Pratidwandi

Infobox_Film
name =Pratidwandi (The Adversary)


imdb_id = 0066237
director =Satyajit Ray
producer =Priya Films (Nepal Dutta, Asim Dutta)
writer =Satyajit Ray
starring =Dhritiman Chatterjee,
Krishna Bose,
Indira Devi,
Kalyan Chowdhury,
Joysree Roy,
Debraj Roy,
Sefali
distributor =
released =1972
runtime = 110 min.
language =Bangla
budget =

"Pratidwandi" or "Pratidandi" ( Translation - "Adversary", "Opponent" or "Competitor" in Bengali) is a 1972 film directed by Satyajit Ray based on the novel by Sunil Gangopadhyay. Set during the period of the naxalite movement in Bengal, "Pratidwandi" tells the story of Siddharta, an educated middle-class man caught within the turmoils of social unrest. Corruption and unemployment is rampant, and Siddhartha cannot align himself with either his revolutionary activist brother, or career-oriented sister.

The film is stylistically unusual for Ray, featuring techniques inspired by the French New Wave, such as jump-cuts, edgy framing, dream sequences, and sexual metaphors.Fact|date=July 2007

Introduction

The historical background of the film Pratidwandi is set on the decade of a wide range of political turmoil in India. The huge influx of refugees during the partition of India and loss of economic activity in the hinterland of kolkata resulted in the stagnation of the economy of Kolkata. The Naxalbari movement under Charu Majumdar saw splitting in the Communist part and an uprise in Naxalite movement inspired by the Maoist doctrine. Kolkata saw the most amount of activities of the Maoist revolutionary group who constantly preached the local students and intellectuals. The main character Siddhartha's brother is an example of one such.

External links

* [http://www.satyajitray.org/films/pratidw.htm satyajitray.org on the film]
* [http://satyajitray.ucsc.edu/films/pratidwandi.html UCSC page]