Parash Pathar
Encyclopedia
Parash Pathar (17 January 1958) was Satyajit Ray
's first film apart from the Apu Trilogy
. It was also his first comedy and first magical realist
film. Adapted from a short story of the same name by Parasuram (Rajsekhar Bose
), the film offered an early glimpse of Ray's sense of humor, centered on a middle-class clerk who accidentally discovers a stone that can turn other objects into gold.
), a middle-class bank clerk in Kolkata
, attends a charity match on a rainy day rather reluctantly. At Curzon Park (modern-day Surendranath Park), where the match is apparently to be held, he finds a small, round stone. Thinking it is a marble, he gives it to his nephew. The child discovers that it turns metal into gold (i.e. it is the Philosopher's stone
).
Dutt "buys" the stone from the child with sweets after witnessing the stone's power himself. He decides to take a few old cannonballs from the city dump, turn them into gold, and sell them. This scheme makes him rich; as a chauffeur drives him home from the dump, the car pulls into the driveway of a mansion (his new home). He now has a young secretary named Priyatosh Henry Biswas (Kali Banerjee
) who, among other things, mentions that Dutt is invited to a cocktail party (his first).
At the party, Dutt acts slightly unnatural before engaging in drunken revelry. When another guest orders him to get out, he turns an iron figurine into gold (thus partially revealing how he became successful). It is not long before this incident is posted as a headline in the papers, causing a panic in Bengal. Paresh Dutt flees with his wife, Giribala (Ranibala Devi), leaving nearly everything (including the stone) with Priyatosh but cautioning him to hand it over if the police arrive.
Soon, Mr. and Mrs. Dutt are taken to a police station for interrogation, and the police discover that the desperate Priyatosh has swallowed the stone. Dr. Nandi (Moni Srimani), a medical specialist, informs the inspector (Haridhan Chatterjee) that Priyatosh is digesting the stone. Soon after Paresh and Giribala Dutt hear of this, they notice the golden objects turning back into iron. The Dutts happily rejoin their servant (Jahar Roy) and Priyatosh.
The credits for Parash Pathar are presented not in Bengali (the language used for credits in almost all of Satyajit Ray's films), not even in English, but in French. (This is probably because Ray's films had begun to be quite popular in France.) For this reason, some DVDs of the film include the title "Parash Pathar (la pierre philosophale)," i.e. the title in Bengali and French, respectively.
This is the first Satyajit Ray film to be released with Chhabi Biswas
as an actor. In this film, he is merely one of the several guests at the cocktail party. However, in Ray's next film (Jalsaghar
), he has the lead role.
." The film was entered into the 1958 Cannes Film Festival
, where it was nominated for the Palme d'Or
(Best Film).
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...
's first film apart from the Apu Trilogy
Apu trilogy
The Apu Trilogy is a trilogy consisting of three Bengali films directed by Satyajit Ray: Pather Panchali , Aparajito and Apur Sansar . The films — completed 1955-1959 — were based on two Bengali novels written by Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay: Pather Panchali and Aparajito...
. It was also his first comedy and first magical realist
Magic realism
Magic realism or magical realism is an aesthetic style or genre of fiction in which magical elements blend with the real world. The story explains these magical elements as real occurrences, presented in a straightforward manner that places the "real" and the "fantastic" in the same stream of...
film. Adapted from a short story of the same name by Parasuram (Rajsekhar Bose
Rajsekhar Bose
Rajshekhar Basu , better known by the pen name Parashuram was a Bengali writer, chemist and lexicographer. He was chiefly known for his comic and satirical short stories, and is considered the greatest Bangla humorist of the twentieth century...
), the film offered an early glimpse of Ray's sense of humor, centered on a middle-class clerk who accidentally discovers a stone that can turn other objects into gold.
Plot
Paresh Chandra Dutt (Tulsi ChakrabartiTulsi Chakrabarti
Tulsi Chakrabarti was a virtuoso comic actor in Bengali cinema in 1940s and 1950s. His most notable role could be the lead role in Parash Pathar, directed by Satyajit Ray.-Childhood:Chakraborty was born on 3rd March, 1899 in the small village called Goari...
), a middle-class bank clerk in Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
, attends a charity match on a rainy day rather reluctantly. At Curzon Park (modern-day Surendranath Park), where the match is apparently to be held, he finds a small, round stone. Thinking it is a marble, he gives it to his nephew. The child discovers that it turns metal into gold (i.e. it is the Philosopher's stone
Philosopher's stone
The philosopher's stone is a legendary alchemical substance said to be capable of turning base metals into gold or silver. It was also sometimes believed to be an elixir of life, useful for rejuvenation and possibly for achieving immortality. For many centuries, it was the most sought-after goal...
).
Dutt "buys" the stone from the child with sweets after witnessing the stone's power himself. He decides to take a few old cannonballs from the city dump, turn them into gold, and sell them. This scheme makes him rich; as a chauffeur drives him home from the dump, the car pulls into the driveway of a mansion (his new home). He now has a young secretary named Priyatosh Henry Biswas (Kali Banerjee
Kali Banerjee
Kali Banerjee was an Indian film actor, who worked in the 1950s-70s in Bengali cinema. Most known for his work with film directors like Satyajit Ray's Parash Pathar and Ritwik Ghatak's Nagarik and Ajantrik ....
) who, among other things, mentions that Dutt is invited to a cocktail party (his first).
At the party, Dutt acts slightly unnatural before engaging in drunken revelry. When another guest orders him to get out, he turns an iron figurine into gold (thus partially revealing how he became successful). It is not long before this incident is posted as a headline in the papers, causing a panic in Bengal. Paresh Dutt flees with his wife, Giribala (Ranibala Devi), leaving nearly everything (including the stone) with Priyatosh but cautioning him to hand it over if the police arrive.
Soon, Mr. and Mrs. Dutt are taken to a police station for interrogation, and the police discover that the desperate Priyatosh has swallowed the stone. Dr. Nandi (Moni Srimani), a medical specialist, informs the inspector (Haridhan Chatterjee) that Priyatosh is digesting the stone. Soon after Paresh and Giribala Dutt hear of this, they notice the golden objects turning back into iron. The Dutts happily rejoin their servant (Jahar Roy) and Priyatosh.
Cast
- Tulsi Chakraborty - Paresh Chandra Dutta
- Ranibala Devi - Giribala Dutt (Paresh's wife)
- Kali BanerjeeKali BanerjeeKali Banerjee was an Indian film actor, who worked in the 1950s-70s in Bengali cinema. Most known for his work with film directors like Satyajit Ray's Parash Pathar and Ritwik Ghatak's Nagarik and Ajantrik ....
- Priyotosh Henry Biswas (Paresh's personal secretary) - Jahar RoyJahor royJahor Roy was an Indian actor and comedian in Bengali cinema. He is most known for his comedy films with Bhanu Bandyopadhyay....
- Brajahari, The servant - Gangapada Basu - Businessman Kachalu
- Haridhan Chatterjee - Police Inspector Chatterjee
- Bireswar Sen - Police Officer
- Moni Srimani - Doctor Nandi
- 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...
, Jahar Ganguli, 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....
, Kamal Mitra, Nitish Mukherjee, Subodh Ganguli, Tulsi Lahiri, Amar Mullick, Chandrabati Devi, Renuka Roy, Bharati Devi as Cocktail party guests.
Other credits
- Art Direction - Bansi ChandraguptaBansi ChandraguptaBansi Chandragupta was an Indian art director and production designer, regarded among the greatest of art directors of Indian film industry. He won Filmfare Best Art Direction Award thrice, for Seema in 1972, for Do Jhoot in 1976 and for Chakra in 1982. He was awarded Evening Standard British Film...
- Sound Editor - Durgadas Mitra
The credits for Parash Pathar are presented not in Bengali (the language used for credits in almost all of Satyajit Ray's films), not even in English, but in French. (This is probably because Ray's films had begun to be quite popular in France.) For this reason, some DVDs of the film include the title "Parash Pathar (la pierre philosophale)," i.e. the title in Bengali and French, respectively.
This is the first Satyajit Ray film to be released with Chhabi Biswas
Chhabi Biswas
Chhabi 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...
as an actor. In this film, he is merely one of the several guests at the cocktail party. However, in Ray's next film (Jalsaghar
Jalsaghar
Jalsaghar is the fourth feature film directed by Satyajit Ray. Jalsaghar is a narration of the end days of a Zamindar in Bengal. The landlord, Roy , is a just but other-worldly man who loves to spend time listening to music and putting up spectacles rather than managing his fields ravaged by...
), he has the lead role.
Critical reception
Parash Pathar "... would belong among Ray’s best work, were it not for some rough edges which betray the speed at which it was shot .... its humour only partly transplants to the west.." says Andrew Robinson. Satyajit Ray himself described the film as a "...combination of comedy, fantasy, satire, farce and a touch of PathosPathos
Pathos represents an appeal to the audience's emotions. Pathos is a communication technique used most often in rhetoric , and in literature, film and other narrative art....
." The film was entered into the 1958 Cannes Film Festival
1958 Cannes Film Festival
-Jury:*Marcel Achard * Tomiko Asabuki *Bernard Buffet *Jean De Baroncelli *Helmut Käutner *Dudley Leslie *Madeleine Robinson *Ladislao Vajda *Charles Vidor...
, where it was nominated for the Palme d'Or
Palme d'Or
The Palme d'Or is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival and is presented to the director of the best feature film of the official competition. It was introduced in 1955 by the organising committee. From 1939 to 1954, the highest prize was the Grand Prix du Festival International du...
(Best Film).