The Chess Players (film)
Shatranj Ke Khilari, also subtitled and later internationally released with the translated title The Chess Players, is a 1977 Indian film written and directed by Satyajit Ray, based on Munshi Premchand's short story of the same name. Amjad Khan plays the role of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, Nawab of Awadh, and Richard Attenborough enacts the role of General James Outram. The main cast includes actors Sanjeev Kumar and Saeed Jaffrey as the chess players. It also has Shabana Azmi, Farooque Shaikh, Farida Jalal, David Abraham, and Tom Alter. It has Amitabh Bachchan as the narrator. This is the only full-length Hindi feature film of filmmaker Satyajit Ray. He later made a short Hindi film for TV named Sadgati, another adaptation of Munshi Premchand's short story.
| Shatranj Ke Khilari | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Satyajit Ray |
| Written by | Satyajit Ray Shama Zaidi Javed Siddiqi |
| Screenplay by | Satyajit Ray |
| Based on | Shatranj ke Khiladi by Munshi Premchand |
| Produced by | Suresh Jindal[1][2] |
| Starring | Sanjeev Kumar Saeed Jaffrey Shabana Azmi Richard Attenborough Farida Jalal Amjad Khan David Abraham Victor Banerjee Farooque Shaikh Tom Alter Leela Mishra Samarth Narain Bhudo Advani |
| Narrated by | Amitabh Bachchan |
| Cinematography | Soumendu Roy |
| Edited by | Dulal Dutta |
| Music by | Satyajit Ray |
Release date |
|
Running time | 129 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Languages | Hindi Urdu English |
| Budget | est. ₹ 20 lakh (est. ₹ 5.66 crore as of 2022)[3] |
Summary
The film is set in 1856 on the eve of the Indian rebellion of 1857. The British are about to annex the Oudh State (also spelled Awadh). The daily life of two wealthy men who are devoted to chess is presented against the background of scheming officials of the British East India Company, the history of its relations with the Indian ruler of Awadh, and the ruler's devotion both to his religious practice and the pursuit of pleasure.
The Chess Players employed stars of the Bombay cinema (Amjad Khan, Shabana Azmi and Amitabh Bachchan as a narrator) together with British actors (such as Richard Attenborough).
It was India's entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 51st Academy Awards, but did not receive a nomination.[4]
Plot
The film shows in parallel the historical drama of the Indian princely state of Awadh (whose capital is Lucknow) and its Nawab, Wajid Ali Shah who is overthrown by the British, alongside the story of two noblemen who are obsessed with shatranj, i.e., chess.
Amjad Khan plays the ruling Nawab of Awadh, Wajid Ali Shah. He is a languid artist and poet, no longer in command of events and unable to effectively oppose the British demand for his throne. Parallel to this wider drama is the personal (and humorous) tale of two rich, indolent noblemen of this kingdom, Mirza Sajjad Ali and Mir Roshan Ali. Inseparable friends, the two nobles are passionately obsessed with the game of shatranj (chess). Both effectively neglect their wives and fail to fight the takeover of their kingdom by the East India Company. Instead, they escape their harangued wives and responsibilities, fleeing from Lucknow to play chess in a tiny village untouched by greater events. Ray's basic theme in the film is the message that the self-centredness, detachment and cowardice of India's ruling classes catalysed the annexation of Awadh by a handful of British officials.
The role of Captain Weston, so British in his ways, but in love with Urdu poetry, is also worth noting.
In the last scene, after which Mir shoots at Mirza and complains out loud "(If you die) I won't have a partner to play chess with", Mirza responds to him "but you have one in front of you!" (thus making him understand that he forgives him). He finally concludes that "after nightfall, we will go back home. We both need darkness to hide our faces."
Cast
- Sanjeev Kumar as Mirza Sajjad Ali
- Saeed Jaffrey as Mir Roshan Ali
- Shabana Azmi as Khurshid, Mirza's wife
- Richard Attenborough as General James Outram
- Farida Jalal as Nafisa, Mir's wife
- Amjad Khan as Wajid Ali Shah
- David Abraham as Munshi Nandlal
- Victor Banerjee as Prime Minister ("Madar-ud-Daula")
- Veena as the Queen, Mother of Wajid Ali Shah.
- Farooq Sheikh as Aqueel
- Tom Alter as Captain Weston, Outram's aide de camp
- Leela Mishra as Hirya, Khurshid's maid
- Saswati Sen as Kathak dancer in the song 'Kanha main tose haari'
- Samarth Narain as Kallu
- Bhudo Advani as Abbajani
- Agha as Chuttan Miyan - Abbajani's attendant - (Uncredited)
- Barry John
- Kamu Mukherjee
- Amitabh Bachchan as Narrator
Reception
The film was well received upon its release.[5] Despite the film's limited budget, The Washington Post critic Gary Arnold gave it a positive review; "He [Ray] possesses what many overindulged Hollywood filmmakers often lack: a view of history".[6] According to Martin Scorsese, "This film deals with a moment of incredible change in Indian history and is told from a comical view that is a hallmark of Ray’s work. Watching it again, I realize this is what it must really feel like to live through a moment of historic change. It feels this big and tragic at the same time."[7]
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Berlin International Film Festival | Golden Bear | Satyajit Ray | Nominated |
| 1978 | National Film Awards | Best Feature Film in Hindi | Won | |
| Best Cinematography (Color) | Soumendu Roy | Won | ||
| 1978 | Filmfare Awards | Best Film (Critics) | Satyajit Ray | Won |
| 1979 | Best Film | Suresh Jindal | Nominated | |
| Best Director | Satyajit Ray | Won | ||
| Best Supporting Actor | Saeed Jaffrey |
Preservation
The Chess Players was preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2010.[8]
See also
References
- ^ Aseem Chhabra (15 August 2017). "'There was always a huge calm on the set'". The Hindu. from the original on 7 January 2022. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
- ^ "'Working with Satyajit Ray Was One of the Joys of Producing Shatranj Ke Khiladi'". The Wire. 28 July 2017. from the original on 10 July 2018. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
- ^ . Satyajit Ray official site. Archived from the original on 26 October 2018. Retrieved 24 April 2009.
- ^ Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
- ^ "When Amjad Khan, Attenborough, Sanjeev Kumar got together". Rediff. from the original on 7 May 2021. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- ^ Arnold, Gary (6 April 1978). "The Chess Players". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. from the original on 13 January 2021. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
- ^ Sharf, Zack (25 March 2021). "Martin Scorsese's Favorite Movies: 40 Films the Director Wants You to See". IndieWire. from the original on 8 January 2022. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
- ^ "Preserved Projects". Academy Film Archive. from the original on 7 January 2022. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
Further reading
- Satyajit Ray, The Chess Players and Other Screenplays. London: Faber and Faber, 1989. ISBN 0-571-14074-2
- Andrew Robinson, "Satyajit Ray's The Chess Players", History Today, July 2007
External links
- The Chess Players at IMDb
- "Shatranj Ke Khilari (The Chess Players)". Satyajit Ray official site. Retrieved 24 April 2009.
- "The Chess Players (Shatranj Ke Khilari) - Chess and Movies". TuskerChess site. Retrieved 29 December 2013.