The Elephant God

Satyajit Ray's 1979 Bengali film is the second screen adaptation featuring Feluda, the detective he created. On holiday in the holy city of Benares with his cousin Topshe and his friend Lalmohan Ganguly, Feluda is drawn into an investigation when a priceless figure of Ganesha is stolen from a local household. Ray directs and also writes the screenplay and the music. The film's strongest element is Maganlal Meghraj, played by Utpal Dutt, among the most unsettling villains in Indian cinema, with the knife-throwing scene separately remembered. Ray brings a detective story rooted in children's literature close to an adult thriller. The streets of Benares and the riverfront form its visual spine. Who it's for: viewers interested in Satyajit Ray's cinema, the Feluda series and classic detective storytelling. Who it's not for: anyone wanting fast-moving suspense, or starting without the first Feluda film and missing the relationships.