Khirki screening of Satyajit Ray's "Days and Nights in the Forest" (1970) at Research and Publication Centre (RPC) on Saturday, October 17, 2026 at 5:00 pm

Khirki screening of Satyajit Ray's "Days and Nights in the Forest" (1970) at Research and Publication Centre (RPC) on Saturday, October 17, 2026 at 5:00 pm. 

The movie is a landmark of Indian parallel cinema and one of the most celebrated psychological dramas in the history of Indian filmmaking. Set against the backdrop of the tribal Palamu district in Jharkhand, the film follows four educated, urban friends from Calcutta — Asim, Sanjoy, Hari, and Shekhar — who drive to a forest bungalow for a holiday. Their trip takes an unexpected turn when they meet two enigmatic women, Aparna and Jaya, and a local Santhal woman named Duli. As their carefully constructed urban personas begin to crack, the film explores the transformation of casual privilege into uncomfortable self-awareness, the illusions of bourgeois superiority, and the subtle dynamics of class, masculinity, and morality.

The film explores the tensions between city and countryside, the fragility of male ego, and the quiet moments of self-reckoning that arise when people are forced out of their comfort zones. A vital document of Indian parallel cinema's engagement with the inner lives of the bourgeoisie, it was nominated for the Golden Bear at the 20th Berlin International Film Festival and received a standing ovation at the New York Film Festival in 1970.

Join us for an evening of cinema, history and discussion at the Research & Publication Centre.

📍 Research & Publication Centre, 65 Main Boulevard, Gulberg, Lahore

🗓️ Saturday, 17 October

🕔 5pm

Rashed Rahman

Editor, Pakistan Monthly Review (PMR) (link: pakistanmonthlyreview.com)

Director, Research and Publication Centre (RPC) (on Facebook)