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Shatranj Ke Khilari (1977)
3 October 1977
Calcutta
Satyajit Ray directs his only Hindi feature starring Sanjeev Kumar and Saeed Jaffrey as chess-obsessed nawabs during the British annexation of Awadh
Introduction
Preface — Shatranj Ke Khilari (1977)
Jindal, Suresh (Producer) Shatranj Ke Khilari 1977 | Lobby Card
Jindal, Suresh (Producer) Shatranj Ke Khilari 1977 | Song Synopsis Booklet
Ray, Satyajit (Director) Shatranj Ke Khilari 1977 | Poster
Zaidi, Shama (Costume Designer) Shatranj Ke Khilari 1977 | Costume
Roy, Soumendu (Cinematographer) Shatranj Ke Khilari 1977 | Photographic Still
Roy, Soumendu (Cinematographer), Shatranj Ke Khilari, 1977 | Photographic Still Mounted on Lobby Card
Ghosh, Nemai (Still Photographer), Shatranj Ke Khilari, 1977 | Working Still
Jindal, Suresh (Producer) Shatranj Ke Khilari 1977 | Showcard
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...
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निर्देशक सत्यजित राय की सिनेमाई यात्रा में शतरंज के खिलाड़ी एकमात्र ऐसी फ़ीचर लम्बाई की फ़िल्म है, जिसे उन्होंने हिन्दी भाषा में बनाया। फ़िल्म आधुनिक हिन्दी के संभवत: सबसे चर्चित कथाकार प्रेमचंद की इसी शीर्षक से 1924 में लिखी कहानी पर आधारित है। राय ने हिन्दी भाषा में दो ही फ़िल्में बनाईं, और दोनों प्रेमचंद की कहानियों पर आधारित हैं। दूसरी टेलिफ़िल्म सद्गति (1981) है, जो उन्होंने दूरदर्शन के लिए निर्देशित की थी। सन् 1857 के विद्रोह की पृष्ठभूमि पर बनी शतरंज के खिलाड़ी के केंद्र में हैं लखनऊ के दो पतनशील कुलीन मिर्ज़ा सज्जाद अली (संजीव कुमार) और मीर रौशन अली (सईद जाफ़री), जिन्हें शतरंज खेलने की लत है। अवध सल्तनत की राजधानी में यह नवाब वाजिद अली शाह का समय है, ब्रिटिश औपनिवेशिक शासन के कब्ज़े से ठीक पहले का समय। प्रेमचंद की कहानी से अलग हटते हुए राय ने अपनी फ़िल्म में वाजिद अली शाह (अमजद खान) को किरदार के बतौर भी शामिल किया है। राय की बांग्ला भाषा में निर्मित ज़्यादातर फ़िल्मों की तरह उनकी हिन्दी भाषा की दोनों फ़िल्में भी साहित्यिक कृतियों को अपना आधार बनाती हैं। पर राय यहाँ हाथ से पेंट किए गए शीर्षक कार्ड, एनीमेशन, गीतों, नृत्य आदि का इस्तेमाल करते हुए प्रेमचंद की कहानी में रचनात्मकता के नए आयाम जोड़ देते...
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Body of Work
Shatranj Ke Khilari (1977)
The following is a collection of photographs, captured by Nemai Ghosh, seen in the sequential order of the film. The collection includes both photographic stills and working stills.
Roy, Soumendu (Cinematographer), Shatranj Ke Khilari, 1977 | Photographic Still | CinemaEducation | 00662878
[1/35]
Two noblemen of the Awadh Province under the rule of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, Mirza Sajjad Ali and Mir Roshan Ali are passionately obsessed with the game of chess and spend their days playing for hours. They are seen offering the evening prayer or Maghrib ki Namaz before starting another round of chess.
The following is a collection of photographs, captured by Nemai Ghosh, seen in the sequential order of the film. The collection includes both photographic stills and working stills.
Roy, Soumendu (Cinematographer), Shatranj Ke Khilari, 1977 | Photographic Still | CinemaEducation | 00662878
[1/35]
Two noblemen of the Awadh Province under the rule of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, Mirza Sajjad Ali and Mir Roshan Ali are passionately obsessed with the game of chess and spend their days playing for hours. They are seen offering the evening prayer or Maghrib ki Namaz before starting another round of chess.
Wajid Ali Shah is the 11th and last crown king of Oudh, Lucknow. For long, the British did not annex parts of Lucknow and utilized it as a buffer state between their teritories in the South, East, and the Mughal empire in the North, besides appropriating the cost of maintaining the Bengal Army from Awadh's coffers. The British, with the intent of controlling India, send General Outram on a secret mission to clear the way for an annexation. While pressure is mounting amidst intrigue and political manoeuvres, Wajid Ali Shah, secluded in his palace, composes poems and listens to music. The court is of no help, as exemplified by two indolent and eccentric nobles, Mir and Mirza who, ignoring the situation in the country and their duties towards their families, spend their days playing endless rounds of chess. The imminent threat of the British takeover of their region becomes a harsh reality. Even when they are forced to leave their comfortable homes, they continue to play chess in the mosquito ridden outdoors, with two loaded pistols, ready to oppose the British, or even themselves, if need be.
Jindal, Suresh (Producer) Shatranj Ke Khilari 1977 | Song Synopsis Booklet | CinemaEducation | 00134405
Jindal, Suresh (Producer) Shatranj Ke Khilari 1977 | Song Synopsis Booklet | CinemaEducation | 00134406
Jindal, Suresh (Producer) Shatranj Ke Khilari 1977 | Song Synopsis Booklet | CinemaEducation | 00134407
Jindal, Suresh (Producer) Shatranj Ke Khilari 1977 | Song Synopsis Booklet | CinemaEducation | 00134408
Jindal, Suresh (Producer) Shatranj Ke Khilari 1977 | Song Synopsis Booklet | CinemaEducation | 00134409
Jindal, Suresh (Producer) Shatranj Ke Khilari 1977 | Song Synopsis Booklet | CinemaEducation | 00134405
Animation by
Ram Mohan
Art Director
Bansi Chandragupta
Assistant Cameraman
Dilip Bannerji,
Purnendu Bose,
Anil Ghosh
Assistant Choreographer
Saswati Sen,
Gitanjali Gitanjali,
Kathak kalakendra
Assistant Cinematographer
Dilip Bannerji,
Purnendu Bose,
Anil Ghosh
Assistant Costume Designer
Haru Das
Assistant Directors
Amitabh Bachchan,
Santi-Kumar Chatterji,
Sandip Ray,
Ramesh Sen
Assistant Editor
Kashinath Bose
Assistant Graphic Designer
Joseph-St Anne,
Pradeep Powale
Assistant Makeup Director
Pradip Bag
Assistant Office Incharge
Jagdish Shetty
Assistant Producer
Bolai Addy,
Trailokya Das
Assistant Sound
Arun Chakravarty,
Dulal Das
Associate Art Director
Ashok Bose
Associate Costume Designer
Rabab Jaffri,
Sitara Jaffri,
Saba Zaidi
Backdrop by
Kabi Dasgupta
Background Score by
Samir Majumdar
Banner
Devki Chitra
Chief Production Manager
Bhanu Ghosh
Choreographer
Birju Maharaj
Cinematographer
Soumendu Roy
Costume Designer
Shama Zaidi
Dialogue Writer
Satyajit Ray,
Javed Siddiqui,
Shama Zaidi
Director
Satyajit Ray
Eastman Color By
Gemini Colour Laboratory Madras
Editing
Dulal Dutta
Equipment
N C Cine service,
Shree Krisna Films,
Uma Deep Enterprises,
Cinequip
Graphic Design
Zehra Tyabji
Lead Cast
David Abraham,
Shabana Azmi,
Victor Banerjee,
Saeed Jaffrey,
Farida Jalal,
Sanjeev Kumar,
Veena
Lead Cast Rest
Tom Alter,
Richard Attenborough,
Shaik Farid,
Amrit-Bhushan Gujral,
Barry John,
Amjad Khan,
Ramesh Khosla,
Ashfaz Mirza,
Leela Mishra,
Kamu Mukherjee,
Uttamram Nagar,
Samarth Narayan,
Farooque Shaikh,
Pradip Shankar,
Madan Sudan,
Budhavani Budhavani,
Khairatilal Khairatilal,
Farooq Shaikh
Location Management
J-N Srivastava
Makeup Director
Ananta Das
Music by
Satyajit Ray
Music Director
Birju Maharaj,
Reba Muhuri,
Satyajit Ray,
Calcutta youth
Narrator
Amitabh Bachchan
Office Incharge
Ana-Maria-De Souza,
N-B Sukhwani
Poster Designer
Satyajit Ray
Presented by Institution
Devki Chitra
Producer
Suresh Jindal
Production Executive
Anil Chowdhury
Publicity Incharge
Uma Da Cunhe,
Uma Da Cunha
Re recording
Mangesh Desai
Screenplay Writer
Satyajit Ray
Song Recording and Background Music by
Samir Majumdar
Sound
Narinder Singh
Sound Director
Narinder Singh
Sound Mixer
Mangesh Desai
Sound Recording
Samir Majumdar
Special Assistant
Javed Siddiqui,
Javed Siddiqi
Still Photographer
Nemai Ghosh,
Pablo Bartholomew,
Sumatra Ghoshal,
Sandip Ray
Story Writer
Munshi Premchand
Studios
Indrapuri studios,
Rajkamal kalamandir
Kanha mai tause haari
Birju Maharaj
Bajaye bansuriya shyam yamuna kinare
Reba Muhuri
Are haan chabi dikhla ja
Reba Muhuri
Hindola jhule shyam
Calcutta Youth Choir
Tadap tadap sagri rayan guzari
Amjad Khan
Kanha mai tause haari
Birju Maharaj
04:49
Bajaye bansuriya shyam yamuna kinare
Reba Muhuri
05:30
Are haan chabi dikhla ja
Reba Muhuri
07:56
Hindola jhule shyam
Calcutta Youth Choir
04:46
Tadap tadap sagri rayan guzari
Amjad Khan
01:20
Jindal, Suresh (Producer) Shatranj Ke Khilari 1977 | Song Synopsis Booklet | CinemaEducation | 00134406
Jindal, Suresh (Producer) Shatranj Ke Khilari 1977 | Song Synopsis Booklet | CinemaEducation | 00134407
Jindal, Suresh (Producer) Shatranj Ke Khilari 1977 | Song Synopsis Booklet | CinemaEducation | 00134406
Kanha mai tause haari
Birju Maharaj
Kanha mai tause haari
Birju Maharaj
Economics of Cinema
Shatranj Ke Khilari (1977)
Shatranj Ke Khilari - World Premiere, Competition Section | Berlin Film Festival | Berlin | Premieres | 22 February 1978 to 03 May 1978
Retrospective: Film India - Complete Satyajit Ray Retrospective | Museum of Modern Art | New York | Retrospectives | 25 June 1981 to 24 July 1981
Satyajit Ray Retrospective | Grey Art Gallery | New York University | Retrospectives | 10 May 1996 to 02 November 1996
Satyajit Ray: Lekha Theke Chhab | Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts of India | Bangladesh National Museum | Bangladesh | Retrospectives | 01 April 2006 to 01 April 2006
The World of Satyajit Ray | Film Society of Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theater | New York | Retrospectives | 15 August 2009 to 30 August 2009
Satyajit Ray Retrospective | National Museum of Singapore | Singapore | Retrospectives | 10 January 2010 to 24 October 2010
Satyajit Ray Retrospective | Film South Asia (FSA) | Yale Maya Kendra, Kathmandu | Retrospectives | 21 February 2011 to 25 February 2011
Satyajit Ray Retrospective | British Film Institute | London | Retrospectives | 01 August 2013 to 01 September 2013
The Brilliance of Satyajit Ray | Berkeley Art Museum | Pacific Film Archive | | Retrospectives | 17 January 2014 to 31 August 2014
The Sun and the Moon: The Films of Satyajit Ray | Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) | TIFF Bell Lightbox, Toronto | Retrospectives | 07 March 2014 to 17 August 2014
Satyajit Ray Film Retrospective | Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa Cinematheques | Israel | Retrospectives | 24 July 2016 to 08 August 2016
Satyajit Ray Retrospective | Rasa Festival | Ann Arbor District Library, Downtown Branch, USA | Retrospectives | 30 September 2018 to 30 September 2018
Satyajit Ray: A Retrospective | Southern Asia at Chicago | Chicago | Retrospectives | 04 March 2019 to 05 June 2019
Satyajit Ray Retrospective | Rome Film Fest | Rome | Retrospectives | 15 October 2020 to 25 October 2020
Retrospective of Satyajit Ray | International Film Festival of India | Goa | Retrospectives | 20 November 2021 to 28 November 2021
National Film Awards | Best Feature Film in Hindi | Directorate of Film Festivals
National Film Awards | Best Cinematography Colour | Directorate of Film Festivals
Filmfare Awards | Critics Award for Best Movie | Filmfare - The Times Group
Filmfare Awards | Best Director | Filmfare - The Times Group
Filmfare Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Filmfare - The Times Group
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Research Centre
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Seton, Marie (Author). Portrait of a Director Satyajit Ray, 1971 | Authored Book | 00845609
Seton, Marie (Author). Portrait of A Director Satyajit Ray, 1972 | Authored Book | 00845625
Satyajit Ray, n.d. | Edited Book | 00845925
Sarkar, Kobita (Author). Indian Cinema Today, 1975 | Authored Book | 00844001
Govt. of India, Directorate of Advertising & Visual Publicity (Author). Satyajit Ray, 1976 | Authored Book | 00845613
Ray, Satyajit (Author). Our Films Their Films, 1976 | Authored Book | 00845605
Jindal, Suresh (Producer), Shatranj Ke Khilari, 1977 | Lobby Card
Ray, Satyajit (Author). Our Films, Their Films, 1977 | Authored Book | 00845624
Ray, Satyajit (Author). Our Films Their Films, 1977 | Authored Book | 00845606
Roy, Soumendu (Cinematographer), Shatranj Ke Khilari, 1977 | Lobby Card
Roy, Soumendu (Cinematographer), Shatranj Ke Khilari, 1977 | Lobby Card
Roy, Soumendu (Cinematographer), Shatranj Ke Khilari, 1977 | Lobby Card
Jindal, Suresh (Producer), Shatranj Ke Khilari, 1977 | Song-Synopsis Booklet
Jindal, Suresh (Producer), Shatranj Ke Khilari, 1977 | Full Sheet Poster
Roy, Soumendu (Cinematographer), Shatranj Ke Khilari, 1977 | Photographic Still Mounted on Lobby Card
Ewing, Gulshan (Editor). Star & Style, 11 August 1977 | Magazine | 00808664
Ewing, Gulshan (Editor). Star & Style, 11 August 1977 | Magazine | 00808664
Roy, Soumendu (Cinematographer), Shatranj Ke Khilari, 1977 | Working Still
Ray, Satyajit (Poster Designer), Shatranj Ke Khilari, 1977 | Poster
Ghosh, Nemai (Still Photographer), Shatranj Ke Khilari, 1977 | Working Still
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Seton, Marie (Author). Portrait of a Director Satyajit Ray, 1971 | Authored Book | 00845609
Seton, Marie (Author). Portrait of A Director Satyajit Ray, 1972 | Authored Book | 00845625
Satyajit Ray, n.d. | Edited Book | 00845925
Sarkar, Kobita (Author). Indian Cinema Today, 1975 | Authored Book | 00844001
Govt. of India, Directorate of Advertising & Visual Publicity (Author). Satyajit Ray, 1976 | Authored Book | 00845613
Ray, Satyajit (Author). Our Films Their Films, 1976 | Authored Book | 00845605
Ray, Satyajit (Author). Our Films, Their Films, 1977 | Authored Book | 00845624
Ray, Satyajit (Author). Our Films Their Films, 1977 | Authored Book | 00845606
Ewing, Gulshan (Editor). Star & Style, 11 August 1977 | Magazine | 00808664
Ewing, Gulshan (Editor). Star & Style, 11 August 1977 | Magazine | 00808664
Hattangadi, S. (Essayist). Ray's Shatranj. In Onlooker. 40(6). 31 March 1978 | Essay | 00798750
Rangoonwalla, Firoze (Author). Satyajit Ray's Art, 1980 | Authored Book | 00845598
Das Gupta, Chidananda (Author). The Cinema of Satyajit Ray, 1980 | Authored Book | 00845599
Barnouw, Erik (Joint Author) and S. Krishnaswamy. Indian Film, 1980 | Authored Book | 00844731
Ray, Satyajit (Author). Film India, 1981 | Authored Book | 00845593
Das Gupta, Chidananda (Author). Talking About Films, 1981 | Authored Book | 00843971
Banerjee, Shampa (Editor). New Indian Cinema, 1982 | Edited Book | 00845968
Ray, Satyajit (Author). Shatranj Ke Khilari, n.d. | Authored Book | 00845628
Ray, Satyajit (Author). Phatik Chand, 1983 | Authored Book | 00845635
Ramachandran, T.M. (Editor). 70 Years of Indian Cinema, 1985 | Edited Book | 00846005
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Jindal, Suresh (Producer), Shatranj Ke Khilari, 1977 | Lobby Card
Roy, Soumendu (Cinematographer), Shatranj Ke Khilari, 1977 | Lobby Card
Roy, Soumendu (Cinematographer), Shatranj Ke Khilari, 1977 | Lobby Card
Roy, Soumendu (Cinematographer), Shatranj Ke Khilari, 1977 | Lobby Card
Jindal, Suresh (Producer), Shatranj Ke Khilari, 1977 | Song-Synopsis Booklet
Jindal, Suresh (Producer), Shatranj Ke Khilari, 1977 | Full Sheet Poster
Roy, Soumendu (Cinematographer), Shatranj Ke Khilari, 1977 | Photographic Still Mounted on Lobby Card
Roy, Soumendu (Cinematographer), Shatranj Ke Khilari, 1977 | Working Still
Ray, Satyajit (Poster Designer), Shatranj Ke Khilari, 1977 | Poster
Ghosh, Nemai (Still Photographer), Shatranj Ke Khilari, 1977 | Working Still
Ghosh, Nemai (Still Photographer), Shatranj Ke Khilari, 1977 | Working Still
Ghosh, Nemai (Still Photographer), Shatranj Ke Khilari, 1977 | Working Still
Ghosh, Nemai (Still Photographer), Shatranj Ke Khilari, 1977 | Working Still
Ghosh, Nemai (Still Photographer), Shatranj Ke Khilari, 1977 | Working Still
Ghosh, Nemai (Still Photographer), Shatranj Ke Khilari, 1977 | Working Still
Ghosh, Nemai (Still Photographer), Shatranj Ke Khilari, 1977 | Working Still
Ghosh, Nemai (Still Photographer), Shatranj Ke Khilari, 1977 | Working Still
Ghosh, Nemai (Still Photographer), Shatranj Ke Khilari, 1977 | Working Still
Ghosh, Nemai (Still Photographer), Shatranj Ke Khilari, 1977 | Working Still
Ghosh, Nemai (Still Photographer), Shatranj Ke Khilari, 1977 | Working Still
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Tuli Research Centre for India Studies (Editor). Gabbar Singh and Nawab Wajid Ali Khan: Amjad Khan, 17 March 2025 | In-house Video
Tuli Research Centre for India Studies (Editor). Re-examining Colonel Mordaunt’s Cock-Fight, 22 February 2025 | In-house Video
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Seton, Marie (Author). Portrait of a Director Satyajit Ray, 1971 | Authored Book
Jindal, Suresh (Producer), Shatranj Ke Khilari, 1977 | Song-Synopsis Booklet
Das Gupta, Chidananda (Author). The Cinema of Satyajit Ray, 1980 | Authored Book
Das Gupta, Chidananda (Author). Talking About Films, 1981 | Authored Book
Valicha, Kishore (Author). The Moving Image, 1988 | Authored Book
Das Gupta, Chidananda (Author). The Painted Face, 1991 | Authored Book
Das, Santi (Editor). Satyajit Ray, 1998 | Edited Book
Prasad, M. Madhava (Author). Ideology of the Hindi Film, 2000 | Authored Book
Thoraval, Yves (Author). The Cinemas of India, 2000 | Authored Book
Robinson, Andrew (Editor). Satyajit Ray, 2005 | Edited Book
Ghosh, Nemai (Author). Satyajit Ray and Beyond, 2013 | Authored Book
Devasundaram, Ashvin Immanuel (Editor). Indian Cinema Beyond Bollywood, 2018 | Edited Book
Majumdar, Neepa (Editor). A Companion to Indian Cinema, 2022 | Edited Book
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