Dayamayee is happily married to Umaprasad, the son of an upper-class family in 19th Century Bengal. This changes when a vision convinces her father-in-law that she is the Goddess Kali returned to earth. He coaxes Dayamayee to fulfill her role as a living deity and transforms the house into a temple for her worship. She is soon visited by the poor and sick from across the land. Shaken by their suffering, she performs her divine duty out of human compassion but inevitably her plight as a woman made Goddess wears her down.

Satyajit Ray’s keen vision and lyrical approach to narrative makes Goddess a deeply enigmatic film, simultaneously uncertain and curious in the face of the supernatural. In its initial release, the film raised the ire of religious leaders across India. Despite this, it won the President’s Gold Medal and also a nomination for the Palme d’Or at Cannes, six years after Pather Panchali received a special award at the same festival.

"Ray’s study of the destructive power of superstition is typically compassionate...Intelligent and moving" - Total Film 

Cast & Credits: Chhabi Biswas / Soumitra Chatterjee / Sharmila Tagore / Purnendu Mukherjee / Directed: Satyajit Ray

Awards: Cannes Film Festival (1962): Nominated, Palme d'Or / President's Gold Medal, New Delhi (1961) / Honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement (1992)

Technical: 1960 / 93 minutes / Bengali with English Subtitles / Mono audio / 1.33 : 1 Black & White / DVD PAL Multi Region / PG / MRBDVD020

Licensed through Contemporary Films Limited on behalf of Satyajit Ray Estate.

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