New York Indian Film Festival 2011

Noukadubi
Directed by Rituparno Ghosh
India, 2011, Bengali (with English subtitles), US Premiere

Cast - Raima Sen, Riya Sen, Jishu Sengupta, Priyanshu Chatterjee
Synopsis: Noukadubi is a period film set in the 1920s, based on a novel by Rabindranath Tagore.

A tender romance blossoming in Kolkata between law student Ramesh and his friend’s sister Hemnalini, is nipped suddenly when his father sends an urgent and mysterious summons from his village home. There, the dutiful son is peremptorily ordered to marry Susheela, daughter of a hapless widow. Ramesh refuses, confesses that his heart belongs to another, but finally relents. Hem knows nothing of all this and waits, confident that Ramseh will return soon.

After the wedding Ramesh sets out with his bride on a river boat journey back to Kolkata. On the way a fierce storm arises and the boat capsizes in the churning waters. When Ramesh gains conscience he sees his bride. There is no one else in sight, alive or dead. The two move off, take a train to Kolkata, the bride wondering why they were not going to Kashi, but trusting his judgment implicitly.

In Kolkata Ramesh realized the mistake he made - having brought with him another woman, Kamla and not his wife Shusheela. Will Ramesh reconnect with his first love, search for Kamla's or follow his responsbilities as a huband to Kamla?

Noukadubi raises questions of head and heart and the validity or otherwise of social conventions. We are left wondering whether true love will finally triumph.

Director Bio:
Rituparno Ghosh is a Bengali film director. He has won 8 National Film Awards in India and several awards at international film festivals abroad. He is one of the most promising film makers of recent times. Ghosh was born and raised in Kolkata; attended South Point High School and graduated with Economics major from Jadavpur University. His father Sunil Ghosh was a painter and DOCUMENTARIES film maker. He grew up in an environment of film making. Started his career in advertisement films and shifted to feature film later. Ghosh's first film was 'Hirer Aangti', a film for children. His second film 'Unishe received National Award and brought him into the limelight. Since then Rituparno has made many movies in Bengali and Hindi and still on the making. Some of Ghosh’s most popular films include Dahan, Utsab, Chokher Bali, Asukh, Bariwali, Antarmahal and Raincoat to name a few.