Rabindranath Tagore (7th May 1861- 7th August 1941), was a poet, writer, philosopher, composer, playwright, social reformer, and painter. He was the most versatile writer in the late 19th century and early 20th century. He is the author of beautiful poetry “Gitanjali”. He became the first Indian lyricist to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913. He used to write under the pseudonym “Bhanusima” (Sun Lion) during his teenage. Gitanjali, Gora, and Ghare- Baire(The Home and the World) are some of his well-known writings. His famous composition was taken by two nations as a national anthem: “Jana Gana Mana” by India and “Amar Shonar Bangla” by Bangladesh.
The Series
In 2015, his short story series was released on television on the EPIC channel, directed by Anurag Basu. The stories are set in Bengal in the 1920s. Tagore always focused on family relationships, friendship, and trust. Another main theme in his stories will be strong and confident women characters.
His writings will be questioning the conservative society, due to which there was a shift in the mindset of the people also. Anurag Basu has translated the stories in his unique way. There are 2-3 episodes for some novels, however, short stories are narrated in a single episode. Each episode is around 60mins. The episodes are linked with the next story to start.
Tagore’s short stories will have intense emotions. His writings will make us feel as if all the characters are moving around us in real life. The location of all the episodes in the series is Kolkata. The costumes, clothes worn by female characters, types of furniture- everything is so perfectly presented in the series. The stories are very simple and sober.
The series has won the 16th Indian Television Academy Awards on 13th November 2016 for “Best Mini-Series” by Ishana Movies.
Total Episodes streaming in Netflix:
| Story | Episodes | Title | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1, 2, 3 | Chokher Bali | Chokher Bali (Speck in the Eye; 1901 novella Choker Bali) |
| 2 | 4 | Atithi | Atithi (The Guest; 1895 short story) |
| 3 | 5 | Maanbhanjan | Maanbhanjan (Fury Appeased; 1895 short story) |
| 4 | 6 | Detective | Detective (1898 short story) |
| 5 | 7 | Kabuliwala | Kabuliwala (1892 short story Kabuliwala) |
| 6 | 8 | Punishment | Shasti (Punishment; 1893 short story) |
| 7 | 9, 10 | Nastanirh | Nastanirh (The Broken Nest; 1901 novella Nastanirh) |
| 8 | 11 | Wafadaar | Khokababur Pratyabartan (The Return of Khokababu; 1891 short story) |
| 9 | 12, 13 | Samapti | Samapti (The Conclusion; 1893 short story) |
| 10 | 14 | Chutti | Chhuti (The Homecoming; 1892–93 short story) |
| 11 | 15 | Tyaag | Tyaag (The Renunciation; 1892 short story) |
| 12 | 16 | Waaris | Sampatti Samarpan (The Trust Property; 1891–92 short story) |
| 13 | 17, 18 | Two Sisters | Dui Bon (Two Sisters; 1933 novel) |
| 14 | 19 | Mrinal ki Chitthi | Strir Patra (Wife’s letter; 1914 short story) |
| 15 | 20 | Aparichita | Aparichita (The Unknown Woman; 1916 short story) |
| 16 | 21 | Kankal | Kankal (The Skeleton; 1892 short story) |
| 17 | 22 | The Story of a Muslim Girl | Musalmanir Golpo (The Story of a Muslim Woman; 1941 short story) |
| 18 | 23, 24 | Dhai Aakhar Prem Ka | Shesh Rokkha (Saved at Last; 1926–1929 drama) |
| 19 | 25 | Monihara | Monihara (The Lost Jewels; 1898 short story) |
| 20 | 26 | Dalia | Daliya (Dalia, 1892 short story) |
The Women Characters in the series:
The writings by Tagore are women-oriented stories. Societal Issues like discrimination and injustice against women are the main theme in the stories. The series is adapted from Tagore’s stories, which takes us back to the contemporary society of the 19th century. How do women stand up against social injustice and refuse to follow the social rules of Indian society.
Five major characters will inspire us.
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Binodini
The role played by Radhika Apte in Choker Bali, named Binodini is the character who rejects the follow the rules for widows. She is determined to fight for her emotions and sexual desires despite being a widow and refuses to live in isolation.
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Charulata
The role played by Amrita Puri is of a lonely housewife who is in love with her brother-in-law. She decides to follow her passion for music instead of staying alone at home. This story shows how woman herself decides to follow her dreams.
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Giribala
Ronjini Chakraborty plays the role of Giribala. She plays a housewife who is beaten by her husband and elopes with another woman. She is hurt, but eventually, she decides to explore her skills and becomes an actress. This story shows that women don’t need men for support and success. She can make it in her way.
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Kalyani
This role is played by Abigail Pandey, whose father calls off the marriage with Anupam. Her character is strong and independent and likes to work for orphans. In this episode also, she shows, one doesn’t need a husband to be an idol match.
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Mrinal
Amrita Bagchi plays the role of Mrinal. She is very progressive but her husband, and in-laws are very regressive. She witness that the women have treated very badly all her life. She decided to live on her terms and breaks all relations with them.
The series was first released on TV in 2015 and now can be watched on Netflix also.
