Tagore’s literary works have been the inspiration of Bollywood movies time and again.
Rabindranath Tagore, the Nobel laureate from Bengal, wrote several poems, short stories, novels, and more that are still relevant today. Several Indian filmmakers, including the maestro Satyajit Ray, have adapted some of those works successfully into movies, over the years. Now, when it particularly comes to Bollywood, there have also been a few projects based on Tagore's works. The best thing is that most of these movies truly bring out the essence of the original texts. So, let’s look at seven of those Bollywood adaptations which you should check out.
The Nitin Bose-directed movie Milan is based on Tagore’s brilliant novel Noukadubi. The movie follows a young law student who, although in love with a woman, is forced into an arranged marriage. It stars Dilip Kumar, Mira Misra, Ranjana and others.
Bimal Roy’s ‘Do Bigha Zamin’, based on Tagore’s poem ‘Dui Bigha Jomi’, is widely considered one of the finest movies ever made in India. The movie stars Balraj Sahni and Nirupa Roy in the lead roles. It won numerous prestigious awards at various film festivals (including Cannes) worldwide.
‘Ghunghat’ is another adaptation, with some little changes in the storyline, of the novel ‘Noukadubi’. Directed by Ramanand Sagar, this movie has an ensemble cast including Bharat Bhushan, Pradeep Kumar, Bina Rai, and Asha Parekh among others.
Hemen Gupta’s 1961 movie Kabuliwala, starring Balraj Sahni, is based on Tagore’s iconic short story of the same name. The story has been adapted multiple times into movies in several languages. It revolves around an Afghani dry fruit seller named Rehman who befriends a little girl named Mini.
‘Dak Ghar’, directed by Zul Vellani, is an adaptation of Tagore’s play of the same name. The plot revolves around a young boy named Amal suffering from a chronic disease. It stars actors like Sachin, Mukri, AK Hangal, Sudha, and Satyen Kappu.
The Sudhendu Roy directorial movie ‘Uphaar’ is inspired by Tagore’s brilliant short story ‘Samapti’. The movie, starring Jaya Bhaduri in the lead role, was India’s official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 45th Academy Awards.
‘Lekin…’ is a unique adaptation of Rabindranath Tagore's 1895 short story ‘Kshudhit Pashaan’. Directed by Gulzar, it revolves around a young government officer, Sameer Niyogi, who falls in love with a beautiful but mysterious woman. The ensemble cast includes Vinod Khanna, Dimple Kapadia, and Amjad Khan.
The list also includes movies like Geet Gaata Chal, Char Adhyay, and Bioscopewala.
