Devi (1960) review

When Umapraad (Soumitra Chatterjee) sets off to get an education (and learn English!), his wife Doyamoyee (Sharmila Tagore) is left behind to care for her boozed-up father-in-law Kalikinkar (Chhabi Biswas) who comes to believe she's the incarnation of the goddess Kali ... and after a desperate man brings his dying grandchild to her and the boy recovers, even Doyamoyee becomes convinced she possesses "special abilities."  Some reviewers claim this has 'poetic power' but I never exactly got that feeling from it - it's a little rough going and frequently corny - although I have to give it credit for trying to "demystify" a culture prone to superstition, and suggesting that "the cure" for such beliefs is through cracking open books, learning new things and consulting with professional physicians in cases of severe illness.  Due to my Roman Catholic upbringing, I have no issue with people praying for a sense of comfort, but I'm also reminded of the late, great Dr. Hunter S. Thompson's quote: "Call on God, but row away from the rocks."