Originally published in 1910, Rabindranath Tagore’s Gitanjali has risen to a cult status and continues to be one of the most well known works of Bengali literature. A documentary film featuring Gitanjali will be premiered tomorrow at the auditorium of the National Museum at 6:30pm.
The documentary titled Timeless Gitanjali has been directed by Dr. Chanchal Khan, who is an eminent Tagore exponent and researcher.
The documentary is sponsored by the India- Bangladesh Foundation and Bangladesh Secretariat.
The 50 minute long English film traces the history of Gitanjali from its original publication in 1910, leading to its translation and transformation into its English version, the turn of events that led Rabindranath Tagore to win the Nobel prize, and its relevance in today’s world. The original Bengali collection of Gitanjali consisted of 157 poems, whereas Song Offerings, which is the English version of the anthology consists of 103 poems.
A number of eminent Tagore researchers, artistes and academics including Professor Dr Anisuzzaman, Dr Hayat Mahmud, Professor Shamsuzzaman Khan, Dr Karunamaya Goswami, Chitralekha Choudhury and Ranjan Bandopadhyay, and others have been interviewed for the documentary.
The documentary was shot in London, Shantiniketan in Kolkata and in parts of Bangladesh over the last one year. Each of these places carries significant historical perspectives about Gitanjali. The documentary also features songs, and recitations from Gitanjali.
A H Mahmood Ali, the country’s foreign minister, will be the chief guest at the premiere of the film. The high commissioner of India in Bangladesh Pankaj Saran will be present as a special guest on the occasion.
About the documentary film, director Dr. Chanchal Khan said that the uniting factor of Gitanjali remains Shantiniketan in West Bengal and Shilaidaha in Bangladesh.
‘The creation of a significant amount of work contained in Gitanjali was initiated in Shantiniketan, while the beginning of translation of his works in English took place in Shilaidaha. These historical facts demand documentation in a visual medium for future learners, and people of all ages’, the director added.
-With New Age input
