotten Tomatoes, it is indeed a masterpiece by Satyajit Ray. With the original screenplay and story by the director himself, this film was intended to showcase a Film star’s life in a nutshell, which is the literary meaning of ‘Nayak’ in this film. The film also received the honorary ‘National Film Award for the Best Feature film in Bengali, Bengal Film Journalists’ Award, Silver Lotus Award, and received special mentions at the Berlin International Film Festival.
The film was shot entirely in monochrome mode (Black and white), not only because there were no color films/reels in that era, but also to indicate a ‘NOIR’ aspect in the film.
The film begins with Matinee Idol Arindam Mukherjee (Uttam Kumar), who is the ‘Nayak’, in the film. He is seen traveling on a train to collect an acting award in Delhi. During his monotonous journey, he meets Aditi, a print journalist who doesn’t like the overall idea of Film stars, yet still interviews Arindam, out of Crowd Demands. Half of the entire film’s scenes are shot inside the moving train, where Arindam, out of sheer interest shares his past experiences with Aditi, seeing her ignorant persona towards film stars.
The film is seen mentioning names of legendary actors such as Marlon Brando (Godfather, The Score) and many other prominent names. Since this film’s motive was to showcase the idea of ‘HEROES’, Ray very tactfully gets the job done. The cinematography is near perfect and the D.O.P is still considered a remarkable job by Cinephiles and filmmakers today.
There are a lot of elements to consider for film enthusiasts in the film, but subjectively speaking, the usage of props and transition in moods of the artists was quite impressive.
Also, the scene where Arindam is seen submerged deep in a pile of cash, as he runs around joyfully in the deserted place, where the only thing which can be seen is cash and was a remarkable metaphor. The shift in the authoritative and naive persona of a film star to a powerless/helpless and dependent state is showcased very well, as we can see Arindam sinking into a pile of cash, out of pure gluttony and pride.
Rest assured, it is a must-watch for Film lovers and fanatics. People who are inspired by Directors such as Martin Scorsese, Frank Oz, Michael Mann, and other similar filmmakers should have this in their bucket list. To know how the life of a Film star or a Hero, which was the trending name back in the early 90s from proud to demanding is indeed a strong resemblance to the Star life.
Be it bingeing on alcohol and speaking British English or struggling for a role, the only thing that matters is the conscience.
Comments
Post a Comment