Shatranj Ke Khilari is the only feature-length film made by Satyajit Ray in Hindi language. Set on the cusp of the 1857 Mutiny, it delves into the lives of two decadent noblemen, portrayed by actors Sanjeev Kumar and Saeed Jaffrey, in Nawab Wajid Ali Shah's Lucknow—the capital of Awadh and one of the few empires still untouched by colonial domination at that time. In tandem with Ray's tendency to adapt existing works of literature, barring only a couple of his feature films, Shatranj Ke Khilari's profound scaffolding is credited to Premchand. Still, Ray transforms and enriches the literary work through intermediality using hand-painted title cards, animation and elaborate song and dance sequences, creating a bridge between literature, animation, performance and paintings. As the kingdom crumbles, the film focuses on the two noblemen who exist in a vacuum outside this historical moment, living in a world of their rarefied indulgence of the game of chess. Ray masterfully uses the game of chess as a metaphor for the broader personal and political ramifications as the relentless advance of British imperialism shatters the old order.