'Charulata' directed by Satyajit Ray is his favourite among all the films he directed. It is based on a short story by Tagore. It is a tale of awakening, love, fidelity, self awareness in 1879 India. The plot is quite simple. Charu is a typical wealthy wife who does not have anything meaningful to do in her life. Her husband, Bhupati is alwasy busy & never has time for her. In comes the dynamic Amal, who is Bhupati's cousin & exactly opposite of him. A strong friendship grows between him & Charu through their common interest in literature. However while being with Amal, Charu realizes for the first time what love is. She is drawn towarss Amal. But Amal never responds to her. He infact reacts by leaving the house to avoid any complacency in his cousin's marital life. However Bhupati after being betrayd ny his manager sells off his newspaper. He promises Charu a new beginning infront of the roaring sea. However, when Charu learned that Amal will get married, she cried like mad. Bhupati realizes for the first time what had been going on between Amal & Charu. This film truly showcases Ray's talent properly. He handled it so delicately. The human emotions are portrayed with utmost sincerity. All in all a must watch for the true movie lovers.
October 29,2007