[3.5/4.0]
(Dialog in Bengali, English subtitles)
This film is also known by the English title "The Middleman".
The business world can be harsh and corrupt. This subculture is unraveled in this story, which shows a young man's difficult initiation into the life of a middleman. Somnath (Pradip Mukherjee) is a recent college graduate who becomes a victim of fate when his paper is improperly evaluated, simply because the grader did not having the proper glasses. The result is that Somnath receives passing marks, but does not achieve the honors level he should have earned. This is no trifling error, because the job market is lean, and Somnath's prospects are grim without an exceptional academic record. This setup shows a harsh world, where opportunities are scarce and people must often do whatever they can to survive. Desperation breeds corruption, and nice guys finish last.
Somnath fights an uphill battle trying to enter the corporate world. He mails off a multitude of job applications and receives very few, unsuccessful interviews. The absurdity in some of the interview questions (like "what is the weight of the moon?") reflect the futility of his struggle. Each day he fights this impossible battle and returns home to face his morose father (Satya Bandyopadhyay) and cynical elder brother. Only his sister-in-law Kamala (Lily Chakravarty) keeps a positive attitude about Somnath's ability to eventually establish himself.
One day as Somnath is out in his hopeless job search, he runs into Bhombol (Dipankar Dey) who tells him about an alternative to landing a job -- joining the business world. Somnath has misgivings, but out of alternatives, decides to give it a try. Bhombol gets Somnath started on how to operate as a dalal, or middleman. The basics are to buy one man's surplus on the cheap and sell to another man's need, and to ply favors. Somnath gets set up with a desk and support staff, and with some tips, he sets off into the business world. He initially makes a successful transaction but learns a lesson about playing his cards close.
Somnath has some successes and failures along the way, but he is able to work some connections with his friends to set up a potential sale to a chemical company. If the deal goes through, he stands to make a handsome profit, but more than that, he needs it to establish himself, otherwise he might not last much longer in the business world. Somnath enlists the help of an associate, Mr. Mitter (Robi Ghosh), who is a "public relations" expert. Somnath learns of the incredible depth of corruption that must be indulged, and the seediness of the business world. He also understands the other meaning of dalal, pimp.
The world as represented in this story is extreme and bleak, but Satyajit Ray has crafted a film that remains believable because it is based in reality. The depiction of corruption in this story is so pervasive that at times it feels exaggerated. However, all of the events still appear plausible. Somnath is presented as an innocent thrust into a foreign world of difficult choices. The decisions he makes are a mixture of his own nature and the influence of the forces around him.
He is obviously a man of principle, but he cannot ignore the desperation of his situation. The opening scene of the film showed a classroom of students writing their final college exam, and the majority are cheating in one way or another, but not Somnath. Somnath sees that he has never been rewarded for adhering to principle, but his nature makes it difficult to do otherwise. Somnath sees that his classmate Sukumar remains principled, but without opportunities, Sukumar and his family live a life of poverty and misery.
The acting performances are all outstanding. Mukherjee effectively conveys all the emotions that Somnath experiences. He expresses Somnath's anguish through expression and body language as well as manner of speech. Ghosh is exceptional as the sleazy Mr. Mitter, striking a balance between comic absurdity, and the distasteful pragmatism in being part of a corrupt system.
The story is perfectly paced as it slowly builds to a wrenching climax. Although it is apparent early that Somnath will be descending into a world without morals, his progression is so moderated and gradual that it is gripping. Somnath begins as a naive young man, and when his journey culminates, he stands staring at his reflection in a man he despises. He sees that Mr. Mitter lives at peace with who he is. In Mitter's personal life he is an ordinary family man, while his professional life necessitates swimming in sleaze. Somnath cannot detach himself so easily. The fact that his is a principled person in a world without scruples causes him agony, but is it worse than an uncertain future for both him and his family? It is easy to talk about the shallowness of the pursuit of money when one has it, but a life without means can be truly horrible. Somnath has a exceptionally difficult decision to make.
Highly recommended. The film does feel extreme in its portrayal of underbelly of the business world, but everything it depicts also has a believable foundation. It is a gripping story about the way in which desperation can breed corruption.
(c) 1999 Murali Krishnan The Art House Squatter http://ArtHouseSquatter.com
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