Nastanirh
Encyclopedia
Nastanirh (1901), (English: The Broken Nest) is a Bengali
novella
by Rabindranath Tagore
. It is the basis for the noted 1964 film, Charulata
by Satyajit Ray
.
Scholarship indicates that this story might have been based upon the relationship between Tagore's elder brother Jyotirindranath; his brother's wife, Kadambari Devi (who committed suicide shortly after Tagore's marriage); and Tagore (who spent a great deal of time with Kadambari, reading and writing poetry).
and explores the lives of the "Bhadralok
", Bengalis
of wealth who were part of the Bengal Renaissance
and highly influenced by the Brahmo Samaj
. Despite his liberal ideas, Bhupati is blind to the loneliness and dissatisfaction of his wife, Charu. It is only with the appearance of his cousin, Amal, who incites passionate feelings in Charu, that Bhupati realizes what he has lost.
(The Lonely Wife) is a 1964 film by Bengal
i director Satyajit Ray
, featuring Soumitra Chatterjee
, Madhabi Mukherjee
and Sailen Mukherjee and is based upon Nastanirh. A version by Rangan Chakraborty called Ami Charulata is under development. It will star Ananya Chatterjee
in the role of Charulata and Rahul Bose
in the role of Bhupati.
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
novella
Novella
A novella is a written, fictional, prose narrative usually longer than a novelette but shorter than a novel. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Nebula Awards for science fiction define the novella as having a word count between 17,500 and 40,000...
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 is the basis for the noted 1964 film, Charulata
Charulata
Charulata is a 1964 film by Bengali director Satyajit Ray, based upon the novella Nastanirh by Rabindranath Tagore...
by 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...
.
Background
According to Mary Lago in the introduction to the English translation of Nashtanir (translated by Lago and Supriya Sen), the novella was released three times: in 1901 in serial format, in 1909 as part of a special short story collection, and in 1926 as part of Tagore's standard collection of fiction (p. 9).Scholarship indicates that this story might have been based upon the relationship between Tagore's elder brother Jyotirindranath; his brother's wife, Kadambari Devi (who committed suicide shortly after Tagore's marriage); and Tagore (who spent a great deal of time with Kadambari, reading and writing poetry).
Plot summary
Nastanirh takes place in late 19th century 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...
and explores the lives of the "Bhadralok
Bhadralok
Bhadralok is a Bengali term used to denote the new class of 'gentlefolk' who arose during colonial times in Bengal. It is still used to indicate members of the upper middle and middle classes of Bengal.-Caste and Class makeup:...
", Bengalis
Bengali people
The Bengali people are an ethnic community native to the historic region of Bengal in South Asia. They speak Bengali , which is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from the Magadhi Prakrit and Sanskrit languages. In their native language, they are referred to as বাঙালী...
of wealth who were part of the Bengal Renaissance
Bengal Renaissance
The Bengal Renaissance refers to a social reform movement during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in the region of Bengal in Undivided India during the period of British rule...
and highly influenced by the Brahmo Samaj
Brahmo Samaj
Brahmo Samaj is the societal component of the Brahmo religion which is mainly practiced today as the Adi Dharm after its eclipse in Bengal consequent to the exit of the Tattwabodini Sabha from its ranks in 1859. It was one of the most influential religious movements responsible for the making of...
. Despite his liberal ideas, Bhupati is blind to the loneliness and dissatisfaction of his wife, Charu. It is only with the appearance of his cousin, Amal, who incites passionate feelings in Charu, that Bhupati realizes what he has lost.
Film adaptations
CharulataCharulata
Charulata is a 1964 film by Bengali director Satyajit Ray, based upon the novella Nastanirh by Rabindranath Tagore...
(The Lonely Wife) is a 1964 film by Bengal
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...
, featuring 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...
, Madhabi Mukherjee
Madhabi Mukherjee
Madhabi Mukherjee née Chakraborty is a reputed Bengali actress who has acted in some of the most critically acclaimed films in Bengali cinema.Her major role was the title role of Charu in Satyajit Ray's masterpiece Charulata...
and Sailen Mukherjee and is based upon Nastanirh. A version by Rangan Chakraborty called Ami Charulata is under development. It will star Ananya Chatterjee
Ananya Chatterjee
Ananya Chatterjee is a Bengali film actress known for her National Award-winning role in Abahoman. She started her career as a TV actress. She acted in several TV serials and films, including three directed by Anjan Dutt...
in the role of Charulata and Rahul Bose
Rahul Bose
Rahul Bose is an Indian actor, screenwriter, director, social activist, and rugby union player.Bose has appeared in Hindi films such as Pyaar Ke Side Effects and Jhankaar Beats. Time magazine named him "the superstar of Indian arthouse cinema" for his work in parallel cinema films like English,...
in the role of Bhupati.
English translation
- Tagore, Rabindranath. Broken Nest (Nashtanir). Mary M. Lago and Supriya Sen (translators). New Delhi: Macmillan India Ltd, 2000. http://www.macmillanindia.com/book-details.asp?from=gr&bookid=1779&broadid=44&detailedid=78&category=General+%26+Reference&broadsubject=English&detailedsubject=&page=search
See also
- Ghare BaireThe Home and the WorldThe 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...
- Works of Rabindranath TagoreWorks of Rabindranath TagoreThe Works of Rabindranath Tagore consist of poems, novels, short stories, dramas, paintings, drawings, and music that Bengali poet and Brahmo philosopher Rabindranath Tagore created over his lifetime.- Works :...
- ParineetaParineetaParineeta is a 1914 Bengali language novella written by Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay and is set in Calcutta, India during the early part of the 20th century. It is a novel of social protest which explores issues of that time period related to class and religion.-Title:The word Parineeta is...
- contemporary novel