The Chess Players (1977)
"Shatranj Ke Khilari" (original title)

Wazed Ali Shah is the ruler of one of the last independent kingdoms of India. The British, intent on controlling this rich country, have sent general Outram on a secret mission to clear the... See full summary »

Director:

Satyajit Ray

Writers:

Munshi Premchand (story), Satyajit Ray (dialogue),

Stars:

Sanjeev Kumar, Saeed Jaffrey, Shabana Azmi

3 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sanjeev Kumar	...	Mirza Sajjad Ali
Saeed Jaffrey	...	Mir Roshan Ali
Shabana Azmi	...	Khurshid, Mirza's wife
Farida Jalal	...	Nafisa, Mir's wife
Veena	...	Queen Mother
David Abraham	...	Munshi
Victor Banerjee	...	Prime Minister (as Victor Bannerji)
Farooq Shaikh	...	Aqueel (as Farooque Shaikh)
Tom Alter	...	Capt. Weston (Outram's aide de camp)
Leela Mishra	...	Hirya, Khurshid's maid
Barry John
Samarth Narain	...	Kallu
Bhudo Advani	...	Abbajani (as Budho Advani)
Kamu Mukherjee	...	(as Kamu Mukherji)
Uttamram Nagar

Storyline

Wazed Ali Shah is the ruler of one of the last independent kingdoms of India. The British, intent on controlling this rich country, have sent general Outram on a secret mission to clear the way for an annexation. While pressure is mounting amidst intrigue and political manoeuvres, Ali Shah composes poems and listens to music, secluded in his palace. The court is of no help, as exemplified by nobles Mir and Mirza, who, ignoring the situation of their country and all their duties towards their families, spend their days playing endless parties of chess.

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Plot Keywords:

india | chess | annexation | pistol | colonial india | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | History

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

India

Language:

Urdu English Hindi

Release Date:

3 October 1977 (India)

Also Known As:

The Chess Players

Filming Locations:

Indrapuri Studios, Calcutta, West Bengal, India

Company Credits

Production Co:

Devki Chitra

Technical Specs

Runtime:

129 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

User Reviews

A Lesser Ray, Engaging but missing something

I saw this movie first a long time on television. I was a kid then and had no exposure of art movies, much less of movies by Satyajit Ray. At that time I though of it as a typical art movie. Something to be admired, but beyond my comprehension.

Now Satyajit Ray has become my favorite filmmaker. I have seen 17 of his movies and loved 14 of them. They are just masterpieces. So I was eager to revisit this movie. First to appreciate it on its own and secondly to see how my perception has changed.

My perception has definitely changed. I loved the costumes and the cinematography and could really appreciate them. It is Ray's most lavish movie. But I just wished that Subrata Mitra was still working with Ray. He is probably one of the best cinematographers in the history and the magic that he weaves in Ray's earlier movies is amazing. I still remember the dance sequences in Jalsaghar which were hypnotizing. They are good here also, but nowhere in that league.

The movie was a little disappointing for me. Surprising because I have loved all of Ray's dramatic movies I have seen till now. Ray is able to pull the viewer into the movie. Even Jalsaghar which had a lead character I didn't like - a fading Zamindar who was still maintaining his lavish lifestyle to his ruin, just because of his pride, made me empathize with him and ultimately cheer him.

But here the characters are further away. I think the narrative needed somebody of Chhabi Biswas ability to portray the role of Wajid Ali Shah. Amjad Khan did a good job, but not as per the complexity of the character and Ray's standard. Sanjeev Kumar has given a good performance too.

In the end, the movie still felt little like an art film, somehow a little beyond my reach. I think part of it may be due to the fact that Ray may not have been comfortable in Hindi which was not his native language. He has made all except 2 of his movies in Bengali. But I think a larger part is due to the story itself.