Dheuer Pare Dheu (1962)

Most of the cast and crew headed by the former photographer Sanyal were new to cinema when they made this low-budget film in the wake of S. Ray’s pioneering work in Bengal (Ravi Shankar had also scored Ray’s Apu Trilogy). Set in a small fishing village, it tells of the fisherman Natal (Shankar) and his friend Loton (Badal). Natal marries their childhood companion, Padma (Shampa), but is later feared drowned in a fishing accident. Padma then marries Loton. When Natal returns, observing their happiness through the window of their home, he goes away again and drowns himself. The film’s narrative pace is virtually static but the acting, the music and the extremely aestheticised imagery keep the viewer interested.