India The Chess Players ranks #3 among 11 India films released between 1976–1978.
Synopsis
शतरंज के खिलाड़ी
“Satyajit Ray's First Hindi feature Film”
It is the year 1856. Nawab Wajid Ali Shah is the king of Awadh, one of the last independent kingdoms of India. The British colonialists, intent on controlling this rich land, have sent general Outram on a secret mission to clear the way for an annexation. Pressure is mounting amidst intrigue and political manoeuvres, but the Nawab whiles away his time in pursuit of pleasure and religious practice. The court is of no help either—Court nobles Mir and Mirza, ignoring the situation of their country and all their duties towards their families, spend their days playing endless games of chess. The film is based on Munshi Premchand's short story of the same name.
The 1976–1978 India Window
Among 11 India films we catalog from this window, The Chess Players places #3 — near the top of its class.
The 1970s India Landscape
Catalog density by release year across the 1970s in India, 33 titles in total. Highlighted year (yellow) is when The Chess Players premiered alongside 2 others.
Position in Catalog
Released alongside 2 other India films in 1977.
The 60th India title from India we index (earliest catalogued entry: 1913).
Our India catalog contains 1,983 titles in total (1,904 films).
Audience Engagement
41 audience reviews — more than 75% of India films in our index.
Popularity sits at the 78th percentile among India films.
Reception Benchmarks
Ranked #372 of 1,983 India films indexed here (81st percentile by TMDB audience score).
Rating is +0.8 points above the India average of 6.4/10.
Among India Drama productions specifically: #271 of 1,132 (top 24%).
Production Details
| Primary Country | India |
|---|---|
| Original Language | Hindi |
| Spoken Languages | Hindi, Urdu |
| Production Companies | Devki Chitra |
| Runtime | 2h 9m |
| Release Date | October 2, 1977 |
| IMDb | tt0076696 |