'Charulata' (1964), the film by Satyajit Ray, based on a short story by Rabindranath Tagore, was called in 'The Lonely Wife' in English. I noted this when I was too young to understand the complex and mature facets of the tale, the ten year old boy that I was, and possibly the loneliness of Charu, the 19th Century Bengali middle-class housewife in the film (played by Madhabi Mukherjee) was something I could understand. I even told an adult family member, sometime after watching the film on television, that it was my favorite film and got rebuked, maybe the person dismissed it as something entirely precocious. How could a young boy understand a woman's experiencing of an emotional and psychological void? And what about the simmering sexual tension? I didn't, of course. But I did find the projection of my own loneliness, my longing, that I could not put a finger upon, that I could never articulate. I even tried reading the original short story by Tagore, stealthily, soon after, and this time it seemed hard to fathom, the literary expressions. Now, after so many years, looking back, it's crystal clear why. Ray's sublime visual storytelling had worked its magic upon the impressionable kid. 'Charulata' is thus hailed by many as Ray's best film, as the moving images - along with the brilliant musical score composed by Ray - conveys the entire gamut of emotions. Cinema is, after all, the art of visual storytelling, and it reaches even the most innocent and immature viewer in ways that are not much explored. It resonates deep, and makes strange inroads to our psyche. Today marks the 100th anniversary of the maestro; the cinema of Satyajit Ray shall be celebrated for as long as cinema survives.
http://www.sakagaze.blogspot.com is the blog address for some of the cool and not so cool observations by Anindo Sen, a passionate Kolkatan. Kolkata is likely to feature prominently on this blog, just as it is likely to feature the personal preferences - as far as films, books or music or other finer aspects of life are concerned.
Popular Posts
-
It's the official birthday of Garfield, the comic-strip cat! It is on this day, June 19, in the year 1978, that this famous fictional c...
-
After a long and eager wait, I was finally able to catch the film "Shutter Island" last night. Needless to say why I had been ea...
-
' Mere Brother Ki Dulhan ' is the upcoming Yash-Raj Films production. It is all geared up for release and the promos on air have...
-
M:I-4 i.e. Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol is yet another film which delivers exactly what it promises. I have unabashedly been a f...
-
1. A Serious Man [2009] 2. The King's Speech [2010] 3. Black Swan [2010] 4. Blue Valentine [2010] 5. The Savages [2007] 6. Kick-Ass...
-
Having popcorn while watching a movie at the theater has a unique charm of its own. It is a luxury that always makes the movie-going expe...
-
When I went to see this latest Bangla film released at a nearby multiplex, I must confess that I wasn't much clued in on the buzz abou...
-
Asha Bhosle , the original & ultimate songstress-diva turns 76 today! Being an ardent admirer of the singer, I wish her a VERY HAPPY BIR...
-
Dev is one of the many new heroes of Bangla Cinema who have made their presence felt in a host of new-age movies that have been reaching o...
-
Malgudi Days remains an all-time favorite television series, of not only me, but I am sure it is so for millions of viewers worldwide. Pr...
No comments:
Post a Comment