Nayak

Full review on my blog max4movies: Nayak (international title "Nayak: The Hero") is an Indian Bengali-language drama about a famous actor traveling to Delhi to receive an important award. At the height of his career, he is confronted with his past as a struggling theater actor, when an educated young woman interviews him. The movie is a thoughtful drama, that pays great attention to its characters, who behave in an authentic and believable way. Without becoming pretentious, the movie addresses several important social issues – while not shying away from also criticizing how the movie industry often only produces cheap entertainment. In addition to the mostly efficient writing and the strong and down to Earth performances, the cinematography is marvelous and makes for some memorable scenes.

The Countenance and depiction of Nayak Played by Uttam kumar is inspiring..

A superb Satyajit Ray film based on his own original screenplay. Uttam Kumar is just brilliant.

gr8 movie. one of the best Bengali movies ever made

I might be beginning to really fall in love with Ray. Did Sharmila Tagore kill it a leetle bit? maaybe.

Clearly one of the big inspirations for "The Darjeeling Limited", Satyajit Ray's train movie "Nayak" takes place on a train from Bengal to Delhi 90% of the time. It's well shot, well acted, and I'd say it is Ray's own "8 1/2". Loved it. A popular Bengali film actor is on his way to Delhi by train to go to an awards show to claim his prize. But just a few days before, he was accused of getting into a brawl, which he is afraid now might damage his career. On the train, he meets fans of his films, haters of cinema, children, and a journalist who is not interested in Indian cinema. During his train ride, it all becomes an introspection of his life, how he came to become an actor, the pressures around him, and the nightmares of fame and destruction.

Vintage Ray. The film revolves around an actor who is journeying to Delhi to receive an award. On the train, he meets a number of interesting characters who are on journeys of their own. Through his interactions with them, we learn of his rise to stardom with its associated perks and pitfalls. The dream sequences were brilliant and made me wonder where Ray drew inspiration for them.

Ray was a visionary.His take on the life of a celebrity from the peoples point of view along with the view of the celebrity himself completes Ray's agenda on how ones life completes the circle of redemption.The social hierachy surrounding the movie industry and the monotonous acting was hated by Ray.Hence this idea of a film that won the best film in Kahn film festival.

Both Uttam Kumar as the star and Sharmila Tagore as the young journalist gave superb performances......

This is an extremely good looking movie. Every frame looks good, every dialogue is meaningful and most are very witty. The storyline tells of railway trip of a movie star, enroute to an award ceremony. The movie star, played by legendary, Bengali movie star, Uttam Kumar, is going through a difficult period in his career. In the train he meets the lady editor of a little magazine. The lady is at first dismissive of the movie star, but as the movie progresses she realises that the movie star is a very differnt and special person. The movie star in turn is drawn towards the editor as someone who is not starstruck and tells her the story of his life and of his insecurities. The movie is almost lyrical in its beauty and tells as much as it leaves unsaid, just like the lady editor tells the star .... I will keep in my heart.... we will not know in so many words ... what she keeps in her heart.