The Big City (Mahanagar)

Q&A with Anubha Anushree, Department of History, Stanford University

An eloquent commentary on non-Western urbanization and its impact on the environment. Set in mid-1950s Calcutta, the film follows the personal triumphs and frustrations of Arati, who decides to take a job to help support their family. With remarkable sensitivity and attention to the details of everyday working-class life, renowned director Satyajit Ray builds a powerful human drama that is at once a hopeful morality tale and a commentary on the identity of the contemporary Indian woman. View the trailer.