Mitra, Subrata (Cinematographer), Kanchanjungha, 1962 | Photographic Still
CinematographerSubrata Mitra
Document TypePhotographic Still
Film TitleKanchanjungha (Kanchonjônggha), 1962, India, Bengali
Scene DescriptionKanchanjungha is set in the hill station of Darjeeling and focuses on a group of Calcuttans on holiday. The opening scene establishes Rai Bahadur Indranath Roy (played by the legendary Chhabi Biswas) as the patriarch and 'lordship' of the family, a colonial bhadralok in his Western suit, walking stick and fondness for cigars. He converses with a foreigner about the imperious summit of Mt Kanchanjungha - the third highest mountain in the world - which has been concealed in a purdah like an aristocratic woman for the past seventeen days of this trip and eluded a clear sighting. The visual articulation of remoteness between the peak and the characters in the film is the underlying philosphy that explains the relationships bewteen the characters we meet. (1/4)