Kanchenjungha
Encyclopedia
Kanchenjungha is a 1962 Bengali film
by Bengali
film director
Satyajit Ray
. It was Ray's first original screenplay and his first colour film.
The film is about an upper class Bengali family on vacation in Darjeeling,a popular hill station and resort, near Kanchenjunga. Shot in real time, the film examines the evolving relationships between the various characters. With dialogue shifting between English and Bengali among an ensemble cast, the film was a departure for Ray.
. According to Ray, it "was a good ten to fifteen years ahead of its time." He described the film's narrative structure as follows:
Bengali cinema
Bengali cinema refers to the Bengali language filmmaking industries in the Bengal region of South Asia. There are two major film-making hubs in the region: one in Kolkata, West Bengal, India and the other in Dhaka, Bangladesh .The history of cinema in Bengal dates back to the 1890s, when the first...
by Bengali
Bengali people
The Bengali people are an ethnic community native to the historic region of Bengal in South Asia. They speak Bengali , which is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from the Magadhi Prakrit and Sanskrit languages. In their native language, they are referred to as বাঙালী...
film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
Satyajit Ray
Satyajit Ray
Satyajit Ray was an Indian Bengali filmmaker. He is regarded as one of the greatest auteurs of 20th century cinema. Ray was born in the city of Kolkata into a Bengali family prominent in the world of arts and literature...
. It was Ray's first original screenplay and his first colour film.
The film is about an upper class Bengali family on vacation in Darjeeling,a popular hill station and resort, near Kanchenjunga. Shot in real time, the film examines the evolving relationships between the various characters. With dialogue shifting between English and Bengali among an ensemble cast, the film was a departure for Ray.
Narrative structure
The narrative structure of the film resembles that of later hyperlink filmsHyperlink cinema
Hyperlink cinema is a term coined by author Alissa Quart, who used the term in her review of the film Happy Endings for the film journal Film Comment in 2005. Film critic Roger Ebert popularized the term when reviewing the film Syriana in 2005...
. According to Ray, it "was a good ten to fifteen years ahead of its time." He described the film's narrative structure as follows:
Cast
- Chhabi BiswasChhabi BiswasChhabi Biswas was a much revered Bengali character actor, primarily known for his performances in Tapan Sinha's Kabuliwala and Satyajit Ray's films Jalshaghar , Devi and Kanchenjungha .He is the best remembered for his numerous roles as the quintessential aristocratic patriarch, was himself the...
: Indranath Roy - Karuna Bannerjee: Labanya, wife
- Anil ChatterjeeAnil ChatterjeeAnil Chatterjee was a Bengali actor in the Bengali cinema during the early fifties through to the late eighties and was mostly remembered as a character actor. He acted in about 45 movies, both as a character actor and in leading roles with the limited opportunities he received during his time...
: Anil, son - Alaknanda Roy: Monisha, unmarried daughter
- Anubha Gupta: Anima, elder daughter
- Arun MukherjeeArun MukherjeeArun Mukherjee is a noted Bangla playwright and thespian. He is associated with the theater group Chetana both as actor-director and playwright. He is the author of many plays including the classicMārīch Sangbād, which has been translated into English , by Utkal Mohanty...
: Ashoke, young man from Calcutta - Subrata SenSubrata SenSubrata Sen , is a critically acclaimed Bengali Indian film director, writer, novelist and producer.- Early life :Subrata Sen was born in Kolkata in 1963...
: Sankar - Sibani Singh: Tuklu
- Vidya SinhaVidya SinhaVidya Sinha is an Indian actress who has acted in Bollywood films.-Movie career:She began modelling and acting at the age of 18. Her first movie was Raja Kaka opposite Kiran Kumar. However, fame came to her through a low-budget, alternative cinema break-away hit Rajnigandha, directed by her mentor...
: Anil's girlfriend - Pahari SanyalPahari SanyalPahari Sanyal, born Nagendranath Sanyal, was a stalwart Bengali character actor whose status was as towering as that of others such as Chhabi Biswas and Kamal Mitra....
: Jagadish - N. ViswanathanN. ViswanathanN. Viswanathan was an Indian actor and academic. He taught English at St. Xavier's College, Calcutta for more than 40 years and was also a public speaker....
: Bannerjee