Parash Pathar

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Movie
Original title পরশ পাথর
(Parash Pathar)
Country of production India
original language Bengali
Publishing year 1958
length 90 minutes
Rod
Director Satyajit Ray
script Satyajit Ray
production Pramod Lahiri
music Ravi Shankar
camera Subrata Mitra
cut Dulal Dutta
occupation

Parash Pathar ( Bengali : পরশ পাথর , paraś pāthar ; translated: (The) Philosopher's Stone ) is an Indian feature film by Satyajit Ray from 1958. It was based on the short story of the same name by Rajsekhar Bose .

action

Paresh Chandra Dutta, an elderly bank clerk, is on his way home from work on a rainy afternoon. On the way he finds a small stone and takes it with him because of its beautiful smooth shape. At home he gives it to a little boy from the neighborhood. After a while, the boy comes up to Paresh excitedly and reveals that his tin soldier has transformed after touching him with the stone. Paresh wants back the mysterious stone that can turn any piece of metal into gold. He bribes the boy with sweets and toys to return.

At home, Paresh demonstrates the magic of stone to his wife by turning some household items into gold. Unlike his wife, however, he doubts whether this philosopher's stone is really such a good find or not more of a burden. Paresh is persuaded and sells some items to test the authenticity of the metal at a gold dealer. On the way back he dreams of all the things he could turn into gold and what social recognition he would be given. He finally stops his taxi at a junkyard and takes two iron balls with him.

Soon the Duttas are among the richest and most respected citizens of Kolkata , they live in a lush villa. He has hired a young man as a private secretary to organize his appointments. Paresh is involved in the upper social circles, but is shunned as an upstart who is awkward in manners. His sudden wealth remains inexplicable to all and he tries to keep his secret. At a cocktail party at a businessman's house, Paresh gets drunk and lets himself be carried away to a magic show in which he turns metal into gold. At home he regrets his stupidity and lets his private secretary in on the secret.

The host of the party visits Paresh the next day and tries to snatch his secret from him. Instead of the requested formula for the creation of such a stone, Paresh recites some of the nonsense verses of Sukumar Ray, which are known in Bengal . Since these do not work, the businessman files a complaint about gold smuggling.

In a panic, Paresh gives the stone to his private secretary Priyatosh and flees. When his car breaks down while on the run, he is arrested. His only way to refute the charges is to demonstrate the power of the stone in court. However, Priyatosh swallowed it when the police stormed Paresh's house. The story arouses great interest in the population, who are hastily trying to sell all gold in order to prevent gold devaluation.

The police want to have an operation on Priyatosh to get to the stone. However, an X-ray shows that the stone is slowly being digested by him. When Priyatosh digests the stone, all of the gold turns back to iron. The problem is solved; Paresh and his wife are released and are relieved.

background

Ray began filming Parash Pathar while filming Jalsaghar . He later wrote in a letter to film critic Marie Seton that this film is "a combination of comedy, fantasy, satire, farce and a touch of pathos".

Ray's biographer Andrew Robinson believes "the film would be among Ray's best if some rough edges didn't reveal its hasty shooting time," and "the film's humor is only partially conveyed to Western audiences."

Awards

The film was invited to the Cannes International Film Festival in 1958 , but received nothing at the award ceremony.

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