It has been a year of re-releases in cinemas. The pinnacle, without a doubt, is the re-release of Satyajit Ray’s iconic film Mahanagar. Starting today, PVR-INOX as well as RDB Cinemas in Calcutta, Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore, will screen the 1963 classic.
“We have always wanted to release Satyajit Ray classics in their restored version in India, but couldn’t find a slot in cinemas in previous years because of the bombardment of new releases every Friday. I am glad that in this year where re-releases have seen an upward trend, Mahanagar is being re-released,” Varsha Bansal of RDB and Co., the production company headed by her grandfather RD Bansal that produced Mahanagar as well as five other Ray films, told t2. Having restored these films a few years ago, Varsha has taken them to film festivals across the world, playing them in as many as 40 countries, from Slovenia to Saudi Arabia, Albania to Australia.
Starring Madhabi Mukherjee in the lead and based on the short story Abataranika by Narendranath Mitra, Mahanagar — unanimously regarded as one of Ray’s best — is the story of a housewife who disconcerts her traditionalist family by getting the job of a saleswoman, and in other words, venturing out into the world. The film won Ray the Silver Bear for Best Director at the Berlin International Film Festival.
“I am so delighted that Mahanagar is being re-released. It is one of my most favourite Ray films with a stellar performance by Madhabi Chakraborty (nee Mukherjee). It is also the best feminist film I have ever seen, that too made by a man and so relevant even now! This film bears out the fact that all great artistes are at heart androgynous. My congratulations and thanks to RDB,” was the word from actor-filmmaker Aparna Sen.
Some other films of Ray — including Charulata, Joy Baba Felunath, Nayak, Mahapurush and Kapurush — could witness a re-release, depending on the reception given to Mahanagar by audiences. “We have been publicising the re-release on social media and there has been an encouraging response. Of course, there will be a very niche audience for this, but I am sure we will have a lot of cinephiles walking in wanting to watch this classic on the big screen,” said Varsha.
