Days and Nights in the Forest (Aranyer Din Ratri)

Description

«Days and Nights in the Forest» is one of the masterpieces of Satyajit Ray – and also one of the works that deserves renewed recognition. The film is an astonishing, multifaceted portrait of a generation of young Indian men yearning to escape the tyranny of everyday life. We follow four unmarried friends who embark on a vacation in the forests of Jharkhand, hoping to loosen up and let loose. However, when the four encounter the local population, the dynamics become increasingly complicated – not least among the men themselves. With some of the most nuanced characterizations in Ray's legendary oeuvre, «Days and Nights in the Forest» bears little resemblance to contemporary films by John Cassavetes, yet Ray adds profound elements of class and gender to the psychodramatic events, creating a masterpiece that is entirely his own. (NY Film Festival, Oct 2025) The film was restored in 4K in 2025 by The Film Foundation with the support of filmmaker Wes Anderson. Contributors and additional information: Director: Satyajit Ray Screenplay: Satyajit Ray Author: Sunil Gangopadhyay Cinematography: Purnendu Bose, Soumendu Roy Music: Satyajit Ray Editing: Dulal Dutta Cast: Soumitra Chatterjee (Ashim), Subhendu Chatterjee (Sanjoy), Samit Bhanja (Hari), Robi Ghosh (Shekhar), Sharmila Tagore (Aparna), Kaberi Bose (Jaya), Simi Garewal (Duli)