Devi (1960 film)

1960 Indian film

Devi

Film Poster with Bengali Title

Directed by| Satyajit Ray
Written by| Prabhat Kumar Mukhopadhyay
Produced by| Satyajit Ray
Starring| Sharmila Tagore
Soumitra Chatterjee
Chhabi Biswas
Cinematography| Subrata Mitra
Edited by| Dulal Dutta
Music by| Ali Akbar Khan

Release date

* 19 February 1960 (1960-02-19)

Running time

| 93 minutes
Country| India
Language| Bengali

Devi (transl. Goddess) is a 1960 Bengali-language drama by director Satyajit Ray, starring Sharmila Tagore, Soumitra Chatterjee, and Chhabi Biswas. It is based on a short story by Prabhat Kumar Mukhopadhyay. The plot follows a zamindar (Biswas) who believes that his daughter-in-law (Tagore) has revealed herself to be a Goddess incarnate in a dream.

## Plot

[edit]

In rural Bengal in the 19th-century, the widowed zamindar Kalikinkar Roy, who is a devotee of the goddess Kali, lives in a mansion with servants and plenty of space for himself, his sons Taraprasad and Umaprasad, Taraprasad's wife Harasundari and son Khoka, and Umaprasad's wife Doyamoyee. After a festival, Umaprasad returns to Calcutta (Kolkata) to continue his schooling, which includes learning English, while Doyamoyee stays behind to help care for Khoka, with whom she has an almost-maternal bond, as well as Kalikinkar, who she helps with his daily prayers and rituals.

Kalikinkar has a dream in which the eyes of Kali and Doyamoyee merge, which he interprets as revealing that Doyamoyee is an incarnation of the goddess. He wakes her up and falls at her feet, and the passive Taraprasad follows suit, though Harasundari remains skeptical. The family priest is called and performs a ritual with smoke and bells. Doyamoyee faints, which Kalikinkar interprets as her going into a trance. When she wakes up, she asks Harasundari to write to Umaprasad.

Doyamoyee is moved to a more private part of the mansion and made to sit as an idol around which regular worship rituals are performed. A local beggar, having tried everything else he could think of, brings his unconscious grandson to her, and Kalikinkar suggests giving the boy some charanamrito (the water used to wash the goddess's feet) to drink. Umaprasad arrives during this process and, shocked by the whole scene, privately argues with his father. Kalikinkar questions his certainty briefly, but, when the sick boy opens his eyes, he feels it is proof of Doyamoyee's divinity.

That night, Umaprasad sneaks into Doyamoyee's room and asks her to leave with him. They make it to the riverbank, where there is a boat waiting, but Doyamoyee hesitates and becomes anxious. She has begun to wonder if maybe she is a goddess, and, afraid to leave, asks Umaprasad to take her home. Reluctantly, he complies and returns to Calcutta alone.

As word spreads about the "miracle" with the sick boy, Doyamoyee's following grows rapidly, and supplicants travel from afar to worship her. She sits stoically during the ceremonies, but her feelings of isolation grow. Even Khoka begins to avoid her.

One day, Khoka develops a high fever. Harasundari calls a doctor, and, though he is uncomfortable being there without Kalikinkar's knowledge, he agrees to return with some medicine. However, Taraprasad enters as the doctor is leaving, and he tells Kalikinkar what is going on. Kalikinkar brings Khoka to Doyamee and asks her to heal the boy, and, although Harasundari and Doyamoyee both have serious doubts that it is a good idea, they agree to go along with the plan to give Khoka some charanamrito and let Doyamoyee hold him that night. Khoka is dead in the morning.

Umaprasad returns home and finds Kalikinkar alone, weeping at the foot of a statue of Kali. He accuses his father of killing Khoka through his blind faith, and then says he intends to save his wife from the crushing burden of divinity, but he seems to be too late—he finds Doyamoyee getting dressed in her wedding attire, wide-eyed and saying they must leave before she is killed. She runs off into the mist, while Umaprasad calls after her.

## Cast

[edit]

* Sharmila Tagore as Doyamoyee, Umaprasad's wife and Kalikinkar's daughter-in-law
* Soumitra Chatterjee as Umaprasad Roy, Doyamoyee's husband and Kalikinkar's younger son
* Chhabi Biswas as Kalikinkar Roy
* Karuna Banerjee as Harasundari, Taraprasad's wife
* Purnendu Mukherjee as Taraprasad Roy, Kalikinkar's elder son
* Arpan Chowdhury as Khoka, Taraprasad and Harasundari's son
* Anil Chatterjee as Bhudeb, Umaprasad's friend in Calcutta
* Mohammed Israil as Nibaran, a beggar who cares for his grandson
* Kali Sarkar as Professor Sarkar, who gives Umaprasad advice
* Khagesh Chakravarti as Kaviraj
* Santa Devi as Sarala
* Nagendranath Kabyabyakarantirtha as a priest

## Preservation

[edit]

The Academy Film Archive preserved Devi in 1996.[1]

## Critical reception and legacy

[edit]

The film received critical acclaim upon its release.[2] On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 17 critics' reviews of the film are positive, with an average rating of 7.7/10.[3]

Directors William Wyler and Elia Kazan described the film as "poetry on celluloid",[4][5] and director Francis Ford Coppola considers Devi to be Ray's best work, calling it "a cinematic milestone".[6]

The film was adapted into the opera The Goddess by Allen Shearer.[7]

## Awards

[edit]

National Film Awards

* 1960: President's silver medal for Best Feature Film in Bengali – Won[8]

Cannes Film Festival

* 1962: Palme d'Or (Golden Palm) – Nominated[9]

## Other credits

[edit]

* Art direction: Bansi Chandragupta
* Sound designer: Durgadas Mitra

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Preserved Projects". Academy Film Archive. Archived from the original on 15 August 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
2. ^ "Screen: Satyajit Ray's 'Devi' Arrives:Indian Film Deals With a Religious Conflict: Creator of 'Apu' Plays Old Against New". The New York Times print archive. 8 October 1962. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
3. ^ "Devi (The Goddess)". Rotten Tomatoes. 11 July 2007. Archived from the original on 10 December 2017. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
4. ^ Gupta, Ranjan Das (30 April 2011). "Ray at Cannes". The Hindu Times. Archived from the original on 25 September 2020. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
5. ^ Roisin, Fariha (18 August 2014). "Why the Best American Filmmakers Owe a Debt to Satyajit Ray". IndieWire. Archived from the original on 15 April 2018. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
6. ^ Gupta, Ranjan Das (27 November 2010). "Back behind the camera". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 21 May 2022. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
7. ^ "Allen Shearer". American Composers Forum. Archived from the original on 9 December 2021. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
8. ^ "8th National Film Awards". International Film Festival of India. Archived from the original on 12 October 2013. Retrieved 7 September 2011.
9. ^ "Festival de Cannes: Devi". festival-cannes.com. Archived from the original on 23 August 2011. Retrieved 22 February 2009.

## External links

[edit]

* Devi at IMDb
* satyajitray.org

* v
* t
* e

Satyajit Ray

* Filmography
* Bibliography
* Accolades

Directions|

| The Apu Trilogy|

* Pather Panchali (1955)
* Aparajito (1956)
* The World of Apu (1959)

|

Calcutta Trilogy|

* Pratidwandi (1970)
* Seemabaddha (1971)
* Jana Aranya (1976)

Goopy - Bagha|

* Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne (1969)
* Hirak Rajar Deshe (1980)

Feluda|

* Sonar Kella (1974)
* Joi Baba Felunath (1978)

Byomkesh|

* Chiriyakhana (1967)

Documentaries|

* Rabindranath Tagore (1961)
* Two (1964)
* Sikkim (1971)
* The Inner Eye (1972)
* Bala (1976)
* Sukumar Ray (1987)

Others|

* Parash Pathar (1958)
* Jalsaghar (1958)
* Devi (1960)
* Teen Kanya (1961)
* Kanchenjungha (1962)
* Abhijan (1962)
* Mahanagar (1963)
* Charulata (1964)
* Kapurush (1965)
* Mahapurush (1965)
* Nayak (1966)
* Days and Nights in the Forest (1970)
* Distant Thunder (1973)
* The Chess Players (1977)
* Pikoo (1980)
* Sadgati (1981)
* Ghare Baire (1984)
* Ganashatru (1989)
* Shakha Proshakha (1990)
* Agantuk (1991)

Screenplay
and story|

| Goopy - Bagha|

* Goopy Bagha Phire Elo (1991)
* Goopy Gawaiya Bagha Bajaiya (2014)

|

Feluda|

* Baksho Rahashya (1996)
* Bombaiyer Bombete (2003)
* Kailashey Kelenkari (2007)
* Tintorettor Jishu (2008)
* Gorosthaney Sabdhan (2010)
* Royal Bengal Rahashya (2011)
* Badshahi Angti (2014)
* Double Feluda (2016)

Tarini Khuro|

* Jekhane Bhooter Bhoy (2012)
* The Storyteller (TBA)

Professor Shonku|

* Professor Shonku O El Dorado (2019)

Others|

* The Alien (unproduced)
* Target (1995)
* Bombay Talkies (2013)
* Chaar (2014)
* Anukul (2017)

Cinematic
literature|

* Our Films, Their Films
* Bishoy Chalachchitra
* Ekei Bole Shooting

Characters|

* Feluda
* Professor Shonku
* Tarini Khuro
* Lalmohan 'Jatayu' Ganguly
* Topshe

Related|

* Sandesh magazine
* Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute

* Category

* v
* t
* e

National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Bengali

1954–1960|

* Chheley Kaar (1954)
* Pather Panchali (1955)
* Kabuliwala (1956)
* Andhare Alo (1957)
* Sagar Sangamey (1958)
* Bicharak (1959)
* Devi (1960)

Certificate of Merit|

* Jadu Bhatta and Annapurnar Mandir (1954)
* Rani Rashmoni and Rai Kamal (1955)
* Mahakavi Girishchandra and Ek Din Ratre (1956)
* Louha-Kapat and Harano Sur (1957)
* Sagar Sangamey, Jalsaghar and Daak Harkara (1958)
* - (1959)
* Ganga (1960)

1961–1980|

* Samapti (1961)
* Kancher Swarga (1962)
* Uttar Falguni (1963)
* Aarohi (1964)
* Akash Kusum (1965)
* - (1966)
* Arogya Niketan (film) (1967)
* Apanjan (1968)
* Natun Pata (1969)
* Malyadan (1970)
* Nimantran (1971)
* Strir Patra (1972)
* Ashani Sanket (1973)
* Sonar Kella (1974)
* Palanka (1975)
* - (1976)
* - (1977)
* Dooratwa (1978)
* - (1979)
* Hirak Rajar Deshe (1980)

Certificate of Merit|

* Saptapadi and Punascha (1961)
* Nishithe (1962)
* Saat Paake Bandha and Jatu Griha (1963)
* Anustup Chhanda (1964)
* Subarnarekha and Raja Rammohun (1965)
* Discontinued after 1965

1981–2000|

* Adalat o Ekti Meye (1981)
* Nagmoti (1982)
* Vasundhra (1983)
* Ghare Baire (1984)
* Parama (1985)
* Phera (1986)
* Antarjali Jatra (1987)
* - (1988)
* Ganashatru (1989)
* Atmaja (1990)
* Antardhan (1991)
* Tahader Katha (1992)
* Antareen (1993)
* Amodini (1994)
* Yugant (1995)
* Sanghat (1996)
* Dahan (1997)
* Asukh (1998)
* Paromitar Ek Din (1999)
* Dekha (2000)

2001–2020|

* Hemanter Pakhi (2001)
* Shubho Mahurat (2002)
* Chokher Bali (2003)
* Krantikaal (2004)
* Herbert (2005)
* Anuranan and Podokkhep (2006)
* Ballygunge Court (2007)
* Shob Charitro Kalponik (2008)
* Abohomaan (2009)
* Ami Aadu (2010)
* Ranjana Ami Ar Ashbona (2011)
* Shabdo (2012)
* Bakita Byaktigato (2013)
* Nirbashito (2014)
* Shankhachil (2015)
* Bishorjan (2016)
* Mayurakshi (2017)
* Ek Je Chhilo Raja (2018)
* Gumnaami (2019)
* Avijatrik (2020)

2021–present|

* Kalkokkho (2021)
* Kaberi Antardhan (2022)

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