Charulata (1964): Cast & Plot
Charulata is a 1964 romantic drama directed by Satyajit Ray, starring Madhabi Mukherjee as Charulata, Soumitra Chatterjee and Shailen Mukherjee. It is based on The Broken Nest by Rabindranath Tagore and Arunava Sinha. It runs 1 hour 57 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 57m (117 min)
- Director
- Satyajit Ray
- Original language
- Bengali
- Studio
- R.D. Bansal & Co.
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Charulata About?
The premise of Charulata without spoilers, adapted from The Broken Nest by Rabindranath Tagore and Arunava Sinha. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Set in 1870s India, Charulata is an isolated, artistically inclined woman who rarely sees her busy journalist husband, Bhupati. Concerned for her unhappiness, Bhupati invites his cousin Amal—a budding poet—to spend time with Charulata and encourage her creativity. Amal and Charulata quickly connect through their shared love of art, deepening her emotional world.
Charulata Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- character name as title
- forename as title
- india
- 1870s
- bored housewife
- year 1879
- newspaper editor
- reference to god save the queen
- arm wrestling
- indian literature
- view through binoculars
- garden
+38 more Show fewer
- colonial india
- upper class
- cheating wife
- neglected wife
- disillusionment
- female protagonist
- existential poetry
- male female relationship
- unhappiness
- existential loneliness
- female body
- anti hero
- sensuality
- existential crisis
- wife
- love
- snorricam
- newspaper
- literature
- loneliness
- poetry
- kaleidoscope image
- kaleidoscope
- swinging
- infidelity
- singing
- playing piano
- piano playing
- reading a book
- playing cards
- embroidery
- social reform
- independence
- golden cage
- betrayal
- husband wife relationship
- adultery
- based on novel
Charulata Cast & Characters
Madhabi Mukherjee leads the cast as Charulata, with Soumitra Chatterjee as Amal and Shailen Mukherjee as Bhupati Dutta. Directed by Satyajit Ray; 18 actors are credited in all.
- Director Satyajit Ray
- Madhabi Mukherjee as Charulata
- Soumitra Chatterjee as Amal
- Shailen Mukherjee as Bhupati Dutta
- Shyamal Ghoshal as Umapada
Also Starring in Charulata
· 14 more- Gitali Roy Mandakini (Manda)
- Suku Mukherjee Nisikanta
- Kamu Mukherjee Fellow Liberal at the Party
- Bankim Ghosh Jagannath
- Subrata Sensharma Motilal
- Nilotpal Dey Joydeb
- Dilip Bose Shashanka
- Bholanath Koyal Braja
- Ajit Gupta
- Prabhat Sarkar
- Gopaldas Bhattacharya
- Tarapada Basu
- Sunilkanta Dasgupta
- Ramesh Chandra Chandra
More from Satyajit Ray
More films directed by Satyajit Ray: The Stranger, The Branches of the Tree, An Enemy of the People and Sukumar Ray.
Charulata Plot Summary
What happens in Charulata from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
In Calcutta in 1879, during a period of intense cultural and political awakening that many associate with the Bengali Renaissance under British rule, Charulata, Madhabi Mukherjee is the bright, imaginative wife of Bhupati Dutta, Shailen Mukherjee a refined yet workmanlike editor who runs a small political newspaper from their comfortable, well-serviced home. Although Bhupati loves Charu, his attention is consumed by politics and the freedom movement, which leaves Charu feeling isolated amid the warmth of their household and the routines of domestic life. The tension between public duty and private fulfillment sits at the heart of their relationship, shaping Charu’s world as she contemplates her own voice.
Full summary
The whole story of Charulata, scene by scene
Charulata Trailers & Videos
The trailer of Charulata.
How Well Do You Know Charulata?
9 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 9
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
Who plays the role of Charulata in the film?
Charulata Also Known As
15 alternative titles, including “The Lonely Wife” and “Den ensomme hustru”.
- Also known as
-
- The Lonely Wife
- Den ensomme hustru
- 차룰라타
- Chaarulata
- 외로운 아내
- La Moglie Sola
- 孤独的妻子
- Csaruláta
- La esposa solitaria
- Чарулота
- A Esposa Solitária
- Η Μοναχική Σύζυγος
+3 more Show fewer
- Osamělá žena
- Charulata - Die einsame Frau
- 孤獨的妻子
Seen Charulata?
Movies Like Charulata
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Char Adhyay, Anuradha and Sujata.
Charulata FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date
Runtime, release date, director, cast, the book behind it, post-credit scenes and language of Charulata, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Charulata?
Charulata runs 1 hour 57 minutes (117 minutes).
When was Charulata released?
Charulata was released on April 17, 1964.
Who directed Charulata?
Charulata was directed by Satyajit Ray.
More films by Satyajit Ray Who is in the cast of Charulata?
Charulata stars Madhabi Mukherjee as Charulata, Soumitra Chatterjee as Amal and Shailen Mukherjee as Bhupati Dutta, among 18 credited actors.
Is Charulata based on a book?
Yes. Charulata is adapted from The Broken Nest by Rabindranath Tagore and Arunava Sinha.
Does Charulata have a post-credit scene?
No. Charulata has no extra scene during or after the credits.
What language is Charulata in?
The original language of Charulata is Bengali.
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