Stories by Rabindranath Tagore

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Stories by Rabindranath Tagore
Stories by Rabindranath Tagore.jpg
Based on Stories
by Rabindranath Tagore
Directed by
Starring Radhika Apte
Shreya Narayan
Jannat Zubair Rahmani
Bhanu Uday
Tara Alisha Berry
Sumeet Vyas
Rohan Shah
Country of originIndia
Original languageHindi
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes26
Production
Production location Mumbai
Camera setup Multi-camera
Running time60 minutes
Production companyIshana Movies
Original release
Network Epic
Release6 July 2015 (2015-07-06)

Stories by Rabindranath Tagore is a 2015 Indian Hindi-language television series which aired on the Epic channel. [1] It is directed by Anurag Basu.

Contents

Overview

Set in Bengal of the 1920s, the show is a representation of the classic short stories by the Bengali writer and Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. In his literary work, Tagore focused on relationships which were colored by human shortcomings and idiosyncrasies. More often than other fiction of Tagore's era, confident women were the protagonists of his stories, strong in their stead while cocooned in a conservative Indian society. [2] In a culture where adultery, rebellion, sorrow, and death were a taboo, Tagore’s stories were progressive and brought a shift in the mindset of traditional Indian values. [3] All the episodes are available on streaming network Epic On

Episodes

StoryEpisodesTitleBased on
11, 2, 3Chokher Bali Chokher Bali (Speck in the Eye; 1901 novella)
24AtithiAtithi (The Guest; 1895 short story)
35MaanbhanjanMaanbhanjan (Fury Appeased; 1895 short story)
46DetectiveDetective (1898 short story)
57Kabuliwala Kabuliwala (1892 short story)
68PunishmentShasti (Punishment; 1893 short story)
79, 10Nastanirh Nastanirh (The Broken Nest; 1901 novella)
811WafadaarKhokababur Pratyabartan (The Return of Khokababu; 1891 short story)
912, 13SamaptiSamapti (The Conclusion; 1893 short story)
1014ChuttiChhuti (The Homecoming; 1892–93 short story)
1115TyaagTyaag (The Renunciation; 1892 short story)
1216WaarisSampatti Samarpan (The Trust Property; 1891–92 short story)
1317, 18Two SistersDui Bon (Two Sisters; 1933 novel)
1419Mrinal ki ChitthiStrir Patra (Wife's letter; 1914 short story)
1520AparichitaAparichita (The Unknown Woman; 1916 short story)
1621KankalKankal (The Skeleton; 1892 short story)
1722The Story of a Muslim GirlMusalmanir Golpo (The Story of a Muslim Woman; 1941 short story)
1823, 24Dhai Aakhar Prem KaShesh Rokkha (Saved at Last; 1926–1929 drama)
1925MoniharaMonihara (The Lost Jewels; 1898 short story)
2026DaliaDaliya (Dalia, 1892 short story)

Cast

Background and production

The show launched on 6 July 2015 on The EPIC Channel. In ‘Stories By Rabindranath Tagore’, Anurag Basu chose to translate the stories in his own way. He handpicked different stories like Chokher Bali, Charulata, Kabuliwala, Detective, Samapti, Chutti, etc. and created a unique background score for them. The show devoted two or three episodes to each novel, while short stories were narrated in a single episode. The director chose a unique way for these stories to unfold – each story was linked with the next in an intrinsic manner and the narration was blended with translations of Tagore's songs. The show covered over 14 stories in 26 episodes, each episode duration being 60 minutes. [8] Bringing Tagore's stories to life is the acclaimed Indian film director, Anurag Basu who is renowned for his distinctive stories and visual story-telling in films. [9] Basu began his career as an assistant director in television serials. He directed television shows belonging to various genres and went on to make films that received immense audience and critical appreciation, establishing himself as a successful Indian film director. After a long hiatus from television, Basu made a comeback to television with Stories by Rabindranath Tagore. [10] [11]

The show is set in old Kolkata. Basu produced a colossal set, and also filmed on location and used authentic costumes. Basu's wife, Tani Basu, led the creative development of the show to delve deeper into cultural references and political and social manifestations. Original music score and Tagore's Bengali songs were re-created to further enhance the appeal of the show. Indian singers like Arijit Singh, Shaan and Shalmali Kholgade lent their voices for these melodious soundtracks. [12] [13] [14]

The EPIC Channel developed a marketing campaign ‘Epic at 10’ to fortify the show's time-slot. A mnemonic was established to signify the show's airing slot of 10 pm. Innovative marketing initiatives were taken to create awareness such as Twitter Alarm, Epic at 10 contest on social media, Live Twitter chats with Anurag Basu, special screenings for the media, and so on. [15]

Reception

Deccan Herald – "Basu's direction of Stories from Rabindranath Tagore is especially charming in its portrayal of the Bengali milieu of those times. From the clothes worn by the protagonists (especially the women in their puff-sleeved, lace-trimmed blouses and the saris worn the Bengali way) to the period furniture and the locales, everything is picture-perfect, as is the casual dropping of Bengali words." [1]

DNA- "What makes the serial is the lighting, so canny that it becomes both narrator and character. In an amber chiaroscuro of a bygone era it details a range of moods from the stark to the tender. Basu has achieved a fine balance between the populist and the elite." [16]

Business Standard – "While most of us have read Tagore, to see iconic stories such as Kabuliwala come to life is a different pleasure altogether. Moreover, the women in Tagore's stories are not scheming vessels of family politics. There is diversity of representation and each story is nuanced with many shades of grey. Basu has said in an interview that he was so tired of watching women on Indian TV that he jumped at the chance of adapting Tagore."

The Indian Express praised the show in the article, "Tagore's stories have a strange sense of gender equality: Anurag Basu" [17] and spoke about Anurag Basu's brilliance and the genre-defying format of the show.

Awards and nominations

CeremonyDateCategoryRecipientResult
16th Indian Television Academy Awards 13 November 2016Best Mini Series (Jury)Ishana MoviesWon [18]

See also

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References

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