Nov. 18, 1967|India|125 Min.|n/A
Genre: Adventure;Bangla;Crime;Drama
Description: Private detective Byomkesh Bakshi and his close friend and partner, writer Ajit Kumar Banerjee, are deep in conversation when a new client, Mr. Nishanath Sen, arrives. Nishanath, a retired judge and wealthy merchant, seeks Byomkesh’s expertise for a peculiar reason. He is determined to uncover the details of an old Bengali film song titled “Bhalobasar tumi ki jano” and the actress who performed it, Sunayana. He suspects that Sunayana is hiding within his vast nursery, Golap Colony, under a false identity.
During his time as a judge, Nishanath sentenced at least twenty people to death. However, after retiring, consumed by moral guilt, he opened his nursery to shelter homeless individuals, many with criminal pasts or traits that made them societal outcasts. Byomkesh listens intently and agrees to take on the case. Nishanath pays him an advance and urges him to visit the nursery.
Byomkesh consults a Bengali film expert, Ramen Mullick, who provides information about the movie producer’s son, Murari. Ramen reveals that Murari was murdered in his own room while romantically involved with Sunayana. At the time, 20,000 rupees and numerous gold ornaments were stolen from Murari’s room. Sunayana became a prime suspect, and a warrant was issued for her arrest, but she vanished without a trace. Ramen offers further details about the actress and the film, promising to assist Byomkesh whenever needed.
The following day, Byomkesh and Ajit travel to Nishanath’s bungalow and nursery in the 24 Parganas district to meet the residents. Byomkesh disguises himself as a Japanese horticulturist named Okakura, while Ajit poses as his Indian assistant. Nishanath gives them a tour of the nursery, including its dairy, poultry, and orchid house, introducing them to all the residents. Byomkesh photographs everyone as part of his investigation.
Days later, Nishanath calls Byomkesh, urging him to return, but the conversation is abruptly cut short when Nishanath is brutally murdered with a blunt weapon. The mystery deepens as Byomkesh continues his quest to uncover the truth.
Cast director: Satyajit Ray
Cast actor: Uttam Kumar, Nripati Chatterjee, Kalipada Chakraborty, Nripati Chatterjee, Shekhar Chatterjee, Subhendu Chatterjee, Subrata Chatterjee, Nilotpal Dey, Bankim Ghosh
Original name: চিড়িয়াখানা