An underrated title from one of South Asia’s greatest directors, The Coward might have a simpler plot than Satyajit Ray’s other dramas, but it's no less deep in exploring human behavior. As you would expect from the title, the film is about cowardice in relationships. The way it’s explored is interesting. It feels like a detective film without a crime, slowly dropping clues through shared glances, snippets of the past, and the recognition between the former lovers that they mostly leave unmentioned. And as each clue is revealed, the film matches its investigative direction to the judgmental way many of us examine the end of a relationship. It’s an interesting approach, one that has been replicated later on, but what makes The Coward still a standout today is how it’s willing to confront its own lead’s lack of courage. Kapurush might be one of Ray’s lesser known works, but it nonetheless still highlights the emotional honesty Ray is best known for.
Synopsis
Amitabha Roy is a Calcutta-based scriptwriter, driving around in the country to collect material for a film. His vehicle breaks down in a small town. A tea planter, Bimal Gupta, offers hospitality for the night. Amitabha is forced to accept the offer as he has no alternative. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2005.
Storyline
When his car breaks down, Calcutta-based screenwriter Amitabha Ray is thankfully helped by a wealthy tea farm owner Bimal Gupta, who offers a stay at his nearby estate. However, upon arrival, Amitabha is shocked to meet Gupta’s wife Karuna, who happens to be the girl he once loved.
TLDR
Please feel brave enough to express your feelings, or else be tortured by your own inaction forever.
What stands out
The main character isn’t coddled. Many romantic dramas like this often try to justify their characters’ actions, to make them someone you can easily empathize with. Ray does the same, but only at first. His slow reveal of Amitabha’s character and that abrupt end pierces through his longing to show the truth.
