The Chess Players (Shatranj Ke Khiladi)

Critics Consensus

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89%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 9

86%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 1,003
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Movie Info

Based on a story by Munshi Premchand, and much influenced by Vsevolod Pudovkin's 1925 film Chess Fever, this satirical film by noted Indian director Satyajit Ray is set in colonial India in 1856. The British Resident of the East India Company (Richard Attenborough) has observed that the monarch of Lucknow, which is in his trading region, seems to be completely uninterested in government. He tries to arrange things so that he can annex the province. Embroiled in a long-running chess rivalry, two local noblemen (played by Sanjeev Kumar and Saeed Jaffrey) cannot be bothered with such minor issues as who is governing whom. Meanwhile, conditions in the kingdom go from bad to worse. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

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Cast

Richard Attenborough
as Gen. Outram
Amjad Khan
as Nawab Wazed Ali Shah
Sanjeev Kumar
as Mirza Saljad Ali
Saeed Jaffrey
as Mir Roshan Ali
Shabana Azmi
as Mirza's Wife
Farida Jalal
as Mir's Wife
Victor Banerjee
as Prime Minister
Tom Alter
Amitabh Bachchan
David Abraham
Farooq Shaikh
Leela Mishra
Veena
Victor Bannerji
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Critic Reviews for The Chess Players (Shatranj Ke Khiladi)

All Critics (9) | Top Critics (3)

  • "The Chess Players" is a little formal and static, but it's enriched by the comprehension of an exceptional film artist, who perceives clearly what this historical parable signifies for his country and his compatriots.

    May 6, 2017 | Full Review…

    Gary Arnold

    Washington Post
    Top Critic

  • Ray's film is an incisive dissection of culture shock and class privilege.

    Aug 29, 2006

    Michael Atkinson

    Village Voice
    Top Critic

  • The slow pace can make it tedious to watch at times, but for Ray, allowances should be made.

    Aug 29, 2006 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

    Sandi Chaitram

    BBC.com
    Top Critic

  • The uneven but elegantly told gentle historical film about conflicting cultures has its few moments of brilliance.

    Mar 7, 2014 | Rating: B | Full Review…

    Dennis Schwartz

    Ozus' World Movie Reviews

  • Ray's movies are frequently something of an acquired taste, but it's a habit worth acquiring, as this specimen amply demonstrates.

    Oct 24, 2007 | Full Review…

    Film4 Staff

    Film4

  • Ponderously allegorical and overlong, a major disappointment from director Ray.

    Aug 29, 2006 | Rating: 2/4 | Full Review…
    TV Guide
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Audience Reviews for The Chess Players (Shatranj Ke Khiladi)

  • Jan 23, 2015
    My first film by Satyajit Ray. I was impressed. Excellent director. The story is interesting and funny, even if you know nothing about chess. If you love chess it's a must. Two men play chess all day to the exclusion of everything. When their beautiful chess pieces are stolen they find a way to continue playing. Marvelous twists and turns in the story kept me wondering what was coming next. I'll watch another film by this director anytime.
    Morris N Super Reviewer
  • Aug 29, 2008
    A delightful comedy with political connotations by the master Satyajit Ray. The main plot involves the king playing a chess game throughout the movie with subplots involving his relatives and the British Lords. .The chess game is a slick metaphor for the wily tactics used by the British to capture the kingdom.
    Ut S Super Reviewer
  • May 23, 2008
    [font=Century Gothic]With an ending that subtly turns everything on its head, "The Chess Players" is a breezy movie about the serious subject of imperialism. It is 1856 in India where two incredibly wealthy men, Mirza(Sanjeev Kumar) and Mir(Saeed Jaffrey), are obsessed with the game of chess, playing every chance they get and ignoring everything else in their lives, especially Mirza's wife(Shabana Azmi), who is frustrated in more ways than one.(Remember this takes place in the days before video games but the sentiment is the same.) One of the things they are currently ignoring is the local political situation which involves an English general, Outram(Richard Attenborough), playing a real life game of chess. The British government having swallowed up every other piece of India, now has its eyes on the kingdom of Oudh, ruled over by King Wajid(Amjad Khan), which it has long extorted funds from.[/font]
    Walter M Super Reviewer
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