Rabindranath Tagore movies: 7 Tagore's stories to watch on Hoichoi, Netflix and Hotstar
On the occasion of his birth anniversary, we look at some of Rabindranath's iconic stories and books that have been adapted for the Hindi and Bengali films.
FollowOn the 160th anniversary of Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore's birth, let us watch some movies and web shows inspired by his writings. Streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hoichoi, and others have a wide choice of films and web-series adaptations of Tagore's short tales and classic books. The following is a list of Tagore-inspired adaptations.
Aishwarya Rai made her Bengali debut in Choker Bali. The 2003 film, directed by late filmmaker Rituparno Ghosh, follows Binodini, a widow having an affair with Mahendra (Prosenjit Chatterjee). In a subtle yet effective way, Choker Bali confronts various gender stereotypes. Aishwarya Rai's portrayal of Binodini will be remembered for a long time. Choker Bali received the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Bengali in 2005, starring Raima Sen and Tota Roy Chowdhury. The movie is currently available on Hoichoi and Netflix.
Mrinaler Chhithi is based on the short tale 'Strir Patra' by Rabindranath Tagore. It follows the life of Mrinal, who after fifteen years writes a letter to her husband. Gender inequality is the subject of the film. Soumya Sarkar directed the 2012 film, which stars Juin Sarkar, Sudip Chakraborty, and Tapati Bhattacharya in diverse parts.
Chitrangada: The Crowning Wish is an emotional drama exploring what occurs when love clashes with one's values and convictions. Subrat Datta excels as the protagonist, who is torn between two opposing beliefs – rationalism and faith – and two women — a widow and a mistress. Chaturanga deals with chastity, existentialism, morality, religion, misogyny, and female sexuality.
Tasher Desh is a total departure from Tagore's conventional renditions. This film is not for you if you seek a true rendition of the narrative. Tasher Desh is a trippy adaption directed by Q of Gandu fame. I strongly advise you to try it because you could be pleasantly surprised.
This classic film is a must-see for everyone interested in Rabindranath Tagore. Charulata is a sorrowful story of a lonely housewife who finds love again in her husband's exuberant and intellectually-charged cousin. It is considered one of Satyajit Ray's greatest films. The film is a must-see, with great performances by Madhabi Mukherjee and Soumitra Chatterjee.
Laboratory is based on the same-named tale by Tagore. The plot of the film centres around Rebati's attraction to Neela's alluring charms, which leads to an unexpected climax. The film stars Anirban Bhattacharya, Darshana Banik, Koushik Sen, and Nandini Ghoshal and is directed by Soumik Chattopadhyay.
Kabuliwala is a famous Tagore story that is the basis for the film. For cinema buffs, Hoichoi presents Tapan Sinha's iconic 1957 black-and-white masterpiece. The film featured Chaabi Biswas, Jiben Bose, and Kali Banerjee. Mini, a young child, meets Rahmat, a dry-fruit vendor from Afghanistan.
Rabindranath Tagore's stories: The online series consists of 26 episodes based on Rabindranath Tagore's chosen stories. The series tells the lives of powerful, bright Bengali women in the twentieth century.
