Noukadubi
Encyclopedia
Noukadubi is a Bengali
film directed by Rituporno Ghosh, released on January 2011. The movie is a period film set in the 1920s, based on a novel by Rabindranath Tagore
of the same name, although the credits claim that the film is ‘inspired’ by the Tagore novel because Rituparno Ghosh
has taken the skeleton of the original story and woven it with his own inputs – cerebral and emotional.
The cast includes Prosenjit Chatterjee, Jisshu Sengupta, Raima Sen
and Riya Sen
. The art direction was by Indranil Ghosh. The film was also dubbed in Hindi and released on may 2011 under the name "Kashmakash". The film was produced by Subhash Ghai
. Allegedly the Hindi version has been translated, dubbed and edited down by 30 minutes under Ghai’s own guidance, without the director’s involvement at all.http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-04-13/news-interviews/29413405_1_hindi-version-dubbing-artistes-rituparno-ghosh
The original story by Tagore has been placed on celluloid several times including twice in Hindi – Milan (1946) directed by Nitin Bose with Dilip Kumar and Ghunghat (1960), directed by Ramanand Sagar with Bina Rai. Bengali versions came out in 1932, 1947 and 1979.
between law student Ramesh and his friend's sister Hemnalini, is nipped suddenly when his father sends an urgent and mysterious summons from his village home. There, the dutiful son is peremptorily ordered to marry Susheela, daughter of a hapless widow. Ramesh refuses, confesses that his heart belongs to another. But the widow's fervent plea softens him ultimately. And he concedes, albeit with a heavy heart. The wedding takes place with due ceremony; and Ramesh sets out with his bride on a river boat journey back to Kolkata
.
Soon a fierce storm arises; the boat tosses helplessly and finally capsizes in the churning waters. Later that night, Ramesh comes to his senses on a deserted shore under a starlit sky. Some distance away, he sees the unconscious form of a young bride. Her pulse is still beating, and in response to his voice calling 'Susheela' she opens her eyes at last. There is no one else in sight, alive or dead. The two move off, take a train to Kolkata
, the bride wondering why they were not going to Kashi, but trusting his judgment implicitly.
Hem, his true love, knows nothing of all this. Ramesh has been missing from the evening of her birthday party. They have learnt of his hasty departure from the city, but nothing else. Though she pines inwardly, she is confident that he will return soon.
Back in Ramesh's new home in Kolkata, the facts of mistaken identity gradually come to light. She is Kamala not Susheela. Her husband is a doctor named Nalinaksha Chatterjee. Ramesh writes an advertisement to trace his whereabouts; but he does not have the heart to break this news to the helpless trusting young girl in his care. He puts her into a boarding school instead. But soon, Hem's would be suitor Akshay comes to know of Ramesh's secret and brings proof positive to Hem. Ramesh, unable to handle such a scandal, seeks hiding in Gorakhpur
with Kamala. A devastated Hem is brought to Kashi
by her father to help her forget. There she meets Nalinaksha and they warm up to each other.
In the meanwhile, having read the advertisement in an old newspaper, Kamala realizes the enormity of the lie she has been living, and walks out determined to drown herself in the river. Ramesh returns and finds her suicide note, searches everywhere to no avail. He does not know that she has been rescued by a courtesan and deposited in Kashi under Nalinaksha's mother's care. Kamala now sees her real husband for the first time, but cannot speak up, for he is betrothed to Hem.
Finally, the advertisement she keeps knotted in her saree
is discovered, and the whole truth comes to light. Ramesh finally traces Nalinaksha and arrives at his house.
The whole sorry mess raises many questions of head and heart and the validity or otherwise of social conventions. The viwers are left wondering whether true love will finally triumph.
(IFFI), Goa on November 24, 2010, in the year that marked Rabindranath Tagore
's 150th birth anniversary. It later had its commercial release in January 2011.
The film reviews were generally positive. Pratim D. Gupta of The Telegraph
called Noukadubi "an enriching ride on stranger tides" and wrote "on the surface, this sexless love game may come across as tepid and tame, slow and sombre compared to the roller-coaster passion play that was Chokher Bali, but Noukadubi’s charm lies in the lingering aftertaste, the enduring pleasure in the pain".
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...
film directed by Rituporno Ghosh, released on January 2011. The movie is a period film set in the 1920s, based on a novel 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...
of the same name, although the credits claim that the film is ‘inspired’ by the Tagore novel because Rituparno Ghosh
Rituparno Ghosh
Rituparno Ghosh is a Bengali film director. He has won 8 National Film Awards in India and several awards at international film festivals abroad.- Early life and background :...
has taken the skeleton of the original story and woven it with his own inputs – cerebral and emotional.
The cast includes Prosenjit Chatterjee, Jisshu Sengupta, Raima Sen
Raima Sen
-Early life:She is the daughter of Moon Moon Sen and the granddaughter of legendary actress Suchitra Sen. Her sister, Riya Sen, is also in the Bollywood industry. Their father Bharat Dev Varma is a member of the royal family of Tripura. Her paternal grandmother, Ila Devi, was the princess of Cooch...
and Riya Sen
Riya Sen
Riya Sen is an Indian film actress and model. Riya, who hails from a family of actors including her grandmother Suchitra Sen, mother Moon Moon Sen and sister Raima Sen, began her acting career in 1991 as a child artiste in the film Vishkanya. Her first commercial success in her film career was...
. The art direction was by Indranil Ghosh. The film was also dubbed in Hindi and released on may 2011 under the name "Kashmakash". The film was produced by Subhash Ghai
Subhash Ghai
Subhash Ghai is an Indian film director, producer and screenwriter. His most notable films include Kalicharan ,Karz , Hero , Meri Jung , Karma ,Ram Lakhan ,Saudagar , Khalnayak , Pardes and Taal...
. Allegedly the Hindi version has been translated, dubbed and edited down by 30 minutes under Ghai’s own guidance, without the director’s involvement at all.http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-04-13/news-interviews/29413405_1_hindi-version-dubbing-artistes-rituparno-ghosh
The original story by Tagore has been placed on celluloid several times including twice in Hindi – Milan (1946) directed by Nitin Bose with Dilip Kumar and Ghunghat (1960), directed by Ramanand Sagar with Bina Rai. Bengali versions came out in 1932, 1947 and 1979.
Cast
- Jishu SenguptaJishu SenguptaJishu Sengupta , popularly known as Jisshu, is a popular Bengali film actor. Though, his real name is Biswaroop Sengupta, he is more famous as Jishu, his pet name. He is the son of Ujjwal Sengupta, also an actor of Bengali films. His mother, Mukta Sengupta, was a homemaker and a wedding planner...
as Ramesh - Raima SenRaima Sen-Early life:She is the daughter of Moon Moon Sen and the granddaughter of legendary actress Suchitra Sen. Her sister, Riya Sen, is also in the Bollywood industry. Their father Bharat Dev Varma is a member of the royal family of Tripura. Her paternal grandmother, Ila Devi, was the princess of Cooch...
as Hemnalini - Prosenjit as Nalinksha
- Riya SenRiya SenRiya Sen is an Indian film actress and model. Riya, who hails from a family of actors including her grandmother Suchitra Sen, mother Moon Moon Sen and sister Raima Sen, began her acting career in 1991 as a child artiste in the film Vishkanya. Her first commercial success in her film career was...
as Kamala - Dhritiman Chatterjee as Annodababu, Hemnalini's Father
- Laboni Sarkar as Sushila's Mother
- Ammu Chatterjee as Nalinaksha's Mother
- Sumanta Mukherjee as Ramesh's Father
Plot
A tender romance blossoming in early KolkataKolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
between law student Ramesh and his friend's sister Hemnalini, is nipped suddenly when his father sends an urgent and mysterious summons from his village home. There, the dutiful son is peremptorily ordered to marry Susheela, daughter of a hapless widow. Ramesh refuses, confesses that his heart belongs to another. But the widow's fervent plea softens him ultimately. And he concedes, albeit with a heavy heart. The wedding takes place with due ceremony; and Ramesh sets out with his bride on a river boat journey back to Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
.
Soon a fierce storm arises; the boat tosses helplessly and finally capsizes in the churning waters. Later that night, Ramesh comes to his senses on a deserted shore under a starlit sky. Some distance away, he sees the unconscious form of a young bride. Her pulse is still beating, and in response to his voice calling 'Susheela' she opens her eyes at last. There is no one else in sight, alive or dead. The two move off, take a train to Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
, the bride wondering why they were not going to Kashi, but trusting his judgment implicitly.
Hem, his true love, knows nothing of all this. Ramesh has been missing from the evening of her birthday party. They have learnt of his hasty departure from the city, but nothing else. Though she pines inwardly, she is confident that he will return soon.
Back in Ramesh's new home in Kolkata, the facts of mistaken identity gradually come to light. She is Kamala not Susheela. Her husband is a doctor named Nalinaksha Chatterjee. Ramesh writes an advertisement to trace his whereabouts; but he does not have the heart to break this news to the helpless trusting young girl in his care. He puts her into a boarding school instead. But soon, Hem's would be suitor Akshay comes to know of Ramesh's secret and brings proof positive to Hem. Ramesh, unable to handle such a scandal, seeks hiding in Gorakhpur
Gorakhpur
Gorakhpur is a city in the eastern part of the state of Uttar Pradesh in India, near the border with Nepal. It is the administrative headquarters of Gorakhpur District and Gorakhpur Division. Gorakhpur is one of the proposed capitals of the Purvanchal state which is yet to be formed...
with Kamala. A devastated Hem is brought to Kashi
Varanasi
-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...
by her father to help her forget. There she meets Nalinaksha and they warm up to each other.
In the meanwhile, having read the advertisement in an old newspaper, Kamala realizes the enormity of the lie she has been living, and walks out determined to drown herself in the river. Ramesh returns and finds her suicide note, searches everywhere to no avail. He does not know that she has been rescued by a courtesan and deposited in Kashi under Nalinaksha's mother's care. Kamala now sees her real husband for the first time, but cannot speak up, for he is betrothed to Hem.
Finally, the advertisement she keeps knotted in her saree
Sari
A sari or sareeThe name of the garment in various regional languages include: , , , , , , , , , , , , , is a strip of unstitched cloth, worn by females, ranging from four to nine metres in length that is draped over the body in various styles. It is popular in India, Bangladesh, Nepal,...
is discovered, and the whole truth comes to light. Ramesh finally traces Nalinaksha and arrives at his house.
The whole sorry mess raises many questions of head and heart and the validity or otherwise of social conventions. The viwers are left wondering whether true love will finally triumph.
Reception
The premiered as the opening film of the Indian Panorama section during the 41st International Film Festival of IndiaInternational Film Festival of India
The International Film Festival of India , founded in 1952, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia. Held annually in the beach town of Goa, in the Western Coast of the country, the festival aims at providing a common platform for the cinemas of the world to project the excellence of...
(IFFI), Goa on November 24, 2010, in the year that marked 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...
's 150th birth anniversary. It later had its commercial release in January 2011.
The film reviews were generally positive. Pratim D. Gupta of The Telegraph
The Telegraph (Kolkata)
The Telegraph is an Indian daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Kolkata since 1982. It is published by the ABP Group and the newspaper vies with the Times of India for the position of having the widest widest circulation of any newspaper in Eastern India.According to the Audit...
called Noukadubi "an enriching ride on stranger tides" and wrote "on the surface, this sexless love game may come across as tepid and tame, slow and sombre compared to the roller-coaster passion play that was Chokher Bali, but Noukadubi’s charm lies in the lingering aftertaste, the enduring pleasure in the pain".
External links
- IMDB page on Hindi version Kashmakash