MAFTP Sem 1
In Rituparno Ghosh’s cinema, the spirit of Bengal breathes deeply. & Dura Puja—the most emotionally resonant and culturally significant festival in Bengal—features prominently in several of his works, serving as a narrative, a visual motif or a symbolic framework. Through the lens of this festival, Ghosh explores themes of femininity, identity, family dynamics and emotional rupture—often aligning the Goddess Durga’s mythic journey with the inner transformations of his characters. An endeavor has been taken in this piece of writing on the depiction of Durga Puja in Rituparno Ghosh’s films, highlighting its thematic and symbolic significance.
Here is the list of 4 Rituparno Ghosh’s films where
Durga Puja features explicitly or thematically:
1) Asukh
(1999)
2) Bariwali
(2000)
3) Utsav
(2000)
4) Chokher
Bali (2003)
I’ve highlighted these 4 films because they depict the
Durga Puja either directly or indirectly, serving as a cultural or symbolic
presence in the narrative. Through these works, Rituparno Ghosh uses the
festival not merely as a setting, but as a lens to explore deeper themes of
womanhood, identity, familiar conflict and emotional transformation.
Asukh
In the year 1999, the film Asukh (The Illness) directed by Rituparno Ghosh was released. Asukh focuses on the troubled relationship between a father Sudhamoy (played by Soumitra Chatterjee), a retired man with strong traditional values and his daughter Rohini (played by Debasree Roy), a successful film actress. It got the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Bengali.
The
film tells the emotional story of a troubled family, seen through the
perspective of a daughter who takes care of others while dealing with her own
hurt. Durga Puja doesn’t play a central narrative role in Asukh, like it
is in film Utsav, but it still plays an important role as a cultural and
symbolic background. The story takes place during Durga Puja, which is shown in
subtle ways through decorations, crowds, glimpses of the festival in the
background. The setting highlights the contrast between the joyful celebrations
of outer world and emotional pain inside the family — a theme often seen in
Ghosh’s films. While the city enjoys the Durga Puja festivities, Sudhamoy and
Rohini are stuck in silence, suspicion, and pain because Rohini’s mother is in
the hospital. The contrast makes the film more emotional— the Goddess returns
home, but in this family, the mother is in the hospital and their relationship
become cold.
Rohini is like the quiet symbol of Durga. Although she
is in her parents’ house, she is not welcomed or celebrated but instead judged
and doubted by her father. It is quietly suggested that Rohini represents a
modern Durga — strong, misunderstood, and emotionally deep — trying to live in
a world that still judges her through a patriarchal lens. Even without showing
Puja rituals or celebrations, Ghosh uses the festival’s feelings and cultural
meaning as an unseen background for the film’s deeper conflicts.
In Asukh, Durga Puja is never the main focus.
However, it’s a strong example of how Rituparno Ghosh includes the festival not
just as a background, but as part of the feelings and emotions of his
characters.
Bariwali
Bariwali (The Lady of the House) released in 2000. This film tells the story of Banalata (played by Kirron Kher), a lonely, middle-aged woman who lives alone in a large ancestral mansion in a small town. Her life is quiet and monotonous until a film crew arrives to shoot a movie in her house. She is fascinated by the glamorous world of cinema, especially by the attention she receives from the director and actors.
Durga
Puja is not the central theme of the film Bariwali. It shows up a
cultural background that strongly contrasts with the main character’s feelings.
The film takes place during Durga Puja which shown through street scenes,
decorations, and the festive mood around Banalata’s house. But Banolata stays
apart from the celebrations both physically and emotionally. Durga Puja is a
time when the goddess comes home and is celebrated, symbolizing coming back,
togetherness, and new beginnings. For Banalata, the festival shows how distant
she feels from her family and community, making her home feel more like a
prison than a safe place. The festival’s themes of female strength and
empowerment are ironically contrasted with Banalata’s passivity and emotional
confinement.
In Bariwali, Durga Puja is less part of the
story and more a symbolic background. Durga Puja in this film is a silent
presence — a joyful community celebrations that highlights the main character’s
loneliness and feeling of being unseen. Rituparno Ghosh uses the festival not
as a spectacle, but as a counterpoint to explore the feelings of a woman torn
between traditions, desire and loneliness.
Utsav
In 2000, Rituparno Ghosh released another film titled Utsav
(The Festivals). Utsav set is completely during Durga Puja, in the
ancestral house of a Bengali joint family. The story focuses on the family’s
relationships, problems, feelings as they reunite for festivals. What looks
like a happy celebration becomes a time when old tensions, grudges, and
personal problems among the family come out. Amid the colorful rituals and
festivities, the family’s problems become clear, showing the complicated
balance between tradition, responsibilities, and personal wishes. This film Utsab
(2000) received several prestigious awards, underscoring its critical acclaim
and Ghosh's directorial prowess. Among them the most important is National Film
Award for Best Direction in 2001.
The
whole film is built around the five days of Durga Puja, with each day revealing
more about the family’s story. Puja rituals like Bodhon (invocation),
pushpanjali (flower offering) and sandhi puja are shown in detail, grounding
the story firmly in Bengali culture. The bright colors, music, prayers, and
crowds of the festival stand in strong contrast to the characters’ inner
struggles. The festival honors Durga as a symbol of women’s strength, kindness
and protection. This symbolism reflects the lives if the women in the film who
show quiet strength, patience and sacrifice while dealing with family problems
and male-dominated society. The Goddess represents the women’s strength — their
ability to endure pain, protect their family’s reputation and keep hope alive. Several
women in the family—mothers, daughters, daughters-in-law—are shown performing
rituals with quiet dignity while carrying their own emotional pain.
Utsav shows how the festival brings the family together, but also
reveals the restrictions and problems of tradition. The film uses strong visual
symbols: the red and white colors of Durga Puja, the fire from incense and
lamps, and the idol’s immersion at the end all represent cycles of ending and
new beginnings. The goddess’s leaving shows not just the end of the festival
but also how family peace and social rules are temporary.
In
Utsav, Durga Puja is not just as a backdrop but a living, breathing
presence that shapes the narrative and emotional texture of the film. This film
is maybe Rituparno Ghosh’s most explicit and profound cinematic meditation on
Durga Puja — using the festival as a rich symbol to explore family, gender,
traditions and emotions. The film shows how the cultural rituals can be both
beautiful and heavy, presenting Durga Puja as a source of strength and a
reflection of a human weakness.
Chokher
Bali
Chokher Bali
(Sand in the Eye) released in 2003 is widely regarded as one of his
masterpieces. It is based on the Rabindranath Tagore’s novel of the same name. The
film explores the social, religious, and moral constraints imposed on widowed
women in early 20th-century Bengal. The film also portrays emotional and sexual
desires, jealousy—particularly between Binodini and Ashalata over Mahendra—and
the betrayal of trust. These conflicts are nuanced rather than black and white,
revealing characters who are complex and flawed.
There’s no strong evidence that Durga Puja is directly shown or forms a major backdrop in Rituparno Ghosh’s Chokher Bali. However, Durga Puja elements, such as Sindur-Khela—the ritual where married women smear vermilion on each other on the festival’s last day—are referenced in discussions of Chokher Bali mainly to highlight gender customs and traditions. However, since Binodini is a widow, she is excluded from participating in these rituals. This exclusion underscores her marginalization and isolation within society, emphasizing the social and religious restrictions imposed on widowed women. Such themes resonate deeply within the broader context of feminism in India, as the film critiques patriarchal norms that limit women’s roles and freedoms. The Puja scenes underscore how strict customs govern women’s behavior, especially widows like Binodini. Widows are often excluded from rituals or restricted in participation. This highlights the theme of social ostracism. Binodini’s presence during Puja, despite her marginalized status, subtly evokes themes of feminine agency and resistance, even within constraints.
In Chokher Bali Rituparno Ghosh Don’t show Durga puja in details or as a central event. Ghosh uses Durga Puja not just as a cultural event but as a rich symbol—highlighting themes of tradition, exclusion (especially of widows), gender norms, and feminine strength. The film visually contrasts the public celebration and the private emotional struggles of characters, especially Binodini.
In Rituparno Ghosh’s films—Ashukh, Bariwali, Utsav, and Chokher Bali—Durga Puja is more than a festival; it is a powerful symbol of tradition, identity, and inner conflict. Through richly textured rituals and celebrations, Ghosh reveals how the festival reflects both societal constraints and the personal struggles of his characters, especially women. Durga Puja becomes a stage where cultural grandeur meets intimate human emotions, highlighting the delicate balance between collective belonging and individual freedom.
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