Being a true blue Bong and a voracious reader, I’ve grown up reading the literary gems written by none other than the renowned Rabindranath Tagore. All thanks to my mom, ours is a household where everyone is well-acquainted to Tagore songs and stories. And now, all thanks to the EPIC channel and filmmaker Anurag Basu, even you can acquaint yourselves to some of his amazing sagas. A fry cry from most other novelists of that era, Tagore never shied away from portraying his characters very boldly and has given us many progressive and intriguing stories. From a lonely housewife who falls in love with her brother-in-law to a widow who yearns to explore her sexuality – Tagore’s women are intelligent, carefree, daring and adventurous.
And as we all know, Anurag Basu is also known to portray his women rather beautifully. Whether it is Shikha (Shilpa Shetty) in Life In A Metro) or Shruti Ghosh (Ileana D’Cruz) and Jhilmil (Priyanka Chopra) in Barfi! – all the female protagonists in his movies are much unlike the conventional and quintessential women in Indian cinema. So I’m sure you can imagine how amazing it’s going to be to see Basu’s depiction of Tagore’s stories. Plus, considering ace actresses like Radhika Apte, Amrita Puri and several other talented actors will be seen playing the lead on the show, it will definitely be a treat to watch.
For those of you who are not yet tempted enough to experience the old world charm through his brand new show, Stories By Rabindranath Tagore, go through this low-down on five of Tagore’s most EPIC stories and you will definitely be convinced!
Choker Bali
The story traces the life of Binodini (played by Radhika Apte), a young widow who refuses to be crushed and burnt out by norms of the society. She fights for her rights and chases her wishes mercilessly. Her character is slightly gray and refreshingly different from the #BechariBahus of Indian TV. She boldly explores her sexuality despite being a widow and never regrets her decisions in life. She’s bound to catch everyone’s attention with her sensuous avatar and strong-willed nature.
Noshtonir
A lonely housewife, Charulata (played by Amrita Puri) lives a wealthy, secluded and idle life in 1870’s Calcutta. Her busy journalist husband has no time for her and therefore, he asks his cousin Amal to keep his wife company. And Charulata instantly clicks with her brother-in-law as both of them are artistically inclined. Will she find the courage to confess her feelings for Amal to her wife? Guess you’ll have to find out!
Atithi
Like the protagonist of any road movie, the young Tarapada is restless. To the despair of his mother and fellow villagers, he often runs away from home and takes off on various quests. During one such quest of his, he catches a boat ride with a zamindar and somehow manages to enchant him and his wife. But their envious daughter, Charusashi refuses to endure him. But eventually, Tarapada and Charu get drawn towards each other and love stars blooming between the two. The zamindar fixes their marriage, but the wedding doesn’t happen! (PS: This story’s ending is better than that of Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani.)
Manbhanjan
A wealthy and spoilt zamindar son, Gopinath falls out of love with his wife, Giribala, soon after their marriage. He secretly starts seeing a glamorous theater actress, Labongo. When his wife finds out about it, an angry and frustrated Gopinath beats her up, snatches all her ornaments and leaves the house. He later elopes with the seductive Labongo. A few months later, Gopinath hears that a beautiful new actress has emerged in the theater circle and she has taken the place of Labango. Curious, Gopinath goes to see the play. When the curtains rise, he is baffled to see what’s in front of him! You will be too.
Kabuliwala
The story encapsulates the bittersweet bond between Rahmat, a middle-aged fruit seller from Afghanistan and a little Bengali girl, Mini. Away from home and his own daughter, Rahmat develops a beautiful bond with Mini. But his destiny takes a bitter turn and he ends up spending 10 years behind the bars after getting into an ugly brawl with a man. On the day of his release, he goes to meet Mini and discovers that she’s grown up and about to get married. Does he manage to revive their bond?
I am super excited to watch these stories on screen. What about you? Tune in to Epic channel at 10 pm tonight to witness the old world charm of Tagore in Basu’s style.
This post is in partnership with our friends at The Epic Channel. You can follow them on Facebook and Twitter.