# Jalsaghar (1958)

### reviewed by
Murali Krishnan

[3.0/4.0] (dialog in Bengali, English subtitles)

This film also has the English title "The Music Room".

Indian culture is thousands of years old and has undergone changes at different times. This film symbolically deals with a recent change, the decline of the landed gentry. Biswambhar Roy (Chhabi Biswas) spends his time idly occupying his large, empty palace. Except for a few loyal servants, he is alone. The meager remains of a large fortune are just enough to support the decrepit household. Spurred by the sound of distant music, he reviews his past in flashback.

At one time he is a rich and respected zamindar (landowner). Although it is clear that his fortune is slipping, due to the nearby river which is slowly swallowing his lands, he remains unconcerned with the details of managing his estate. His main focus of interest is in music, and he makes his jalsaghar the inner sanctum of his splendid palace. There he gives frequent concerts, employing the finest musicians. One of his tenants, Mahim Ganguly (Gangapada Basu), is accumulating wealth by serving as a moneylender. Although Ganguly's fortune is waxing as Roy's is waning, Ganguly always defers to Roy and pays him the courtesy and respect that all tenants accord the zamindar.

The main conflict in the story is not between individuals, but between the ways of life disturbed by the inevitable forces of change. Roy represents the ideals of the past when prestige was passed through bloodlines, while Ganguly represents the modern ideals of earned status. The two men are not antagonists but in a way, they are rivals. Roy contemptuously dismisses Ganguly's profession as undignified. Ganguly is annoyed that people still submissively esteem the bankrupt landlord, but do not fully respect him because he is "a self-made man, no pedigree." It is implied that it is fate, not necessarily the actions of the men, that is behind the shifting fortunes of Roy and Ganguly. Although Roy was generally irresponsible, there was not much he could have done to save his lands. As for Ganguly, had he existed at an earlier time, he would not have had the opportunity to rise above the level of his birth. Change is inescapable, and although it helps some, it destroys others.

Satyajit Ray based the screenplay on the novel by Tarashankar Banerjee. The cinematography is evocative as Ray attempts to extract layers of meaning from the visuals. Ray intends to immerse the viewer in an ocean of music and images to fully experience the beauty and loss of the old order. Although Ganguly actually appears infrequently, Basu is able to define the character's lack of culture without making him exaggerated. The rest of the character is excellently drawn by inference, with the distant sound of his electric generator, by servants informing Roy that sahibs are visiting him. Biswas occupies the bulk of the screen time, and effectively defines the character with restraint. Roy speaks very little, so Biswas is able to communicate much of the character's emotion simply through facial and physical expression. The story builds the character to a crescendo at the final concert and symbolically at the dawn of the new day. The main difficulty with the film is its pacing and length. The extended musical numbers already prolong the story, and an almost plodding pace is employed. The theme, although familiar, is presented meaningfully.

Recommended. This film is not without flaw, but it is still a powerful story. It feels too long for its material, but viewers who appreciate classical Indian music and dance are rewarded with extended performances.

    (c) 1999 Murali Krishnan
    The Art House Squatter
    http://ArtHouseSquatter.com

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