''Chaturanga'' () is a 2008 Indian Bengali-language film directed by Suman Mukherjee, starring Rituparna Sengupta, Dhritiman Chaterji, Subrata Dutta,

Joy Sengupta Joy Sengupta is an Indian film and stage actor works Bollywood cinema and Bengali cinema as well as theatre. He is best known for his debut feature, '' Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa'' (1998) directed by Govind Nihalani. Sengupta was born in Kolkat ...

and Kabir Suman. Based on the 1916 novel, ''

Chaturanga Chaturanga (, , ) is an Traditional games of India, ancient Indian Strategy game, strategy board game. It is first known from India around the seventh century AD. While there is some uncertainty, the prevailing view among chess historians is t ...

'', by author

Rabindranath Tagore Rabindranath Thakur (; anglicised as Rabindranath Tagore ; 7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941) was a Bengalis, Bengali polymath who worked as a poet, writer, playwright, composer, philosopher, social reformer, and painter of the Bengal Renai ...

the film is about a love caught between conflicting worlds of ideas.

Plot

Set in Colonial Bengal at the turn of the twentieth century, the film weaves a rich tapestry of crisscrossing desires and moralities. The protagonist Sachish fleets from radical positivism to religious mysticism in his quest for life's meaning. However, his search ultimately yields nothing but crushing disillusionment. This is because he cannot square his abstract ideals with the powerful presences of two women in his life. One of them is Damini, a young Hindu widow, and the other is Nanibala, the abandoned mistress of Sachish's own brother. Sachish tries to convince himself that Nanibala is simply a helpless woman who needs to be 'rescued' by him. Similarly, during his later religious phase, he pretends that the widow Damini is merely an enticement of Nature that must be avoided at all costs for spiritual salvation. Chaturanga thus becomes, after a point, a psychodrama of cruelty. Nanibala becomes a victim of it because as a 'fallen woman' she can only be 'saved', but her humanity cannot be recognized. Damini is first given away by her dying husband, along with all her property, to a religious guru. She then falls in love with Sachish who can accept her only without her sexuality.

Cast

* Dhritiman Chaterji ... Uncle * Rituparna Sengupta ... Damini *

Subrat Dutta Subrata Dutta (born 16 November 1975) is an actor who appears in Indian films. He is best known for his role in Bollywood films like Talaash: The Answer Lies Within, ''Talaash'', ''Tango Charlie'', Zameen (2003 film), ''Zameen'', ''The Shaukeen ...

... Shachish *

... Shribilash * Kabir Suman ... Lilananda * Trina Nileena Banerjee ... Nanibala

Music

The songs, especially those from the Vaishnav tradition, are erotic. The divine is expressed in them through allegorical depictions of the illicit love between

Krishna Krishna (; Sanskrit language, Sanskrit: कृष्ण, ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme God (Hinduism), Supreme God in his own right. He is the god of protection, c ...

and

Radha Radha (, ), also called Radhika, is a Hindu goddess and the chief consort of the god Krishna. She is the goddess of love, tenderness, compassion, and devotion. In scriptures, Radha is mentioned as the avatar of Lakshmi and also as the Prak� ...

, who was actually his aunt. There is a radical side to this blend of eroticism and divinity. Radha's love for Krishna is beyond all social norms. It is directly expressed, without the priest or the

Brahmin Brahmin (; ) is a ''Varna (Hinduism), varna'' (theoretical social classes) within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the ''Kshatriya'' (rulers and warriors), ''Vaishya'' (traders, merchants, and farmers), and ''Shudra'' (labourers). Th ...

caste coming in between. When devotees sing and rejoice in that form of love, it is thus a popular and democratic process that defies caste divisions. # "Allah Ke Nur—Shafqat" — Amaanat Ali & Chorus #"Din Thakte Tiner Sadhan" — Kartick Das Baul #"Bhajo Patito Udhadharana"— Arijit Chakraborty & Chorus #"Hara Gauri Prananath" — Dohar #"Esraj" — Instrumental #"Hari Haraye Nama" — Monomoy Chakraborty & Chorus #"Jagohu Brishobhanu" — Sri Bani Kumar Chatterjee & Chorus #"Hese Khele Nao Re Jogu" — Neel Mukherjee & Chorus #"Rupo Lagi Aankhi Jhure" — Raghab Chatterjee #"Joy Radhe Radhe" — Arijit Chakraborty & Chorus #"Moula Tere Bina" — Shafqat Amaanat Ali & Chorus #"Nirodo Nayane" — Santa Das #"Background Music" — Instrumental #"Praner Majhe Sudha (Hum)" — Parama Banerjee #"Radha Madhabo" — Kabir Suman & Chorus #"Aalo Je Amar Gaan Kore" — Parama Banerjee

References

External links

*
Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chaturanga (Film) 2008 films 2000s Bengali-language films Bengali-language Indian films Films directed by Suman Mukhopadhyay Films based on works by Rabindranath Tagore Memorials to Rabindranath Tagore Films scored by Debojyoti Mishra