Dohon To Chokher Bali: 4 Bengali Must-Watch Films For All Women

Films are a reflection of society. Though films are mostly fictional, the culture and psychology that surrounds us serve as inspiration. While Bollywood is still lagging behind when it comes to producing more women centric films and diverse roles for women, Bengali films have been doing it for decades now.

Be it adaptations of Mahashweta Devi’s writings, Sarat Chandra’s, or Rabindranath Tagora’s, be it films directed by Aparna Sen or Satyajit Ray, Bengali films have been acing it in their portrayal of women who aren't looking for a "saviour". Instead they fight their own fights as they venture out into the world. Bengali films have consistently attempted to depict these powerful, independent women in their narratives.

Here is a curation of some films that women from all parts of the country must watch.

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Dahan

Directed by late filmmaker Rituparno Ghosh, the 1997 social drama film Dahan stars Shakuntala Barua, Abhishek Chatterjee, Indrani Halder, Subhendu Chatterjee, Rituparna Sengupta, and Suchitra Mitra. The movie is based on a short tale by Suchitra Bhattacharya of the same name. Romita, a newlywed, gets harassed by five guys on her walk home. The young female teacher Jhinuk is the only one with the guts to offer assistance.

Chokher Bali

Starring Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Raima Sen, and Prosenjit Chatterjee in lead roles alongside Lily Chakravarty, Tota Roy Chowdhury, and Swastika Mukherjee in pivotal roles, the 2003 National award winning film Chokher Bali is based on the 1903 novel by Rabindranath Tagore of the same name. Young widow Binodini resides with a woman and her son Mahendra, who had previously declined to marry her. When Binodini, Mahendra, his wife, and his friend engage in lies and infidelity, their lives are upended.

Sonata

Directed by Aparna Sen, the 2017 film stars Sen, Shabana Azmi, and Lillete Dubey in lead roles. The film takes you through an evening at one of these three friends’ homes where they, now in their 50s, come together to have wine and examine their lives. This film makes for a must-watch for every young and middle-aged woman in the world.

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Kuler Achar

The Bengali film Kuler Achar, which premiered on Hoichoi recently, is a tumultuous joyful ride that tells a story revolving around the willingness of a lady to keep her maiden surname and the comedic yet poignant complexities that revolve around the idea. The ensemble cast includes Indrani Halder, Neel Mukherjee, Madhumita Sarcar, and Vikram Chatterjee.