Gangacharan is the new Brahmin of a village, where he assumes various duties: teaching, organizing religious events, and trying to prevent epidemics. But in that year 1943, war is raging (as reminded by the planes occasionally heard flying over the countryside), and a major famine is under way. As food shortages reach catastrophic proportions, Gangacharan attempts to preserve his privileged situation, while his generous wife, Ananga, conversely tries to help and support the community.
The film is set in a village in the Indian province of Bengal during World War II, and examines the effect of the Great Famine of 1943 on the villages of Bengal through the eyes of a young Brahmin doctor-teacher, Gangacharan, and his wife, Anaga. Ray shows the human scale of a cataclysmic event that killed more than 3 million people. The film unfolds at a leisurely pace that reflects the rhythms of village life, but gradually shows the breakdown of traditional village norms under the pressure of hunger and starvation.
Did you know? Director Satyajit Ray won a Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival for this movie. This was first and last time for an Indian to do so. Read More
The film marks the debut of the theatre star Mrityunjay Sil.
Director Satyajit Ray won a Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival for this movie. This was first and last time for an Indian to do so.
Ashani Sanket 1973
16 Aug 1973 ● Bengali ● 1 hr 41 mins
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