DEVI
India, 1960, 93 minutes, Black and white.
Chhabi Biswas, Soumitra Chatterjee, Sharmila Tagor.
Directed by Satyajit Ray.
Devi was the sixth feature film by Satyajit Ray. He had already won many awards, especially the Golden Lion in Venice, for his previous films, especially the three which make up the Apu Trilogy. He was to continue making films until the mid-1990s, winning many awards especially in Berlin as well as in his native India.
Satyajit Ray is considered one of the world’s greatest directors. He worked in Bengal, centred on Kolkata, not in the Bollywood tradition but rather in the tradition of European films from an Indian perspective and style. This is very much the case with Devi.
The film focuses on a young woman (played by Sharmila Tagor who appeared in many of Ray’s films) who is the wife of a young man who has gone away to study in the city. He is interested in Christianity, sceptical about aspects of traditional Indian religion. She stays behind to look after her father-in-law and lives with her husband’s brother and sister-in-law and their little nephew. The father has a dream. He is a pious man and prays devoutly to the goddess Kali. In his dream he perceives that his daughter-in-law is the incarnation of Kali and immediately worships her. The girl is pressurised into believing that she is the goddess, especially when a child is healed. The husband comes home to plead with her but she is too fearful to leave. Pilgrimages increase and crowds come to see her. However, there is a doom-laden ending as Shiana is unable to save her nephew from death. Finally, she runs into the mists. The ending is open-ended as to what will happen to her.
1.A picture of India, the 19th century, the religious traditions? A critique?
2.The work of Satyajit Ray, in Bengal, in Kolkata? His style of Indian film-making, so different from the Bollywood tradition?
3.The striking black and white photography, locations, interiors, close-ups of people talking, faces? Religious shrines, pilgrimages? The Indian-style score?
4.Doya as the incarnation of Kali? The images during the credits, the religious masks, the statuary? The festivals, pilgrimages, prayer, healings? Piety and religion?
5.Faith in the traditional religion, in the gods, in their incarnations, healing powers? Intercessory prayer? The father’s commitment? His dreams? The possibility of delusions? Superstitions and manipulation? The contrast with scepticism from his daughter-in-law and from his son? The challenge to this kind of faith?
6.Uma and Doya? Their ages, Doya being seventeen, the marriage for four years, their not having any children? Their devotion to their nephew and his love for them? The focus on their love, the long conversation sequences? Insight into their characters? His study, planning for her to write the letters every day? The possibility of her leaving but her staying?
7.The portrait of Uma’s father, his age, wealth, the two sons, intending to leave his property to his older son? His time in prayer? His devotion to Kali? The dream and the visuals of the dream? Awake, the conviction, his believe that Doya was the incarnation of Kali, prostrating himself, his son prostrating himself?
8.The impact on Doya, did she believe that she was the incarnation of the goddess or not? Her bewildered? The men prostrate? Her garb, like a statue, icons, jewellery? The presents for the people coming to her, the beggar and his son, the healing? The effect on her life? Caring for her father-in-law? Her sister-in-law sceptical? Her husband and his antagonism? Uma’s return, his reaction?
9.Uma, scepticism, religion, toying with Christianity? His father demanding respect? Uma bluntly telling the truth? With Doya, trying to persuade her of the truth, that she was only human? Persuading her to leave? Her fears, the river and the boat, her unwillingness to leave? Uma going?
10.Doya as the goddess, possessed by her spirit, her responsibilities, the enormous number of pilgrims, the crowds, the requests for healing?
11.Her nephew, his illness, his mother’s concern, the father, bringing the boy to Doya, her taking the boy, the vigil in the night, the boy’s death?
12.The father and his disillusionment with the death of his grandson? Wondering about the sin he had committed? Uma and his condemnation of his father, killing the boy and killing Doya because of his manipulation of her?
13.Doya, the effect of the death, her jewels, bewilderment, with Uma, fleeing into the mist?
14.Issues of religion, authority, superstition, false religion? Manipulation and destruction? A critique of all religion, not just traditional Hinduism?
