As part of our “Muslims in Asia” film series in Fall 2025, the Carolina Asia Center will screen Shatranj ke Khilari (The Chess Players) in Hindi-Urdu. The film is from 1977 and directed by Satyajit Ray. This drama about colonialism and indigenous culture is set in 1856 at the court of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah in Lucknow, the capital of Oudh, and features two parallel narratives. The first shows the interminable games of chess played by the Nawab’s two friends, Mirza Saijad Ali and Mir Roshan Ali. However, a bigger game of chess is being played in the political field, as the other dramatizes the conflict between Wajid Ali Shah and General James Outram who represents Lord Dalhousie’s treacherously implemented annexation policies. Prof. Mike O’Sullivan of UNC's Department of History will introduce the film’s historical context then lead a discussion following the film.