Satyajit Ray’s Kanchenjungha

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17 | August 10, 2009 at 8:17 pm | 81 views | NaachGaana Bol| Share

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Kanchenjungha is an enigmatic film that deals with a day in the life of an upper middle class family holidaying in Darjeeling. On the surface it is about family dynamics but at another level is a deep look at relationships. Each person in the family circle of Raibahadur Indranath Choudhary (Chhobi Biswas) is seeking something. Indranath rules his family with an iron fist, and wants his daughter Monisha (Alkananda Roy) to marry the upwardly mobile Mr. Bannerjee (N. Vishwanathan) just as he persuaded his older daughter Anima (Anubha Gupta) to marry the affluent Shankar (Haridhan Mukherjee). His wife Lavanya (Karuna Bannerjee) is ruled by his wishes and unable to speak her mind. The entourage is rounded out by Lavanya’s brother Jagadish Chatterjee (Pahari Sanyal) whose only wish it is to spot the rare bird he keeps hearing sing in the trees, and Indranath’s son played by Anil Chatterjee, whose desires to hook up quickly with some westernized woman in the tourist haven. We see Anima surreptitiously hiding a letter, while her husband Shankar is quite vocal about the ills of marriage without love when he talks to Monisha. Anima and Shankar have a child who is shown reciting nursery rhymes as she is riding round and round the streets of Darjeeling on a horse. The wildcard in the pack shows up in the from of Ashok (Arun Mukherjee), a “commoner” who is not westernized, has read Tagore instead of English Literature, and is hoping that Indranath will give him a job.
image1 Satyajit Rays Kanchenjungha

The narrative is non-linear as we move from group one to group two to group three and so on, and then back again to group one. The groups themselves dissolve and reform in a constant series of interactions that take place in real time, and there is no story that is told in the film. All we see on the surface is a group of people, and their inner desires and aspirations are slowly exposed though interactions and conversations.

The uncle character, played by Pahari Sanyal, begins as an inconsequential birdwatcher but turns into a catalyst for change as he interacts in turn with his sister, then Monisha, and then Ashok. Anima and Shankar have a chasm of differences between them, and one common goal of happiness for their daughter. To achieve this Anima has to give up her clandestine affair while Shankar has to give up his habits of drinking, and gambling. The son is a sort of buffoonish character but even he gets to hang out with yet another westernized girl and her dog! Indranath’s wife Lavanya gives up her easy though servile attitude as she wishes to save the second daughter from the fate of the first. Monisha is braver than her elder sister and will say no to Banerjee as she does not care for him. In his turn, Banerjee realizes that his past liaisons mean nothing and it is Monisha he wants, so he gives up his pride and asks her to let him know if she changes her mind. Thus this film moves far away from the traditional Pather Panchali mode as characters exhibit modern mores and attitudes. Until these situations are resolved the little girl is seen going round and round on her horse, representing people trapped in circumstances. The one person who gives up nothing and stays inflexible till the end is Indranath. But in the end he is completely undermined, and Ray judges a closed mind that is at fault. Indranath has in essence turned his back to those very things that he wants – the mist has lifted for all, the peak is shining through, but Indranath is walking away from it!!!
kanchenjunga Satyajit Rays Kanchenjungha

There Are 17 Responses So Far. »

rudresh 11 August 2009
02:29:33 am

wonderful review neelu.

neelu 11 August 2009
08:51:57 am

Thanks Rudresh. A structure similar to Kanchenjungha was seen in Aranyer Din Ratri later on.

rks 11 August 2009
09:00:48 am

I am sorry to say I have seen only few Ray movies. Those seen include, Shatranj ke Khiladi and 3 movies screening of Satyajit Ray on DD (One was Pather Panchali, rest I don’t remember). I was still fan of Hukumat, Loha, Vardi ki kasam, Lahu bane angaarey kind of movies in those days

neelu 11 August 2009
09:06:28 am

rks – you should see Nayak. I re-watched it recently, and that and Shatranj ke Khiladi are the most accessible Ray movies for me. I bought almost all Ray films on DVD recently and have been rewarding myself with one screening every weekend.

Ankit 11 August 2009
09:12:07 am

Ray was disappointed with both Kanchenjungha and Aranyer Din Ratri as it failed to connect with the Bengali audience even though was received good reviews outside India.

Rks,
Ray was a one of the finest filmmakers of our country. Watch his Ashani Sanket, Jalsaghar, Kanchejungha, Mahanagar, Jana Aranya, Aparajito, Charulata, Sonar Kella, Goopy Gune Bagha Byne and Pather Panchali to see his brilliance. Neelu would add Aranyer Din Ratri and Nayak to that list. I have to see those two yet.

neelu 11 August 2009
09:23:04 am

I have yet to see several of those – Ashani Sanket is my next watch.

rks 11 August 2009
09:36:05 am

Neelu – I have stopped buying DVDs. They normally get dust in shelf. The problem with seeing old movies is that you have so many “new” movies to watch you rarely get time to revisit old movies. If you are married, your movie watching speed is 50% (because 50% you have to see spouse’s choice )and with kid 25% (You can see movie at certain time only).

Ankit – I have confessed previously, all the old movies I have seen were on Doordarshan and at that time my taste buds were evolving. I am not sure I will be able to see them in near future but I will try. Thanks.

ritz 11 August 2009
09:57:17 am

“and with kid 25% (You can see movie at certain time only). ”
RKS, make it 10%. And if you are working in 24×7 support job – its 5%.
I have to catch up on so many interesting movies in Marathi and Tamil. Will see if I get time to watch Ray sometime later. I loved Gopi Gayen Bagha Bayen btw.
Anyways thanks for review Neelu.

OutKast 11 August 2009
10:24:41 am

rks – “If you are married, your movie watching speed is 50% (because 50% you have to see spouse’s choice )and with kid 25% (You can see movie at certain time only).”

Hmmm so true… but the last criteria has reduced my movie watching to 3.99%. But i am not complaining..for me spending time with the little one is more fulfilling

Ankit 11 August 2009
10:44:35 am

Mujhe kyun lagta hai I am the only student over here. Baaki saare members parents ban chuke hai kya yahaan pe? Kinna odd hai!!!

rks 11 August 2009
10:54:52 am

Ankit – This is a firm

rks 11 August 2009
11:19:09 am

Som – Where are you, just give Ankit one of your more illuminating lessons.

Ankit 11 August 2009
11:42:35 am

Chalo jo kasar bach gaya tha woh bhi pura ho jaayega with that illuminating lesson from Som. Dafa 670 ke tehet I would be proven a kid/student infront of you all. Just joking guys. Please don’t take it seriously and ban me from this site.

Waise I like you guys. You have been very friendly to me. Thanks.

OutKast 11 August 2009
11:44:24 am

Or is it the other way around… becoming parent disqualifies you from NG talk ? Just wondering

rks 11 August 2009
01:17:17 pm

“Dafa 670 ke tehet ”
I thought more on lines of 302 or 420

Qalandar 11 August 2009
05:42:54 pm

Thanks for this review, I was lucky enough to catch Kanchenjunga in the theater at the recent Ray festival in New York. This was apparently the first original script by Ray…while I won’t say this is my favorite Ray work, it has a jewel-like precision, the way an intimate portrait does, that makes it a very accomplished work indeed, Good write-up here!