Ghatak's first film again deals with the partition of India, but not so blatantly as his other work. Instead it focuses on a family, struggling with poverty and unemployment in Calcutta. Hope and hopelessness are constantly at odds with each other, as each opportunity evaporates. It's quite self-assured, with a dramatic noir-ish style, and one can feels the confines of their claustrophobic dwelling. The characters and situations are relateable, and it ends up being one of Ghatak's finest movies.