NFDC to bring out DVD set of films based on Tagore’s stories

To mark the 150th birth anniversary of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore on May 7,National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) released a commemorative collection of six DVDs,titled Tagore Stories on Film. The project was commissioned by Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

The set comprises five films based on Tagore’s stories,plus two documentaries on the late poet’s life. It consists of 1960’s National Award winning Bengali film based on Tagore’s story Khudito Pashan (Hungry Stones),by Tapan Sinha,and the 1961 Bengali film Teen Kanya,directed by the legendary Satyajit Ray,which is based on three stories by Tagore — The Post Master,Monihara and Samapti. The other movies are the 1961 Hindi film,Kabuliwala,directed by Hemen Gupta and featuring Balraj Sahni. Ghare Bhaire (Home and the World) (1984) by Satyajit Ray,which had received nomination at Cannes Film Festival for Golden Palm,too is a part of the collection.

The fifth film is Kumar Shahani’s 1997 movie,Char Adhyay. The documentary Natir Puja is a compilation of the available footage of a silent film that was directed by Rabindranath Tagore himself.

This was the only film where Tagore was directly involved in the production. Shot over four days on the occasion of his 70th birthday,the movie features Tagore himself in an important role. The second documentary is the one made by Satyajit Ray,in 1961,to celebrate Tagore’s Birth centenary.