Asani Sanket - Distant Thunder

Asani Sanket (Distant Thunder): A film by Satyajit Ray

The film is set in 1943-44, when the famine struck Bengal during the British rule in India. It was a man made famine. As the British government cornered the civilian food supply for its armies, the people starved. The famine claimed the lives of five million people. The story takes place in a small village during the World War II. The famine affects the lives of the families in different ways.

Gangacharan, an educated Brahmin, has recently arrived to settle in the village with his wife. He decides to teach and conduct religious ceremonies in exchange for being supported by the villagers. The villagers readily agree. His wife, Ananga, is a sensuous woman. She is sensitive, giving, and devoted to her husband.