What It’s About
Anxious to escape bustling Calcutta, four bachelor friends take a road trip to the country. There’s the confident Asim (Soumitra Chatterjee), bookish Sanjoy (Subhendu Chatterjee), clownish Shekhar (Ghosh), and sensitive Hari (Bhanja), who’s reeling from a break-up. Having made no firm plans, they bribe a caretaker and occupy a house in the forest. Soon they meet two young ladies also visiting, Aparna (Tagore) and her sister-in-law Jaya (Baya). Various hijinks and romantic intrigues ensue in the coming days.
Why We Love It
Legendary director Ray, at the peak of his form, unfolds a tale of four very different young men, each in their way searching and at loose ends, experiencing various awakenings over a long weekend escape. We watch as Hari comes out of his funk when he meets a pretty local girl, and Asim falter when the more mature Aparna opens up to him. Ray’s natural, observational style makes us feel we’re watching real life as it happens, and we become fully invested in these very human, vulnerable characters. The return of this previously lost film, meticulously restored in 4K by Criterion Collection, is cause for celebration.