3 min readMay 7, 2026 04:20 PM IST
By Seekriti Saha
Nobel laureate, poet, philosopher, and the cultural soul of Bengal, Rabindranath Tagore created a literary universe marked by emotional depth and moral complexity. On Tagore’s 164th birth anniversary, we revisit films adapted from his stories that bring the world of late 19th and early 20th-century Bengal vividly to life.
Charulata
A Still from Charulata.
Charulata is based on Rabindranath Tagore’s Nastanirh (The Broken Nest). Satyajit Ray’s masterpiece follows a restless, lonesome and intellectual woman named Charu who is trapped in a gilded late 19th century Calcutta home. Ray’s artistic lens not only captures the essence of the novella but also the audience’s heart. Charu is often seen drifting through her house and the garden while peering through the iconic lorgnettes into the world outside. Madhabi Mukherjee’s performance is devastatingly delightful.
Teen Kanya
A still from Teen Kanya.
This anthology film is based on three short stories by Rabindranath Tagore: The Postmaster, Monihara, and Samapti. The film moves from the bittersweet loneliness of a village postmaster who befriends an orphaned girl, to the haunting tale of a husband consumed by his wife’s jewellery, and finally to the comic courtship between a young man and a tomboyish girl.
Chokher Bali
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Prosenjt Chatterjee in a still from Chokher Bali.
Rituparno Ghosh’s adaptation of Chokher Bali, set in early 20th-century Bengal, explores themes of desire, jealousy, and moral reckoning. The story follows Binodini, a young widow whose arrival disrupts the household of Mahendra and Ashalata. The film stars Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as the enigmatic Binodini and Tollywood star Prasenjit Chatterjee as Mahendra.
Ghare Baire
Soumitra Chatterjee with Satyajit Ray on the sets of Ghare Baire. (Express Archive)
Ghare Baire is set against the Swadeshi movement of the early 1900s. It depicts the love triangle between zamindar Nikhilesh, his wife Bimala, and revolutionary Sandip. The central theme of the film is the conflict between political ideologies and personal relationships. Victor Banerjee and Soumitra Chatterjee are exceptional in Ghare Baire.
Noukadubi
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A still from Noukadubi.
A lesser-known gem, Rituparno Ghosh’s Noukadubi is a romantic drama woven around mistaken identities, separated lovers, and the conflict between duty and the heart. The story begins when a boat carrying two newlywed couples capsizes during a storm, setting off a chain of events that tests love, loyalty, and social obligation. The film stars Jisshu Sengupta, Raima Sen, Riya Sen, and Prosenjit Chatterjee.
