An Enemy of the people = Ganashatru

Adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s play of the same name, spoken in Bengali dialogue with English subtitles. In this version of Ibsen’s play, Satyajit Ray has transposed the action to contemporary India. When Dr. Ashok Gupta, chief medical officer at the hospital in the West Bengal town of Chandipur, discovers that the local ‘holy waters’ are dangerously polluted, his efforts to solve the problem are blocked by powerful local interests determined that nothing shall interfere with the lucrative flow of pilgrims and tourists. Gupta is, however, eventually supported by a coalition of progressive local interests, and the scene is set for a powerful conflict between science and superstition, idealism and self-interest. A fine example of ‘late’ Ray, and a fascinating fusion of Ray and Ibsen. Satyajit Ray was awarded an Honorary Oscar in 1992. Stars Soumitra Chatterjee, Dhritiman Chatterjee, Deepankar De, Ruma Cuhathakurta and Mamta Shankta.