Synopsis
The Chess Players (1977), Satyajit Ray's first Hindi-language film, is available to watch online on iFILM. Based on a short story by Munshi Premchand, it is set in Lucknow in 1856 as the British East India Company moves to absorb the last free kingdom of Awadh.
The Nawab Wajid Ali Shah (Amjad Khan) does not resist — he is absorbed in poetry and prayer. Two noblemen at court, Mir and Mirza (Sanjeev Kumar and Saeed Jaffrey), are even further removed: they spend every day at the chessboard, barely aware that anything political is happening at all. Richard Attenborough appears as the British general orchestrating the annexation.
Ray keeps the irony dry. The empire expands. The chess game continues. Stream The Chess Players (1977) online on iFILM.
Starring
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