A village nobody learns to read and suddenly thinks he's better than everyone. Chaos ensues.
The romanticized story of a peasant who lives in a small village. He learns to read and is befriended by a doctor who helps him improve his status in the community. The film concentrates on the atmosphere and the character of the somewhat irascible peasant anxious that others should accept the knowledge he gained from his readings.
Acting
Kali Bannerjee's simmering resentment is perfection.
Direction
Sinha lets village atmosphere do the talking.
Writing
Subtle portrait of a man outgrowing his world.
Director
Tapan Sinha
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Rare Indian New Wave film addressing post-colonial literacy and caste-adjacent class anxiety in rural Bengal.
Tapan Sinha adapted this from a novel by Banaphul, a writer famous for finding tragedy in village life's small humiliations.
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