Mahanagar

Mahanagar (The Big City, 1963) is a 1963 film directed by Satyajit Ray. Based on a short story written by Narendranath Mitra, Mahanagar is set in Calcutta during the 1950s, and explores the evolving independence of a middle-class woman as she takes her first job after her husband is suddenly laid off - a move that is demanded financially, in spite of opposition from both families. She subsequently grows to delight in her newfound financial and psychological independence. Mahanagar is one of many films from the era (see also the films of Douglas Sirk, Mikio Naruse and Yasujiro Ozu) that explored the status and independence of women in swiftly developing societies, and Ray's detailed exploration of the subject made it one of the standouts of the genre; the film won the Silver bear at the 1964 Berlin Film Festival, and - upon its' delayed (1968) release in the U.S., drew praise from Roger Ebert, Pauline Kael and others.

Related Topics:
1963 - Satyajit Ray - Douglas Sirk - Mikio Naruse - Yasujiro Ozu - Roger Ebert - Pauline Kael

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