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The Music Room

Original title: Jalsaghar
  • 1958
  • Not Rated
  • 1h 35m
IMDb RATING
7.9/10
6.4K
YOUR RATING
The Music Room (1958)
Three Reasons Criterion trailer
Play trailer1:42
1 Video
24 Photos
DramaMusic

Depicts the end days of a decadent zamindar (landlord) in Bengal, and his efforts to uphold his family prestige even when faced with economic adversity.Depicts the end days of a decadent zamindar (landlord) in Bengal, and his efforts to uphold his family prestige even when faced with economic adversity.Depicts the end days of a decadent zamindar (landlord) in Bengal, and his efforts to uphold his family prestige even when faced with economic adversity.

  • Director
    • Satyajit Ray
  • Writers
    • Tarashankar Banerjee
    • Satyajit Ray
    • Santi P. Choudhury
  • Stars
    • Chhabi Biswas
    • Gangapada Basu
    • Padmadevi
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.9/10
    6.4K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Satyajit Ray
    • Writers
      • Tarashankar Banerjee
      • Satyajit Ray
      • Santi P. Choudhury
    • Stars
      • Chhabi Biswas
      • Gangapada Basu
      • Padmadevi
    • 38User reviews
    • 81Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 wins & 3 nominations

    Videos1

    The Music Room
    Trailer 1:42
    Watch The Music Room

    Photos24

    The Music Room (1958)
    The Music Room (1958)
    The Music Room (1958)
    Chhabi Biswas in The Music Room (1958)
    The Music Room (1958)
    The Music Room (1958)
    Chhabi Biswas in The Music Room (1958)
    The Music Room (1958)
    Chhabi Biswas in The Music Room (1958)
    The Music Room (1958)
    Chhabi Biswas in The Music Room (1958)
    Chhabi Biswas in The Music Room (1958)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Chhabi Biswas
    Chhabi Biswas
    • Huzur Biswambhar Roy
    Gangapada Basu
    • Mahim Ganguly
    Padmadevi
    • Mahamaya, Roy's wife
    • (as Padma Devi)
    Kali Sarkar
    • Roy's Servant
    Tulsi Lahiri
    • Manager of Roy's Estate
    Pinaki Sengupta
    Pinaki Sengupta
    • Khoka, Roy's Son
    Sardar Akhtar
    • Singer
    • (as Begum Akhtar)
    Roshan Kumari
    Roshan Kumari
    • Krishna Bai, dancer
    Waheed Khan
    • Ustad Ujir Khan
    • (as Ostad Wahed Khan)
    Bismillah Khan
    • Musician
    Salamat Ali Khan
    • Khyal singer
    Tarapada Nandy
    Pratap Mukherjee
      • Director
        • Satyajit Ray
      • Writers
        • Tarashankar Banerjee
        • Satyajit Ray
        • Santi P. Choudhury
      • All cast & crew
      • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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      Storyline

      Edit

      Did you know

      Edit
      • Trivia
        The film is included on Roger Ebert's "Great Movies" list.
      • Goofs
        After talking to his wife about the cost of the music party, a close-up shows the landlord falling asleep with his hand bent down at the wrist. After the cut to medium, his hand lies straight up in his neck.
      • Quotes

        Huzur Biswambhar Roy: [laughing drunkenly, deriding the moneylender's son, Ganguly] He failed. He failed!

        Huzur Biswambhar Roy: [now talking to his servant Ananta, who is refilling his glass with liquor] He couldn't do it. He couldn't do it! That moneylender's son! He wanted to be king of the mountain. What arrogance, huh? What arrogance! A dwarf reaching for the moon! He couldn't do it. You know why he failed?

        Huzur Biswambhar Roy: [speaking directly to Ananta] Blood! The blood in my veins! You know whose blood flows in my veins? You want to see? Come...

        Huzur Biswambhar Roy: [proceeding to point out portraits on the wall of his elders] My father... my grandfather... my great grandfather... my great-great grandfather.

      • Connections
        Featured in Celluloid Man (2012)

      User reviews38

      Review
      Review
      Featured review
      Satyajit Ray's Most Underrated Gem
      After leaving an indelible mark on the global stage with his pure & poetic The Apu Trilogy, Satyajit Ray brings his restraint touch & deft eye to the more conventional narrative structure in Indian cinema and subverts it from inside out. Jalsaghar aka The Music Room isn't devoid of the musical & dance segments that are a given in most Indian films but instead of serving as mere entertaining interludes, they play an integral role in the plot.

      Written, produced & directed by Ray, the film concerns a feudal landlord's passion for music & quest for social respect in the rapidly changing India and his refusal to change with the times that leads to his undoing. Through his dwindling fortunes & decadent lifestyle, Ray attempts to illustrate the contrast between old & new India and the fate that awaits those who cling on to their obsolete past & are unwilling to accept or acknowledge the modern society.

      Our protagonist isn't shown in a negative light however. Instead, the film observes his all-consuming obsession with music, pride in his social prestige & envy for his next-door neighbour's increasing fortunes, and how they contribute to his downfall. Chabbi Biswas' performance is nearly flawless, and he brings the ill-fated landlord to life with all his flaws & virtues in tact. Also adding to the experience are opulent set pieces, beautiful camerawork, and neat use of classical Indian music & dance.

      Overall, Jalsaghar presents the Bengali filmmaker tightening his grasp around his craft, and is one of his most impressive directorial efforts. Much worthy of broader viewership and having aged like a fine wine, the film's slow pace & overlong finale may not appease everyone but its elegant & authentic portrait of India undergoing an essential transformation after independence and the tragedy of a prideful man who's destroyed by his own hubris makes it an enduring classic of Indian cinema. Thoroughly recommended.
      helpful•3
      0
      • CinemaClown
      • Sep 25, 2020

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      FAQ3

      • What calendar do they use?
      • What is the significance of the "thread ceremony"?
      • What is a zamindar?

      Details

      Edit
      • Release date
        • October 10, 1958 (India)
      • Country of origin
        • India
      • Languages
        • Bengali
        • English
      • Also known as
        • Das Musikzimmer
      • Filming locations
        • Nimtita Rajbari, Nimtita, West Bengal, India(The House)
      • Production company
        • Aurora Film Corporation
      • See more company credits at IMDbPro

      Box office

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      • Gross worldwide
        • $3,247
      See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

      Technical specs

      Edit
      • Runtime
        1 hour 35 minutes
      • Color
        • Black and White
      • Sound mix
        • Mono
      • Aspect ratio
        • 1.37 : 1

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