| Shatranj Ke Khilari | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Directed by | Satyajit Ray |
| Written by | Satyajit Ray Shama Zaidi Javed Siddiqi |
| Screenplay by | Satyajit Ray |
| Based on | Shatranj ke Khiladi by MunshiPremchand |
| 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.₹ 20lakh (est.₹ 5.66crore as of 2022)[3] |
Shatranj Ke Khilari, also subtitled and later internationally released with the translated titleThe Chess Players, is a1977Indian film written and directed bySatyajit Ray, based on MunshiPremchand'sshort story of the same name.
Amjad Khan plays the role of NawabWajid Ali Shah,Nawab of Awadh, andRichard Attenborough enacts the role of GeneralJames Outram. The main cast includes actorsSanjeev Kumar andSaeed Jaffrey as the chess players. It also hasShabana Azmi,Farooque Shaikh,Farida Jalal,David Abraham, andTom Alter. It hasAmitabh Bachchan as the narrator.
It was India's entry for theBest Foreign Language Film at the51st Academy Awards, but did not receive a nomination.[4]
This is the only full-lengthHindi feature film of filmmakerSatyajit Ray. He later made a short Hindi film for TV namedSadgati, another adaptation of Munshi Premchand's short story.
The film is set in 1856 on the eve of theIndian Rebellion of 1857. The British are about to annex theOudh 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 BritishEast 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 film shows in parallel the historical drama of the Indianprincely state ofAwadh (whose capital isLucknow) and itsNawab,Wajid Ali Shah who is overthrown by the British, alongside the story of two noblemen who are obsessed withshatranj, i.e.chess.
Wajid Ali Shah, the rulingNawab of Awadh, 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 ofshatranj (chess). Both effectively neglect their wives and fail to fight the takeover of their kingdom by theEast 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 ofAwadh by a handful of British officials, among whom Captain Weston, a British soldier in love withUrdu 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."
The Chess Players employed stars of theBombay cinema (Sanjeev Kumar, Amjad Khan,Shabana Azmi andAmitabh Bachchan as a narrator) together with British actors (such asSir Richard Attenborough).
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 toMartin 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]
| 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 |
The Chess Players was preserved by theAcademy Film Archive in 2010.[8]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
