A con-man who pretends to be an all-powerful spiritual guru is at the centre of Ray’s modest if stinging social commentary on the naivety of succumbing to blind faith.
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Holy Man, The (1965)
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Tag / India
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Hero, The (1966)
Not as purely cinematic as some of his greatest works, but Ray manages to invoke feelings of introspection as a movie star gets a reality check from strangers—and fans—he encounters on a train.
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Writing with Fire (2021)
The only entirely female-run news outlet in India is the subject of this inspiring documentary about the perseverance and courage of a close-knit team of Dalit women (born to the lowest caste) who are challenging deep-rooted traditions, toxic patriarchy and corruption through their firebrand style of justice-based grassroots journalism.
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Seventh Walk, The (2013)
Dutta explores the inner psychological and creative world of an Indian artist who does charcoal painting through this mesmerising sensorial non-narrative.
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Sonchidi (2011)
Gorgeous visuals and extraordinary sound design as expected from avant-garde filmmaker Amit Dutta, but it’s more meandering than usual despite the unusual sci-fi concept.
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Golden Thread, The (1965)
Part of Ghatak’s ‘Partition’ trilogy, this rarely-seen film is a strong melodrama about suffering, loss and psychological turmoil as a man, his younger sister and an adopted orphan navigate the harsh socio-economic realities in postwar India.
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River Called Titas, A (1973)
Now canonized by The Criterion Collection, Ghatak’s beloved tragedy about the poor fishing villages on the banks of the river Titas is meandering to a fault, but is imaginative and poetic.
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Seventh Horse of the Sun, The (1992)
A mix of fiction and reality, and memory and imagination as Shyam Benegal weaves a complex drama full of literary qualities, but somehow isn’t compelling enough to get into.
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Mandi (1983)
Lengthy but still an entertaining piece centering on a bordello and its ragtag of vibrant characters as Shyam Benegal balances humour and serious women issues with skill.
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Ramkhind (2001)
An ethnographic documentary on the Warli tribe in India, who are isolated from the modern world, as Amit Dutta captures their daily lives, rituals and myths with a keen observational eye.
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