Top 5 Classic Films Based on Tagore's Stories

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Tomorrow is 9th May, the 165th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore. Today, I wanted to explore a few classic films based on his literature. 

1. Charulata: Based on Tagore's Nashtanirh, this film is about a young and intelligent woman, Charulata, who is inquisitive and wants to explore the world beyond her abode and much older husband, Bhupati. As Amal, Bhupati's cousin, arrives at their house, Charulata forms a unique bond with him. Charulata, as a film, centres on one of the most iconic female characters in Indian literature. Hailed as one of Satyajit Ray's most remarkable films, the film conveys Charulata's powerful mindset, her love for independence and meaningful conversations, and her unexpressed affection for Amal. 


Madhabi Mukherji and Soumitra Chatterji's impeccable chemistry shine through the film, while each frame serves as a pathbreaking portrayal of human emotions.

2. Teen Kanya: Another of Ray's masterpieces, this is an anthology of 3 of Tagore's short stories- Postmaster, Monihar and Samapti. 

All three stories explore unusual relationships, involving three very different female characters. Tagore's short stories mostly feature ambiguous endings, offering ample scope for readers to think and imagine. Ray has masterfully presented this ambiguity very effectively in all three works. Some wonderful performances, and the introduction of one of the best faces of Bengali cinema, Aparna Sen, through Samapti's Mrrinmoyee make this anthology film an absolute delight for cine lovers.

3. Kabuliwala: A powerful screen representation of Tagore's short story, of the same name, this film, directed by Tapan Sinha, is remarkable for the emotional touch in storytelling and Chabi Biswas's brilliant performance as the titular character. 

With heart-touching dialogues like "Khoki, tumi Sasurbari jabe?", the beautiful bond between the Afghan vendor and a little girl becomes all the more impactful and memorable.

4. Kshudhita Pashan: Another of Sinha's masterpieces, Kshudhita Pashan, is based on Tagore's mystery short story of the same name. Soumitra Chatterji stars as a tax collector who is magnetically drawn to a relic from an old haunted palace, where every night the spirits of its inhabitants enthral him, and he falls for a mysterious, beautiful Persian woman.

A stunning presentation of the short story, this film is undoubtedly an iconic horror film.

5. Khokababur Pratyabartan: It is difficult for me to finish a list of Bengali classic movies without referring to the matinee idol, Uttam Kumar. Khokababur Protyabartan is a movie, directed by Agradoot, based on Tagore's story of the same name. It might not be a forerunner for inclusion in a list of the best of the best. However, for me, it stands out as the then heartbeat of millions of Bengali cine-lovers: Uttam Kumar had shed his glamorous avatar to take on the very humble character of Raicharan, a meagre servant of a zamindar, who lives a life of delusion following a tragedy. 

This tragic story gets life through his effortless performance.



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