Agantuk (The Stranger) (1991)

100% of critics liked it
(8 reviews)
95% of users liked it
(432 ratings)

Satyajit Ray's final film is a deceptively simple modern fable about a mysterious and world-weary old man (Utpal Dutt), who comes to stay with a middle-class Calcutta family, claiming to be the wife's long-lost uncle, Manmohan Mitra. Anila (Mamata Shankar), the wife, wants to believe him, but her… More Satyajit Ray's final film is a deceptively simple modern fable about a mysterious and world-weary old man (Utpal Dutt), who comes to stay with a middle-class Calcutta family, claiming to be the wife's long-lost uncle, Manmohan Mitra. Anila (Mamata Shankar), the wife, wants to believe him, but her husband, Sudhindra (Deepankar De), has his doubts. The couple's young son, Satyaki (Bikram Bhattacharya), is enthralled by Manmohan's exotic tales of his magical adventures, which have taken him from New York to the jungles of the Amazon, and pretty much regards the whole thing as a game. As the family and their friends try to figure out who exactly he is, his very presence forces them to reflect on their own lives and identities. ~ Tom Vick, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 2 hr.
Directed By: Satyajit Ray
Genres: Drama

In Theaters: Jan 1, 2003 Wide
On DVD: Feb 15, 2010

Critic Reviews

Vincent Canby, New York Times
A small, gentle, exquisitely realized comedy about, among other things, family loyalties and trust in a world in which traditions have been devalued.
Leah Garchik, San Francisco Chronicle
A fitting ending to Ray's 30-film career.
Hal Hinson, Washington Post
It shows all the virtues of a master artist in full maturity.
Jay Antani, Cinema Writer
a beautiful valediction by a great filmmaker anticipating his own departure, whose message is as profound as any in a majestic career
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
This 1991 film -- Ray's last -- is far from his best, but its delicate, loosely structured domestic satire rewards viewer patience.
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
The work can be taken strictly as a charming drama or as something much deeper -- and that's perhaps the key to any great work.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
This film is filled with the director's deep feelings about the observations he has made during his lifetime regarding the affects of civilization...

Read all 7 critic reviews

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Cast

Utpal Dutt
as Manomohan Mitra
Dhritiman Chatterjee
as Prithwish Sen Gupta
Rabi Ghosh
as Ranjan Rakshit

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