Review of Charulata (1964) by Brian K — 04 Oct 2014

Apart from the sophisticated acting and cinematography, this film carries very deep social and moral messages which are not dumped on the viewer in a preachy manner. However, Charulata has been criticised often to be slow in its pace.

As a Bengali, I have watched this movie multiple times while growing up and frankly I never understood the movie. In the age of Facebook and Twitter, I used to think that there is hardly a relevance of a story set in 19th century Bengal.

On the contrary, I now find the movie highly thoughtful and deeply affecting. Certainly, I get the historical context better and I am an adult with my own experiences in love and betrayal but there's something else.

Charulata is by no means slow paced. Rather, its pace aptly conveys the humdrum life of the title character - a lonely wife. I am not a woman but I believe that the refined feminist references in this film would be better interpreted by a woman critic.

Whether or not you are aware of the impact of Bankim Chandra's literary works on Bangla society. Charulata is the interplay of inner feelings and insecurities that creep into our lives. Charulata is that realisation that no matter what our intentions may be, our relationships are as fragile as a bird's nest and a strong wind can take it down easily.

Although we may not hear the sound of a relationship breaking, we know that things will never be the same. The original story on which this movie is based was by Rabindranath Tagore and conspicuously named 'Nashta-Nirh' (Broken Nest).

I think Tagore wrote the story with a slight autobiographical connotation where he identified himself as a young struggling writer Amal in the shadow of Bankim Chandra who was an established writer when Tagore was still unknown.

Tagore's personal attachment towards his elder brother's wife and the very important role of his elder brother in his life also seem to echo through this story. Nonetheless the film beautifully captures the essences of Tagore's story and says more than one could possibly fathom in a single viewing.