Manojit Lahiri

Gangacharan is the new Brahmin of a village, where he assumes various duties: teaching, organizing religious events, and trying to prevent epidemics. But in that year 1943, war is raging (as reminded by the planes occasionally heard flying over the countryside), and a major famine is under way. As food shortages reach catastrophic proportions, Gangacharan attempts to preserve his privileged situation, while his generous wife, Ananga, conversely tries to help and support the community.

This somber drama follows the troubles of a rural family who moves to the big city to have a better life. Although the family is poor, they provide lodging for an old beggar while the unemployed husband searches for work. The youngest girl steals birdseed from a parrot, while the eldest girl is close to trading sex for food. The wife believes the beggar is hiding something and finds a bag of rice in his room. The beggar dies, and the wife cooks the rice for her family. Although she has provided for her family, her feelings of guilt about the old man prevent her from keeping her food down.