Jalsaghar (The Music Room) (1958)

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Jalsaghar (The Music Room) (1958) – S. Ray

A long time ago, I was mesmerized by footage of Roshan Kumari dancing on television -- which turned out to be a clip from Satyajit Ray's The Music Room.  When I finally saw the complete film, I wrote: "Another tale of the fading landed gentry superseded by the nouveau riche, but Satyajit Ray's film is made ecstatic by the intense Indian classical music, the chiaroscuro lighting, and the decadence and decay on display." However, there are so many sublime moments of musical performance (diegetic and non-diegetic) and such a melancholy air to the proceedings that this film (and Ray himself) must be elevated to the pantheon.

Roshan Kumari from Pere Mestre on Vimeo.