Ray's film is an incisive dissection of culture shock and class privilege.
The Chess Players
Satyajit Ray's First Hindi feature Film
1977 · 2h 9m · NOT RATED
Drama
Directed by
Satyajit Ray
Overview
In the year 1856, Nawab Wajid Ali Shah is the King of Awadh, one of the last independent kingdoms of India. The British intend to control this rich land and send General Outram to clear way for an annexation. Pressure is mounting amidst intrigue and political maneuvers, but the Nawab whiles away his time in pursuit of pleasure and religious practice. The court is of no help either — noblemen Mir and Mirza ignore all duties and spend their days playing endless games of chess.
Director and cast
- Satyajit Ray Director
- Sanjeev Kumar as Mirza Sajjad Ali
- Amitabh Bachchan as Narrator
- Saeed Jaffrey as Mir Roshan Ali
- Amjad Khan as Wajid Ali Shah
- Shabana Azmi as Khurshid
- Farida Jalal as Nafisa
- Veena as Queen Mother
- David Abraham Cheulkar as Munshi
- Victor Banerjee as Prime Minister
- Farooq Shaikh as Aqueel
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
More films
Wuthering Heights (1939)
Drama · Romance · Approved
Young orphan Heathcliff is adopted by the wealthy Earnshaw family and moves into their estate, Wuthering Heights. Soon, the new resident falls for his compassionate foster sister, Cathy. The two share a remarkable bond that seems unbreakable until Cathy, feeling the pressure of social convention, suppresses her feelings and marries Edg...
- Runtime
- 1h 44m
- Director
- William Wyler
- Cast
- Merle Oberon, Laurence Olivier, David Niven
Gangs of New York (2002)
Crime · Drama · History · R
In early 1860s New York, Irish immigrant Amsterdam Vallon is released from prison and returns to the Five Points, seeking revenge against his father's killer, William Cutting, a powerful anti-immigrant gang leader. He knows that revenge can only be attained by infiltrating Cutting's inner circle. Vallon's journey becomes a fight for pe...
- Runtime
- 2h 48m
- Director
- Martin Scorsese
- Cast
- Leonardo DiCaprio, Daniel Day-Lewis, Cameron Diaz
Ludwig (1973)
Drama · History · R
Historical evocation of Ludwig, king of Bavaria, from his crowning in 1864 until his death in 1886, as a romantic hero. Fan of Richard Wagner, betrayed by him, in love with his cousin Elisabeth of Austria, abandoned by her, tormented by his homosexuality, he will little by little slip towards madness.
- Runtime
- 3h 59m
- Director
- Luchino Visconti
- Cast
- Helmut Berger, Romy Schneider, Trevor Howard
Trail of the Falcon (1968)
Adventure · Drama · Western · N/A
In the latter half of the 19th century, gold is discovered in the Black Hills, sacred land of the Lakota people. Gold diggers, profiteers and adventurers flock to the region. Among them is the hard-hearted land speculator Bludgeon, who tries to expel the Lakota using brutal methods. Lakota warriors retaliate, and soon the gold diggers'...
- Runtime
- 1h 53m
- Director
- Gottfried Kolditz, Eleonore Dressel
- Cast
- Gojko Mitić, Hannjo Hasse, Barbara Brylska
Heyy Babyy (2007)
Comedy · Drama · Romance · Not Rated
Three womanisers find a baby left at their doorstep. Chaos ensues as they try to contact their former girlfriends to determine who is the father amongst them.
- Runtime
- 2h 30m
- Director
- Sajid Khan
- Cast
- Akshay Kumar, Fardeen Khan, Riteish Deshmukh
Underground (2007)
Action · Not Rated
In the UK suburbs, an underground tournament is set to challenge twelve fighters from different backgrounds to compete for the price of £500,000. They have been handpicked for a no-holds barred competition that will push each fighter to their limit. Each fighter has their own reason for competing, and each will give everything they've ...
- Runtime
- 1h 35m
- Director
- Chee Keong Cheung
- Cast
- Mark Strange, Nathan Lewis, Joey Ansah
Bodyguard: A New Beginning (2008)
Action · Drama · Thriller · R
Leung is the bodyguard of a Chinese Triad boss, Wong, to whom his loyalty is unrivaled. Living in Hong Kong, Wong requests that his bodyguard travel to the UK to protect a young British woman, whose true identity is known only by Wong himself. Even Wong's son, Yuen, is kept in the dark, which leads to a betrayal that threatens to destr...
- Runtime
- 1h 35m
- Director
- Chee Keong Cheung
- Cast
- Vincent Sze Cho-Lam, Richard Ng Yiu-Hon, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa











Comments
Talk about the film with other members