Top 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsMost Popular Video GamesMost Popular Music VideosMost Popular Podcasts
    Release CalendarBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersSundance Film FestivalIndependent Spirit AwardsBlack History MonthSXSWSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

The Chess Players

Original title: Shatranj Ke Khilari
  • 19771977
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 2h 9m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
3.8K
YOUR RATING
The Chess Players (1977)
Wazed Ali Shah was the ruler of one of the last independent kingdoms of India. The British, intent on controlling this rich country, had sent General Outram on a secret mission to clear the way for an annexation. While pressure was mounting amidst intrigue and political maneuvers, Ali Shah composes poems and listens to music, secluded in his palace. The court was of no help, as exemplified by nobles Mir and Mirza, who, ignoring the situation of their country and all of their duties towards their families, spend their days playing endless parties of chess.
Play trailer1:33
1 Video
33 Photos
ComedyDramaHistory
Wazed Ali Shah was the ruler of one of the last independent kingdoms of India. The British, intent on controlling this rich country, had sent General Outram on a secret mission to clear the ... Read allWazed Ali Shah was the ruler of one of the last independent kingdoms of India. The British, intent on controlling this rich country, had sent General Outram on a secret mission to clear the way for an annexation. While pressure was mounting amidst intrigue and political maneuvers... Read allWazed Ali Shah was the ruler of one of the last independent kingdoms of India. The British, intent on controlling this rich country, had sent General Outram on a secret mission to clear the way for an annexation. While pressure was mounting amidst intrigue and political maneuvers, Ali Shah composes poems and listens to music, secluded in his palace. The court was of n... Read all
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
3.8K
YOUR RATING
    • Satyajit Ray
  • Writers
    • Munshi Premchand(story)
    • Satyajit Ray(dialogue)
    • Shama Zaidi(dialogue)
  • Stars
    • Sanjeev Kumar
    • Saeed Jaffrey
    • Shabana Azmi
    • Satyajit Ray
  • Writers
    • Munshi Premchand(story)
    • Satyajit Ray(dialogue)
    • Shama Zaidi(dialogue)
  • Stars
    • Sanjeev Kumar
    • Saeed Jaffrey
    • Shabana Azmi
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 29User reviews
    • 29Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards

    Videos1

    The Chess Players (1977) Trailer
    Trailer 1:33
    Watch The Chess Players (1977) Trailer

    Photos33

    Shabana Azmi, Victor Banerjee, and Amjad Khan in The Chess Players (1977)
    Sanjeev Kumar in The Chess Players (1977)
    Sanjeev Kumar in The Chess Players (1977)
    Sanjeev Kumar in The Chess Players (1977)
    Sanjeev Kumar in The Chess Players (1977)
    Shabana Azmi, Victor Banerjee, and Amjad Khan in The Chess Players (1977)
    The Chess Players (1977)
    Richard Attenborough in The Chess Players (1977)
    Tom Alter in The Chess Players (1977)
    Richard Attenborough in The Chess Players (1977)
    Victor Banerjee in The Chess Players (1977)
    Amjad Khan in The Chess Players (1977)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Sanjeev Kumar
    Sanjeev Kumar
    • Mirza Sajjad Ali
    Saeed Jaffrey
    Saeed Jaffrey
    • Mir Roshan Ali
    Shabana Azmi
    Shabana Azmi
    • Khurshid, Mirza's wife
    Farida Jalal
    Farida Jalal
    • Nafisa, Mir's wife
    Veena
    Veena
    • Queen Mother
    David Abraham
    David Abraham
    • Munshi
    Victor Banerjee
    Victor Banerjee
    • Prime Minister
    • (as Victor Bannerji)
    Farooq Shaikh
    Farooq Shaikh
    • Aqueel
    • (as Farooque Shaikh)
    Tom Alter
    Tom Alter
    • Capt. Weston (Outram's aide de camp)
    Leela Mishra
    Leela Mishra
    • Hirya, Khurshid's maid
    Barry John
    Samarth Narain
    • Kallu
    Bhudo Advani
    • Abbajani
    • (as Budho Advani)
    Kamu Mukherjee
      Uttamram Nagar
      Khairatilal Lahori
      Pradip Shankar
      Ashfaq Mirza
        • Satyajit Ray
      • Writers
        • Munshi Premchand(story)
        • Satyajit Ray(dialogue) (screenplay)
        • Shama Zaidi(dialogue)
      • All cast & crew
      • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

      More like this

      The Home and the World
      7.5
      The Home and the World
      Ankur: The Seedling
      7.8
      Ankur: The Seedling
      An Enemy of the People
      7.3
      An Enemy of the People
      The Stranger
      8.0
      The Stranger
      Shakha Proshakha
      7.7
      Shakha Proshakha
      Deliverance
      7.9
      Deliverance
      Jana Aranya
      8.4
      Jana Aranya
      The Philosopher's Stone
      7.6
      The Philosopher's Stone
      Awaara
      7.8
      Awaara
      Pratidwandi
      8.1
      Pratidwandi
      Distant Thunder
      8.0
      Distant Thunder
      Kanchenjungha
      7.9
      Kanchenjungha

      Storyline

      Edit

      Did you know

      Edit
      • Trivia
        Satyajit Ray's only Hindi movie.
      • Quotes

        Mir Roshan Ali: Jinse apni biwi-yan nahin sambhli woh angreaz fauz se kya ladenge. Translation : Those whom couldn't even care for their wives, would not be able to fight the British army.

      • Connections
        Featured in Celluloid Man (2012)

      User reviews29

      Review
      Review
      Featured review
      8/10
      Mir, Mirza, Chess and the fall
      I heard great things about this movie and it lives up to expectations. I am a great fan of Satyajeet Ray and he showed us again that he is a master story teller and craftsman.

      He showed us his mastery in costumes, their colors, landscape and above all the tempo and dialogs. Especially the one to one talks of Mir and Mirza are great (all are in Proper Urdu which is common in that era). From lighting (the sunsets in the end) to capturing the true emotions (the way he showed the desperation of two wives) is remarkable. Setting of the movie from the very first scene to the end is just amazing in a sense how he tackles different issues to recreate that era.

      Acting is pretty good from Mir and Mirza. Rest is just doing their part well.
      helpful•11
      5
      • badar1981
      • Nov 30, 2006

      Details

      Edit
      • Release date
        • October 3, 1977 (India)
        • India
        • Hindi
        • Urdu
        • English
      • Also known as
      • Filming locations
        • Indrapuri Studios, Calcutta, West Bengal, India
      • Production company
        • Devki Chitra
      • See more company credits at IMDbPro

      Technical specs

      Edit
      • 2 hours 9 minutes
        • Mono

      Related news

      Contribute to this page

      Suggest an edit or add missing content
      The Chess Players (1977)
      Top Gap
      What is the English language plot outline for The Chess Players (1977)?
      Answer
      • See more gaps
      • Learn more about contributing
      Edit page

      More to explore

      Recently viewed

      Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
      Get the IMDb App
      • Get the IMDb App
      • Help
      • Site Index
      • IMDbPro
      • Box Office Mojo
      • IMDb Developer
      • Press Room
      • Advertising
      • Jobs
      • Conditions of Use
      • Privacy Policy
      • Your Ads Privacy Choices
      IMDb, an Amazon company

      © 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.