7.7/10
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4 user 1 critic

Paras-Pathar (1958)

Parash Pathar (original title)
| Comedy | 18 February 1959 (France)
Paras-Pathar Poster
An underpaid middle-aged clerk finds a 'parash pathar', a stone that changes iron to gold on touch.

Director:

Satyajit Ray

Writers:

Rajshekhar 'Parashuram' Basu (story), Satyajit Ray (dialogue) | 1 more credit »

Stars:

Tulsi Chakraborty, Kali Bannerjee, Ranibala | See full cast & crew »
Reviews
1 nomination. See more awards »

Photos

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Edit

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Tulsi Chakraborty ... Paresh Chandra Dutta (as Tulsi Chakravarty)
Kali Bannerjee ... Priyotosh Henry Biswas (as Kali Bannerji)
Ranibala Ranibala ... Giribala Dutta
Gangapada Basu Gangapada Basu ... Kachalu (Businessman)
Haridhan Mukherjee Haridhan Mukherjee ... Police Inspector
Jahar Roy Jahar Roy ... Bhajahari
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Chhabi Biswas ... Guest at Cocktail Party
Bharati Devi ... Guest at Cocktail Party
Chandrabati Devi Chandrabati Devi ... Guest at Cocktail Party
Jahar Ganguli Jahar Ganguli ... Guest at Cocktail Party
Subodh Ganguli Subodh Ganguli ... Guest at Cocktail Party
Tulsi Lahiri Tulsi Lahiri ... Guest at Cocktail Party
Kamal Mitra Kamal Mitra ... Guest at Cocktail Party
Nitish Mukherjee Nitish Mukherjee ... Guest at Cocktail Party
Amar Mullick Amar Mullick ... Guest at Cocktail Party
See full cast »
Edit

Storyline

An underpaid middle-aged clerk finds a 'parash pathar', a stone that changes iron to gold on touch.

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

gold | philosopher's stone | teacher | metal | marbles | See All (11) »

Genres:

Comedy

Parents Guide:

Add content advisory for parents »
Edit

Details

Country:

India

Language:

Bengali

Release Date:

18 February 1959 (France) See more »

Also Known As:

Paras-Pathar See more »

Filming Locations:

Calcutta, West Bengal, India

Company Credits

Production Co:

Aurora, L.B.Films International See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Connections

Referenced in Degrassi: The Next Generation: Don't Dream It's Over (2004) See more »

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User Reviews

Enjoyable yet thought-provoking
17 April 2009 | by Jag85 – See all my reviews

My feelings about this film are a bit mixed. It's very different from the other Satyajit Ray films I've seen, The Apu Trilogy (1955-1959) and Devi (1960). In contrast to those films, Porosh Pathor was more of a magical-realist dark comedy rather than a drama. It didn't have a laugh-out-loud kind of humour either, but had a more subtle kind of humour. However, the concept behind the film was creative and innovative, while the plot was more meaningful and thought-provoking than most comedies.

The philosopher's stone has long been a dream of alchemists since at least the Middle Ages, but the film attempts to portray the consequences this may have on society when someone finally obtains the legendary stone. Although the film was rushed, as Ray himself admitted, his direction for the film is still impressive. It was also nice for a change that the film wasn't tragic like the other Ray films I saw, but was more up-beat overall. Although it wasn't powerful like Ray's other films, Porosh Pathor was an enjoyable yet thought-provoking film to watch.

7/10
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