Revisiting Charulata
Film Appreciation with K S
Sivakumaran
Last Thursday evening at the ICES after listening to a recollected
speech on one of the great writers and intellectuals of Asia, among
other facets, the late Rabindranath Tagore delivered clearly with
identifiable Indian manner of speech of English by Sharmila Kante, a
writer from culturally rich India who also happens to be the wife of the
High Commissioner of that friendly country in Colombo, we were treated
to the screening of a Bengali film with English subtitles in English.
The film was Charulata, according to its director the late Satyajit
Ray, the best feature film he had directed. Apart from the Icon, Tagore,
Ray and Charulata are familiar and well respected names in the world of
International Cinema. But the younger generation among us may not be
well informed of the two. I have seen this film twice since the 1960s
and again revisited the film last week.
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Beautiful and married but
figuratively a lonely woman |
Charulata is the beautiful name of a beautiful and married but
figuratively a lonely woman. She is a character in a short story by
Rabindranath Tagore titled Nastanirh. She is an upper class aesthete
that lived in Kolkatta, capital of west Bengal in India during the
second half of two centuries ago. India was under the British rule then.
Based on this story, one of the world’s best film directors,
versatile in many fields (I am not describing those facets in his
career), the late Satyajit Ray created a film as he understood Ray’s
story in 1964 in Black and White shot in the studios using the camera
that had limited possibilities. Influenced by neo-realism of the Italian
filmmakers Ray brought out a psychological drama in an artistic manner
calling his film Charulata. For the benefit of those who might have not
understood the story in its background a convenient English title was
given –The Lonely Wife).
To the contemporary readers and cinegoers the theme and plot of the
film might not be strikingly new because the present century has a
plethora of similar or extreme storylines. But we must consider the fact
that it is a period piece set in an emerging modern state- India. We
must take into consideration the context of the film.
Readers not knowing what the story is about need to be told what the
plot is, at least briefly. Usually I dislike telling the story, but
here. This what the ICES handout said:
“The film revolves around Charulata / Charu (Madhabi Mukherjee) the
childless, intelligent and beautiful wife of Bhupati (Salen Mukherjee).
Bhupati edits and publishes a poetical newspaper. Charu is interested in
the arts, literature and poetry. Though Bhupatti loves his wife, he has
no time for her. Amal (Soumitra Chatterjee), Bupati’s younger cousin
comes on a visit. Buhupati asks to encourage Charu’s cultural interests.
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Scenes from Charulata |
Amal is young, handsome and is of the same age group as Charu. He
provides her with much needed intellectual companionship and attention.
An intimate relationship develops between Charu and Amal” But the story
doesn’t stop there. The film develops through the magnificent capturing
of moods and actions of all characters meticulously recorded and subtly
presented by the versatile director and ends in a suggestive conclusion
but stressing on the conservative stance of the time. From the start to
the end the film is lyrical and Ray paints a poetic saga of a bygone
age.
The viewers understand the plausibility of each action and movement
in the film and empathize with predicament of all the characters. All
the actors gave a controlled depiction of the characteristics of their
respective role in a natural manner.
In good cinema the use of minimal words and the story and sequences
in a film is captured through moving images.
I wish that each frame and shot is explained to viewers if they sit
with me to see the film if an occasion comes. Please watch this film to
see the difference between a mere entertainer and aesthetic cinema.
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