Stories by Rabindranath Tagore

A beautiful compilation of wonderful stories by Rabindranath Tagore depicted aesthetically in this must watch series. Anyone interested in India or Indian culture or Indian stories will definitely love this. If you liked Parineeta you will like this. I am so glad that Netflix features this. Had such fun watching the stories we read as children. Anurag Basu has also done a great job in turning these classics into a motion series. We need to revive more of such stories. They make the world seem like a better place and i want to go back to this India.. visit India again, live in this India. This was like an adult version of Malgudi Days. Not that I can ever get too old for Malgudi Days.

So overall, the series is composed of many of Rabindranath Tagore's stories and Basu narrates them using his own style, with his own beautiful interpretations in the series, linking them in a catchy style. The stories (though not intended to be linked by Tagore), are linked to almost seem it's all a one blend of a story from India, particular Bengal in the 20s/30s Colonised India.

While shot very aesthetically and artfully, with very realistic acting by the talented actors, the amazing photography and the beautiful scenery, it's the emotions and the culture that this show exudes which make it unique. The show seems to carry a soul of its own. The show has a certain charm and character of its own, which seems to be generating from the culture it reflects.

The complexities of arranged marriage, the feeling of being in love and being stuck, the family situations in those times all make sense and very new and original to watch.

The show stresses on gender equality and presents females taking a strong role in the society. It is very impressive to see Tagore, in those days, would write about such taboo topics, some of which are still considered Taboo in the current Indian society.

One of the most talked about feature, and well worth the praise, is the music and the songs of the T. V. Series. The songs are better than many of the current Bollywood song lyrics, with these songs representing the actual emotions as expressed by the characters, sung beautifully by some A-List singers and with a catchy and beautiful music to it. The background score of the entire show is especially catchy and keeps the audience craving for more and more.

The acting by the many talented actors is beautiful. The kids in Atithi and how well they have converted their emotions is truly amazing to witness. One can easily get lost in the stories, believing them to happening in real while watching the show.

The locations and screwy Basu has chosen covers almost the entirety of Bengal, making it look so much more beautiful and mesmerizing than it actually might be. And the show not just limits itself to the Zamindars or the Calcutta scenery, but extends on to Bengal Hill-stations up north, small mud houses, march villages.

Some of my remembered and favorite stories from this show will be (in no order of preference) Chokher Bail, Atithi, Maan Bhajan Girbala, Kabuliwala (beautifully portrayed), Punishment, Sampati, Chhooti, Mrinal Ki Chitthi. Although every story presented is unique on its own way touching upon the many shades of Grey that life is in their own way. The diversity of the shows shines through it's episodes, covering the different moods, from light to tender, from rich to poor, from the happy to the miserable.

This is a series of connected stories, the tail end of one becoming the beginning of the next. The series is in Hindi with occasional English words and phrases.

The stories seem to take place in the 1950s, that is the look and feeling conveyed. Many of the stories have extended flashbacks to earlier times. The photography is beautiful and the locales fascinating.

But it is the soulful stories that will grip you. They're deeply reflective of the culture. The complexities of arranged marriages and familial situations feel authentic and original to this Westerner's eye. Music is an integral part of many of the stories, and it's wonderfully done. Characters sing to one another, with lyrics that obliquely refer to the person they're singing to. This is especially effective when the two people are in love but are for one reason or another unable to be together.

How Americans will take to this is not easy to predict. This is not a Merchant Ivory film, that is, one targeted to American and European audiences. But the production values are just as good and if you allow yourself to go with the flow, you may find this as charming as I do.

In response to the review by ekeby, I feel there are many in America who would enjoy this series, and maybe use it as a springboard to learn more about Rabindranath Tagore and his works ... provided it is brought to their attention ... maybe a promotional banner on the Netflix home page?

The series is a delight to the senses, with an attention to detail in all aspects of production ... the camera work and the settings, the color and lighting, the props and the costumes. The musical score is an added delight. I enjoy the performances, even though I have to rely upon English subtitles - I genuinely believe what the characters say, and the emotions they display with honesty and a total lack of melodrama.

I am only into Episode 7, but I plan on seeing this series through all the way to the end. Does it faithfully transfer Tagore's writings to the television screen? That I can't say ... but I hope to correct that in the near future with a visit to the bookstores in search of English translations of those writings.

The Television, despite being a very powerful and influential media all across the globe, has always remained an unrecognized force with respect to the Indian context. Although, there has been some flickers here , a sliver of hope there , yet nothing concrete has come out over the years.

"Stories by Rabindranath Tagore" will definitely provide the much needed respite to the Indian Televiewers,with sheer class. The helmsman Anurag Basu has the adequate expertise and vision to translate and deliver the beautifully layered timeless classics of the Bard onto a media through which the larger part of the country can savor their almost unhampered glory.

The series starts with the story "Chokher Bali" about the various dilemmas of a young widow's life in the backdrop of social renaissance in a colonized Bengal. "Binodini" played by Radhika Apte to the hilt is a masterpiece indeed. The viewer will be moved by her portrayal, and the play of emotions on her almost no-makeup countenance, the shadow of a despair and melancholy in her smile, beautifully complemented by the background score based on Tagore's songs. The cast and crew specially Sumit as "Bihari" deserve special mention. The director's expertise comes in the fact that each member of the unit have outperformed themselves. The Rabindrasangeet "Amaro Porano Jaha Chai" rendered by the soulful voice of Arijit Singh steals the show.

The last scene of "Chokher Bali" connects with the story "Atithi" in signature style of Anurag Basu with the Baul Sangeet in the background and the Bolpur Station in the background would make any Bengali nostalgic. Definitely, this series shows immense promise and I am keenly looking forward to the classics Noshtonir, Charulata, Kabuliwala on the small screen. #EPICAT10