| Agantuk | |
|---|---|
 Poster | |
| Directed by | Satyajit Ray |
| Screenplay by | Satyajit Ray |
| Based on | Atithi (short story) by Satyajit Ray |
| Produced by | Satyajit Ray |
| Starring | Utpal Dutt Mamata Shankar Deepankar De Dhritiman Chatterjee Promod Ganguli Rabi Ghosh |
| Cinematography | Barun Raha |
| Edited by | Dulal Dutta |
| Music by | Satyajit Ray |
Production companies | NFDC DD Productions |
| Distributed by | Artificial Eye (UK) |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 120 minutes |
| Countries | India France |
| Language | Bengali |
Agantuk (lit. 'Guest'; known by its English titleThe Stranger) is a 1991Bengali-languagedrama film written and directed bySatyajit Ray.[1] Notable for being Ray's last film, it was based on one of his own short stories,Atithi. A joint Indo-French production, it received financial backing from companies such asGérard Depardieu's DD Productions andCanal+.[2]
Anila Bose, who lives in Calcutta, receives a letter from someone claiming to be her long lost uncle, Manomohan Mitra. He writes that he is visiting India after 35 years abroad and, as Anila is his only surviving relative, wants to meet her before he sets off again. Anila looks forward to it, but her husband, Sudhindra, is suspicious. The uncle arrives and stays. He says that he is ananthropologist[3] who has traveled all over the world, and immediately wins the friendship of theirpre-teen son, Satyaki.
Anila suddenly remembers her grandfather's will, and Sudhindra is quick to suspect that the man calling himself Manomohan has come only to claim his share of the inheritance. Anila also starts to doubt his identity, while their son truly believes that he is who he claims to be.
The central conflict of the film rests upon the identity of the man and the family's struggle to determine it. Sudhindra subjects the visitor to various tests, such as looking at his passport. However, the visitor embarrasses Sudhindra and later his friend Rakshit by his ability to read minds. In a final attempt to establish the truth, Sudhindra invites a lawyer friend to gently question the guest. This is when the visitor reveals his deep knowledge, rich experiences and profound views of life, impressing Anila and Sudhindra. However, things turn ugly as the lawyer's frustration builds up until he orders the guest to "either come clean or just clear out". The next morning, the visitor is gone. Desperate to find him and win him back, the family finally learns that he is in fact Manmohan Mitra, and has visited the executor of the will. The couple apologise and persuade him to return. Back in Calcutta, after he leaves for Australia, the couple learn that Manmohan has given them his share of the inheritance.
Agantuk became Satyajit Ray's last film. He died on 23 April 1992, at the age of 70. The film was a joint Indian-French production with financial backing fromGérard Depardieu's DD Productions,Canal+ and a couple of other French companies.[2] Depardieu is credited as executive producer.[4]
The film was critically acclaimed upon its release. The film ranked 2nd onCahiers du Cinéma'sTop 10 Films of the Year List in 1992.[5] Leah Garchik ofSan Francisco Chronicle wrote the film "is a fitting ending to Ray's 30-film career — it was Film of the Year in India in 1992 — a strong and underlined summing- up statement about capital-M Man and capital-C Civilization."[6] Hal Hinson ofWashington Post wrote the film "shows all the virtues of a master artist in full maturity."[7]Vincent Canby ofNew York Times wrote about the film "A small, gentle, exquisitely realized comedy about, among other things, family loyalties and trust in a world in which traditions have been devalued."[8]
At the 1992 IndianNational Film Awards,Agantuk won the awards forBest Feature Film andBest Directing, and theSpecial Jury Award went toMamata Shankar for her portrayal of Anila.[citation needed] At the Ritwik Ghatak awards, it was named the Best Film, while Ray was named the Best Scenario Writer.[9]
A stand-alone sequel namedAgantuker Pore was supposed to be in production, but has been shelved.Mamata Shankar,Deepankar De andDhritiman Chatterjee were to reprise their roles from this film. ActorAbir Chatterjee was to play the role of the adult Satyaki.Payel Sarkar andTridha Chowdhury were to be seen in important roles. It was supposed to be directed by Orko Sinha, who said the story would be completely different from the previous film.[10]
