Saptapadi (film)

For other uses, see Saptapadi (disambiguation).

Saptapadi (Bengali film - Seven Steps)
Directed by	Ajoy Kar
Starring	Suchitra Sen, Uttam Kumar, Chhabi Biswas, Chaya Debi
Distributed by	Alochhaya Productions
Release date(s)	20th October,1961
Running time	163 min
Language	Bengali

Saptapadi Bengali Film (Bengali: সপ্তপদী, Translation:THE SEVEN STEPS ) is a 1961 film by Ajoy Kar, starring Suchitra Sen, Uttam Kumar, Chhabi Biswas, Chaya Debi.

Synopsis

Its a love story with a twist set in Bengal in pre independent India (early 1940); the time when young Indian students were competing equally with British 'goras' in all fields whether it be education or sports. This was the time when barefooted Bengali football team defeated the booted British team to win the national football shield; this was the time when the ambitious and educated Calcutta students were matching their prowess in different fields of education with the British - be it law or medicine. It is in this time of rising nationalistic sentiments (1942 was when Gandhiji started the non violent Quit India movement) that Krishnendu (Uttam Kumar), a bright, young, athletic and Hindu Bengali youth falls in love with an equally talented and attractive but Christian Rina Brown (Suchitra Sen). Both of them were students in the National Medical College and they come close during their interaction in multitude of sports and cultural events (there is an interesting rendition of Othello within the movie; that portion of the movie was directed by Utpal Dutt). However their marriage is not on the cards due to the differences in religion (particularly opposed by Krishnendu's dad, a staunch, conservative Hindu) and they move each other ways only to clash unexpectedly again, later in life. Most of the movie is shown in flashback mode; Krishnendu pondering over the past upon his sudden and unexpected interaction with a drunk and passed out Rina in a military hospital in rural Bengal.

Cast

• Chhabi Biswas ... Krishnendu's Father
• Chhaya Devi ... Rina's maid
• Utpal Dutt ... Othello (voice-over)
• Tarun Kumar ... Krishnendu's friend
• Uttam Kumar ... Krishnendu
• Padmadevi ... Krishnendu's mother
• Suchitra Sen ... Rina Brown
• Jeniffer Kapoor ... Desdemona (voice over)

Crew

• Music: Hemanta Mukherjee
• Director: Ajoy Kar
• Producer: Uttam Kumar
• Distributor: Alochaya Productions

External links

• Saptapadi at the Internet Movie Database
• www.citwf.com