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Ghare Baire (film)
Encyclopedia
Ghare Baire is a 1985 film by Bengal
i director Satyajit Ray
, based upon the novel Ghare Baire
(The Home and the World) by Rabindranath Tagore
. It features Soumitra Chatterjee
, Victor Banerjee
, Jennifer Kendal
(in her last film appearance) and Swatilekha Chatterjee, married Sengupta. Ray prepared a script for it in the 1940s, long before he made his first film Pather Panchali
. It deals with a subject that has often appeared in Ray's work; the emancipation of women, and what it does to them and to the men who love them. The film was in competition for the Palme d'Or
at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival
.
i noble
Nikhil (Victor Banerjee
), and in the chaotic aftermath of Lord Curzon
's partition of Bengal into Muslim and Hindu states, when the nationalist movement is trying to impose a boycott against all foreign goods (by claiming that imports are at the root of Indian poverty). He lives happily with his beautiful wife Bimala (Swatilekha Sengupta) until the appearance of his friend and radical revolutionist, Sandip (Soumitra Chatterjee
, the Apu of The World of Apu and a principal actor in many Ray films).
Sandip, a passionate and active man, is a contradiction to the peace - loving and somewhat passive Nikhil. He easily attracts the innocent and unsuspecting Bimala, creating a love triangle.
Although Nikhilesh figures out what is happening, he is a mature person and grants Bimala the freedom to grow and choose what she wants in life (as their marriage was arranged when she was a young girl). Meanwhile Bimala experiences the emotions of love for the first time in a manner which helps her understand that it is indeed her husband Nikhilesh who really loves her.
Importantly, Nikhilesh tells Bimala that he would like her to have a life not only inside the home, but outside of it as well; which was a most controversial matter when the novel was written . "Toward the end, Bimala, who was [encouraged] into independence by her husband, becomes desperate to express that independence - recklessly, heedlessly. When it comes to truthfulnesss about women's lives, this great Indian moviemaker Satyajit Ray shames the American and European directors of both sexes."
Sound designers: Robin Sen Gupta, Jyoti Chatterjee, Anup Mukherjee
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
i director Satyajit Ray
Satyajit Ray
Satyajit Ray was an Indian Bengali filmmaker. He is regarded as one of the greatest auteurs of 20th century cinema. Ray was born in the city of Kolkata into a Bengali family prominent in the world of arts and literature...
, based upon the novel Ghare Baire
The Home and the World
The Home and the World 1916 is a 1916 novel by Rabindranath Tagore. The book illustrates the battle Tagore had with himself, between the ideas of Western culture and revolution against the Western culture...
(The Home and the World) by Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
. It features Soumitra Chatterjee
Soumitra Chatterjee
Soumitra Chatterjee or Soumitra Chattopadhyay is an iconic Bengali actor from India, known among other things for his frequent collaborations with the great Bengali film director Satyajit Ray and his constant comparison with the Bengali screen idol Uttam Kumar.-Background:Soumitra graduated from...
, Victor Banerjee
Victor Banerjee
Victor Banerjee is an Indian actor who appears in Hindi, Bengali and English language films. He has also appeared on a number of TV series on Indian television...
, Jennifer Kendal
Jennifer Kendal
Jennifer Kapoor - born Jennifer Kendal - was a British actress who married Shashi Kapoor of the Kapoor family.-Childhood:Jennifer Kendal was born in Southport, England, but spent much of her youth in India...
(in her last film appearance) and Swatilekha Chatterjee, married Sengupta. Ray prepared a script for it in the 1940s, long before he made his first film Pather Panchali
Pather Panchali
Pather Panchali is a 1955 Bengali drama film written and directed by Satyajit Ray and produced by the Government of the Indian state of West Bengal. Based on Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay's 1929 Bengali novel of the same name, the film was the directorial debut of Ray...
. It deals with a subject that has often appeared in Ray's work; the emancipation of women, and what it does to them and to the men who love them. The film was in competition for the Palme d'Or
Palme d'Or
The Palme d'Or is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival and is presented to the director of the best feature film of the official competition. It was introduced in 1955 by the organising committee. From 1939 to 1954, the highest prize was the Grand Prix du Festival International du...
at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival
1984 Cannes Film Festival
- Jury :*Dirk Bogarde *Franco Cristaldi *Michel Deville *Stanley Donen *Istvan Dosai *Arne Hestenes *Isabelle Huppert *Ennio Morricone...
.
Plot synopsis
The story is set in early 20th century India in the estate of the rich BengalBengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
i noble
Zamindar
A Zamindar or zemindar , was an aristocrat, typically hereditary, who held enormous tracts of land and ruled over and taxed the bhikaaris who lived on batavaslam. Over time, they took princely and royal titles such as Maharaja , Raja , Nawab , and Mirza , Chowdhury , among others...
Nikhil (Victor Banerjee
Victor Banerjee
Victor Banerjee is an Indian actor who appears in Hindi, Bengali and English language films. He has also appeared on a number of TV series on Indian television...
), and in the chaotic aftermath of Lord Curzon
George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston
George Nathaniel Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston, KG, GCSI, GCIE, PC , known as The Lord Curzon of Kedleston between 1898 and 1911 and as The Earl Curzon of Kedleston between 1911 and 1921, was a British Conservative statesman who was Viceroy of India and Foreign Secretary...
's partition of Bengal into Muslim and Hindu states, when the nationalist movement is trying to impose a boycott against all foreign goods (by claiming that imports are at the root of Indian poverty). He lives happily with his beautiful wife Bimala (Swatilekha Sengupta) until the appearance of his friend and radical revolutionist, Sandip (Soumitra Chatterjee
Soumitra Chatterjee
Soumitra Chatterjee or Soumitra Chattopadhyay is an iconic Bengali actor from India, known among other things for his frequent collaborations with the great Bengali film director Satyajit Ray and his constant comparison with the Bengali screen idol Uttam Kumar.-Background:Soumitra graduated from...
, the Apu of The World of Apu and a principal actor in many Ray films).
Although Nikhilesh figures out what is happening, he is a mature person and grants Bimala the freedom to grow and choose what she wants in life (as their marriage was arranged when she was a young girl). Meanwhile Bimala experiences the emotions of love for the first time in a manner which helps her understand that it is indeed her husband Nikhilesh who really loves her.
Importantly, Nikhilesh tells Bimala that he would like her to have a life not only inside the home, but outside of it as well; which was a most controversial matter when the novel was written . "Toward the end, Bimala, who was [encouraged] into independence by her husband, becomes desperate to express that independence - recklessly, heedlessly. When it comes to truthfulnesss about women's lives, this great Indian moviemaker Satyajit Ray shames the American and European directors of both sexes."
Cast
- Soumitra ChatterjeeSoumitra ChatterjeeSoumitra Chatterjee or Soumitra Chattopadhyay is an iconic Bengali actor from India, known among other things for his frequent collaborations with the great Bengali film director Satyajit Ray and his constant comparison with the Bengali screen idol Uttam Kumar.-Background:Soumitra graduated from...
... Sandip Mukherjee - Victor BanerjeeVictor BanerjeeVictor Banerjee is an Indian actor who appears in Hindi, Bengali and English language films. He has also appeared on a number of TV series on Indian television...
... Nikhilesh Choudhury - Swatilekha Sengupta... Bimala Choudhury
- Gopa Aich ... The sister-in-law
- Jennifer KendalJennifer KendalJennifer Kapoor - born Jennifer Kendal - was a British actress who married Shashi Kapoor of the Kapoor family.-Childhood:Jennifer Kendal was born in Southport, England, but spent much of her youth in India...
... Miss Gilby (as Jennifer Kapoor) - Manoj MitraManoj MitraManoj Mitra is a Bengali Indian actor, director and playwright.-Early life:He studied at the Scottish Church College of the University of Calcutta where he earned his B.A. degree. During his final year at Scottish Church College, he formed a theater group called Sundaram with colleagues like...
... Headmaster - Indrapramit Roy ... Amulya
- Bimala Chatterjee ... Kulada
Other credits
Art direction: Ashoke BoseSound designers: Robin Sen Gupta, Jyoti Chatterjee, Anup Mukherjee