Company Limited

The budget may be low (an explosion is simulated, for example, merely by shaking the camera), but Satyajit Ray's film about climbing the corporate ladder in early 1970s India is a highly sophisticated piece of work. It takes place in a surprisingly modern, gleaming slice of Calcutta; but the environment in which the emerging Indian professional classes prosper still bears the residual echoes of the colonial era. The central character, played skillfully by Barun Chanda , is quiet and charming, and superficially ambiguous about the appearances his position requires him to maintain; a little too flirtatious, perhaps, especially with his sister-in-law (who plays the movie's moral conscience); but when it comes down to it, ruthless in his ambition: I found his mixed motivations wholly convincing. There are even echoes of 'Save the Tiger' in the plot, except whereas that film (from the same era) is about the decline of America, this one is set against the backdrop of a rising India. An interesting and farsighted film, 'Company Limited' catches a snapshot of a country in transition from the era of empire and Gandhi to that of today.

This the the next one, but it tells a story of a very rich, successful young man and the credibility of his acts and decisions from the perspective of his sister in law, who believes him and admires too. Written by Shankar, another novelist with a deeper cut cult following, everything is undercurrent in this film. Extramarital affairs, lobbyism, corporate corruption, flirting and even communism. The recurring thing you will see here is the doubt of a suburban girl, who is empathetic about the underground naxalites, between good and bad about the corporate sectors in the then growing third world country. For the people who always needs a well known reference, a lot of scenes in this movie is like 'American Psycho'. And you will get a significant role of Ms. Shefali, just not a cameo.

While thematically Seemabaddha is similar to Jana Aranya, the dramatic element comes only near the end of the film. Instead it plays more like a slice of life film.

I have seen a lot of bollywood movies, they have never been able to give me insight into India as Satyajit Ray's movies have. That is why Seemabaddha was a revelation for me, mostly how little some things have changed.

Seemabaddha begins with visit of Tutul who is sister-in-law of Shyamalendu Chatterjee, movie's protagonist who is a sales manager in a big firm. From then on it mostly shows their daily lives as seen through eyes of Tutul, who is quite critical of her brother-in-law and liked him more when he was teaching. Tutul represent the traditional middle class India, while Shyamlendu is part of upwardly mobile young India. It is about the conflict in both their values. Of course like in most of Ray's movies everything is very subtle, and viewers have to come to their own conclusions.

While it lacks the dramatic elements of most of his high other movies I still loved this movie as it showed me a picture of India I had not seen before.

Smart's a misnomer in offices of social wherewithal keeping records on paper for another day at heroism buttressed by inks on winks and dinks off kinks to keep the smarts smart in contexts declared historical for modernity beating in their cusps. The cusp of edges are depressions in vessels of hegemony challenged to survive in time like calendars do with companies and banks marketing raison détres of yore as choices hard chore brooked not with narratives parading as cultural artefacts peculiarly regional but with professional elan on dark schmooze keeping paperwork for distant fans air conditioning for the last man standing, deliberately, for lack of choices in any further professional manoeuvres at offices taken by those that call dibs on files and folders alien to smart cut trouser hems and locals to kitty parties without a regional licence in turn.

The movie was made in the 1970s, amazing to see how much of it still holds true and is relevant in the modern world. Kolkata (and other big cities) is still mostly the same and the rat race shown is even more severe in every field of life today. People like Shyamalendu are battling it out, trying to fit in, not realizing when they are changing ..hard to blame them also, as if not them, somebody else will do the same thing, taking their position. Makes one question as what we really mean by success. The actors did an amazing job, and what can one say about the master's direction. I wish more such films were made today capturing the state of today's society in Bengal..in India.