Joi Baba Felunath (film)

Joi Baba Felunath

A Poster for Joi Baba Felunath
Directed by Satyajit Ray
Produced by R.D.B. Productions
Written by Satyajit Ray
Starring Soumitra Chatterjee,
Santosh Dutta,
Siddartha Chatterjee,
Utpal Dutt,
Haradhan Bandopadhyay,
Biplab Chatterjee
Release dates
  • 5 January 1979 (1979-01-05)
Running time
 112 min.
Country India
Language Bengali
Budget Rs 6 lakhs
Box office Rs 7 lakhs
Joy Baba Felunath
Author Satyajit Ray
Cover artist Satyajit Ray
Country India
Language Bengali
Genre Detective fiction
Publisher Ananda Publishers
Publication date
 1975
Media type Print
Preceded by Royal Bengal Rahasya
Followed by Ghurghutiar Ghotona

Joi Baba Felunath (The Elephant God)[1] is a 1979 Indian Bengali mystery film by director Satyajit Ray, featuring Soumitra Chatterjee, Santosh Dutta, Siddartha Chatterjee, Utpal Dutt among others. The film is based on the famous Feluda novel of the same name written by Ray himself. It is the second film of Feluda as well as the sequel of Sonar Kella directed by Satyajit Ray. After the demise of Santosh Dutta (Jatayu), Ray remarked that it was impossible to ever make a Feluda film again without Dutta.[2]

Plot

Feluda, his cousin Topshe and the thriller writer Jatayu visit Benaras during the pujas. There they meet a Bengali family. Upon hearing that Feluda is a private investigator, the Ghosal family head entrusts him with the task of finding out the thief of the attempted theft that took place in their house. Meanwhile, the arrival of a saint by the name of 'Machhli Baba' in Benaras quivers the excitement of the local people.

A very valuable property of the Ghosals, a golden Ganesh statue, about an inch height, was the target of the thief. On the other hand, Maganlal Meghraj, a wealthy Marwari businessman, had his eyes on the Ganesh for a very long time. He comes to know about the involvement of Feluda in this case. He invites Feluda, Topshe and Jatayu to his house and offers Feluda Rs.2000 so that he leaves this case. Feluda refuses, which angers Maganlal, and he sets up a knife throwing show, using Jatayu as the bait (much to the viewer's amusement). After the thrilling adventures in Maganlal's house, Feluda takes a vow - either he will avenge Jatayu's harassment, or quit being a sleuth.

Although warned by Maganlal, Feluda did not lose interest in the case, and deduces that Machhli Baba is actually a fraud working for Maganlal. A member of the Ghosal family, Bikash, was also bribed by Maganlal to steal the Ganesh and hand it over to him. Feluda gets hold of Bikash and makes him confess his involvement in the theft. But Bikash states that when he went to steal the Ganesh, it was not there. Several questions arise in Feluda's mind. Where is the Ganesh, then? Why the innocent idol-maker of the Ghosals Shashi Babu was murdered brutally? What plan did the Ghosal family head hatch upon with his grandson to save the Ganesh?

The story has two sub plots. On the one hand, it is the story of the acquisitive instinct of a greedy Marwari businessman, who would spare no expenses or ways to get what he desires, even if it is at the cost of murdering some innocents and bribing the willing. On the other, it is also the tale of cautionary foresight exercised by the family head. The sights and sounds and the brilliant cinematography and photographic imagery takes the nostalgic viewer to a lost world of the innocence, the beauty and the freshness of a north Indian town, that is at once, far from the madding corruptibility of big cities. Subaltern texts like the caste and the communal divide do make their presence felt, but they exist as subplots, that further enrich the viewer's understanding.

Cast

Preservation

The Academy Film Archive preserved Joi Bab Felunath in 2007.[3]

References

  1. ↑ Andrew Robinson (1989). Satyajit Ray: The Inner Eye. University of California Press. pp. 237–. ISBN 978-0-520-06946-6. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
  2. ↑ Satyajit Ray; Bert Cardullo (1 March 2007). Satyajit Ray: Interviews. Univ. Press of Mississippi. pp. 35–. ISBN 978-1-57806-937-8. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
  3. ↑ "Preserved Projects". Academy Film Archive.
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