Ganashatru (1990)
Screenplay, Direction, and Music by:
Satyajit Ray
This is an adaptation of the Norwegian playwright, Henrik Ibsen's play 'An Enemy of the People'. Satyajit Ray's films, especially the last ones, Ghare Baire, Agantuk and this have captured an essence of India, the socio-cultural milieu, which I fear is no longer there. If you want to see and experience how India was in the 80s and the 90s, you should watch Ray's films.
Ganashatru explores themes that are, sadly, still relevant in India. Religious dogmatism, manipulating people, powerful people controlling media and honest people fighting to get their voice heard. Dr. Ashok Gupta played by a brilliant Soumitra Chatterjee, tries to stop people from drinking contaminated water at the temple in Chandipur in the name of holy water. He writes an article about it and tries to get it published by a newspaper, while his brother, a powerful person tries to suppress his voice. Ray must've been hopeful for the future, whereas today's reality says the film should've ended as a defeat of the protagonist.
It's a simple premise and the making is minimalistic as well, with simple pans, zoom-ins, and simple editing. It is dialogue-heavy, just like his last film Agantuk (The Stranger). Most of his films relied on dialogue and drama, I wonder what kind of films Ray would've made had he been alive today with the technology that is available now.
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