The Music Room (1958) (Criterion Collection, Special Edition)

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With The Music Room (Jalsaghar), SATYAJIT RAY (Pather Panchali) brilliantly evokes the crumbling opulence of the world of a fallen aristocrat (the beloved actor CHHABI BISWAS) desperately clinging to his way of life. His greatest joy is the music room in which he has hosted lavish concerts over the years— now a shadow of its former vivid self. An incandescent depiction of the clash between tradition and modernity, and a showcase for some of India’s most popular musicians of the day, The Music Room is a defining work by the great Bengali filmmaker.