RAI-SON D'ETRE (THE ESSENCE OF EXISTENCE) - CHOKER BALI AND RABINDRANATH TAGORE

 

Rai-Son  d’etre   (the essence of existence)  -   Choker Bali  and  Rabindranath  Tagore

The French phrase ‘raison d’etre’ means the most important reason or purpose for someone’s existence. The Nobel Laureate famous Indian writer, and poet Rabindranath Tagore’s novel ‘Binodini’ aka 'Choker Bali' is now a successful motion picture (2003). No creation is better than the creator himself. Though it may be true in many aspects Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s portrayal of Binodini a sensuous, moderately educated, and scheming widow with her intimate and passionate emotions deserves high accolades. Choker Bali is a Bengali pet name that means “Sand in the Eye” or “An Eyesore”. Aishwarya Rai is not an eyesore but the internationally acclaimed celebrity actor and Miss World pageant winner, an intelligent person and the truly admirable epitome of beauty and a revered persona tip-toeing the Cannes Film Festival of France is sharing her birthplace within 352 km and less than 6 hours travel from this writer’s home town.

“The highest education is that which does not merely give us information but makes our life in harmony with all existence”. - Rabindranath Tagore.


Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) was the first Asian poet to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913 for his groundbreaking work “Gitanjali”. Rabindranath Tagore wrote the Indian National Anthem “Jana Gana Mana”.

 

Rabindranath Tagore was a Bengali poet, philosopher, artist, playwright, composer, and novelist of the 19th and early 20th centuries. He was the first Nobel Prize winner of India.


“Everything comes to us that belongs to us if we create the capacity to receive it.” - Rabindranath Tagore.

 

 

 

Tagore studied in one of the London university colleges for his barrister degree. Tagore married in 1883 to Mrinalini Devi and had five children. He traveled by barges along the Padma River’s sandy estuaries where he observed and was inspired by the pastoral life working in the paddy fields, the fishermen with their nets, visiting school children, and attending the feasts in his honor.

 

 

The “Shantiniketan”, the first open-air university in India was founded by the poet’s father Maharishi Devendranath Tagore in 1862. The Shantiniketan is 212 km north of Calcutta or present-day “Kolkotta”, the city of joy. In 1901, Rabindranath Tagore started a school at Shantiniketan named Brahmachari Ashram that was modeled on the lines of the ancient ‘Gurukul’ system that later came to be known as Patha Bhavan, the school of his ideals, with the central premise that learning in a natural environment would be more enjoyable and fruitful. The Vishwabharati Society was established in 1921. Tagore envisioned a center of learning with the best of both the East and the West. The school was expanded into a University and was named Vishva-Bharati which was defined by Tagore as “where the world makes home in a nest”. That was the inception of the first-ever open-air university in India. When Rabindranath Tagore won the Nobel Prize in 1913, it not only enhanced the pride of India but also the prestige of Shantiniketan.

 

The other institutions of Shantiniketan are –

· Vidhya Bhavana - the Institute of Humanities
· Shiksha Bhavana – the Institute of Science
· Sangeet Bhavana- the Institute of Dance, Drama, and Music
· Vinaya Bhavana – the Institute of Education
· Rabindra Bhavana – the Institute of Tagore Studies and Research
· Palli Samghathana Vibhaga – the Institute of Rural Reconstruction and
· Palli Shiksha Bhavana - the Institute of Agriculture.


The Shantiniketan is also home to Amartya Sen, the 1998 Nobel Prize Winner in Economics.

 

 

The Shantiniketan is adorned by splendid sculptures, frescoes, murals, and paintings of Rabindranath, Nandalal Bose, Ramkinkar, Binod Bhari Mukhopadhaya, and others. Shantiniketan is also famous for its fairs and festivals such as –

· Poush Mela (December)
· Joydev Mela (January)
· Basanta Utsav (March)

and the famous Mystic Baul Singers.

Rabindranath Tagore and his father once set out on a mission to reach Dalhousie in the Himalayas. In mid-April, they reached the station, and at 2300 meters (7546 feet) they settled into a house that sat atop Bakrota Hill. Rabindranath Tagore was taken aback by the region’s deep green gorges, alpine forests, and mossy streams and waterfalls. They stayed there for months and adopted a regime of study and privation that included daily twilight baths in icy water.

Tagore has traveled to thirty countries in five continents. He lectured in Japan, North and South America, Europe and Mexico. In 1927 he visited Bali, Java, Kaula Lumpur, Malacca, Penang, Siam, and Singapore.


“Love does not claim possession but gives freedom” – A famous quote by Rabindranath Tagore.


Tagore repudiated his knighthood to protest against the Jalianwala Bagh Massacre.

 

The major works of Rabindranath Tagore –

Gitanjali is a collection of Mystical and Devotional Songs.
Gora (Fair faced).
Jana-Gana-Mana (Though Art the Ruler of All Minds) – Indian National Anthem.
Amar Sonar Bangla (My Golden Bangla) – Bangladesh National Anthem.
Nirjharer Swapnabhanga (The Fountain awakened from its Dream}.
Manasi (The Ideal One).
Sonar Tari (The Golden Boat).
Chitra ( A Play in One Act).
Choker Bali (Sand in the eye).

His famous  Novels –

·         Ghare Baire  (The Home and the World)

·         Shesher Kobita

·         Chaturanga

·         Char Odhay

·         Nauka Dubi.

 

Most of his works are made into successful motion pictures. 

 

Rabindra Sangeeth is a collection of songs and poetry by Rabindranath Tagore.

 

Known mostly for his poetry, Rabindranath Tagore wrote novels, essays, short stories, dramas, thousands of songs and biography. His works are frequently noted for their rhythmic, optimistic and lyrical nature.

 

There are coins and postage stamps depicting Rabindranath Tagore in India.  Many institutions are named after him.

                                    

 

To mark the 150^th Birth Anniversary of Nobel Laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore, the Government of India has instituted an Award of Rs. 1 crore as its prize money in his memory for those who promote universal brotherhood. 

                            

                              “I shall rush from peak to peak,

                                I shall sweep from mount to mount,

                               With peals of laughter and songs of murmur

                                I shall clap to tune and rhythm.”     

                                     -                Rabindranath Tagore.

 

The other works of Tagore are Smaran (In Memorium), Katha O Kahini, Naivedya, Kheya, Raja, Dak-Ghar, The Crescent Moon, Git Malya, Songs of Kabir, Stray Birds, Sadhana – The Realisation of Life, Balaka – The Flight of Cranes, Fruit-Gathering, The Fugitive and Gardener etc. 

 

Plato, Dante, Cervantes, Goethe and Tolstoy was the literary luminaries of Rabindranath Tagore’s life and time.

 

The Tagores were a progressive family. Their home is a hub for social and cultural activities. They hosted theatrical and musical performances in their mansion. Many of Tagore’s children became respected authors, poets, musicians, and civil servants.

Rabindranath Tagore in his lifetime has come in contact with - Albert Einstein, Robert Frost, Thomas Mann, H.G. Wells, George Bernard Shaw, and Mahatma Gandhi.


“Love is an endless mystery
for it has nothing else to explain it.” - Rabindranath Tagore.



Tagore merits extensive pages of writings about his life and time, his works, and his achievements.

  

Rabindranath Tagore died in 1941 at the family estate Jorasanko where he was born.


Rabindranath Tagore worked towards the emancipation of women and his work Choker Bali is oriented towards widow remarriage. Tagore has witnessed the renaissance period of Bengal in the early twentieth century.

 

 

In one of the advertisements featuring Rabindranath Tagore says “I know of no foreign soaps better than Godrej’s Soap and I will make a point to use Godrej’s soap”. The ad is all the more relevant due to the writer’s linkage to Godrej Soaps.

 

CHOKER BALI  -  The Passion  Play

Choker Bali was titled “The Passion Play” for the English audience. 

 

SYNOPSIS  -

Choker Bali is the story of Binodini, who becomes a widow after her husband’s death a year after their marriage. Later she becomes a part of an affluent Bengali family. The son of the family Mahendra (Prosenjit), was a would-be Doctor and a hedonist. A super brat from a wealthy family who thinks he can get away with anything with his influential family’s clout. Mahendra was married to Ashalata (Raima Sen) a beautiful, shy, uneducated, and innocent girl. They have a visitor Behari (Tota Raychoudhuri) the childhood pal of Mahendra, and another would be a Doctor with arresting good looks. He is shown throughout the film in and out of Mahendra’s family. The head of the family is Mahendra’s mother Rajlakshmi (Lily Chakrabarti) who is overprotective of her son and his life. Mahendra initially engulfed in the love of his wife soon discovers that their wedded life has run out of steam. He developed a passion for Binodini (Aishwarya Rai) who is a convent-educated girl and speaks English. Mahendra finds her more worthy in marriage and gets sexually attracted towards her. Binodini is assisting his mother and do the household chorus. Mahendra’s advances towards Binodini end up in consummate of their passion. Both meet privately and take a chance to enjoy sex. Binodini also befriends Ashalata and shares the pet name Choker Bali with her. Binodini struggles to free herself from the oppression of widowhood wanting to become the wife of bachelor friend Behari and request him to marry her. Turned down by Behari she writes a letter to him and leaves for a pilgrimage destination Varanasi. The foursome reaches Varanasi. By the time Mahendra mends his ways and offers to marry her Binodini turns him down and makes him promise that he will take her to his friend Behari with whom Binodini wants to tie the nuptial knot. The friend agrees to marry Binodini but on that fateful day, Binodini disappears leaving a note to Ashalata.

 

The film depicts adultery, deception, deceit, and desire.


Ancient India had practiced “Sati” – a widow would jump into the funeral pyre of her husband and kill herself pretentious to preserve her purity. The Choker Bali is a move towards ending widow oppression and encouraging widow remarriage thus giving her a joyful existence even after her husband’s death.

 

The film is directed by Rituparno Ghosh whose Hindi film Raincoat also starring Aishwarya Rai fascinated me as well. Choker Bali won the National Award for the best Bengali film, best art direction, and best costume design. The film also won many other prestigious international film awards. Rituparno Gosh’s other Hindi film Parineeta was a super duper hit. Kashmakash, Hirer Angti, Unishe April, Dahan, Ashuk, Baariwali, Utsab, Titli, and Shubmuhurat are some of his other films.


Choker Bali is a visual delight. Rituparno Ghosh’s fine storytelling, eye for detail, and research transcend the bounds of a period to make universal sentiments and create an aura for that time.

 

Rituparno’s films are women-oriented because he empathizes with the gender. His forte is his ability to read and portray the unwritten nuances of difficult relationships and highlight the unique combination of strength and vulnerability the women have. Choker Bali was a challenge even for Rituparno Ghosh, the adventure of breathing life into a story written a century ago and giving it modern relevance.

 

The Bengali’s contribution to the cinema, art, and literature of Indian panorama is priceless.