One of Satyajit Ray’s most widely celebrated films, Charulata is an exquisite portrait of a woman’s self-reckoning. Married to a kind, well-to-do husband who spends his time managing his liberal-leaning newspaper in pre-independence India, Charulata (Madhabi Mukherjee) whiles away lonely hours with her books and magazines in their elegantly appointed home until her husband’s cousin, Amal (Soumitra Chatterjee), comes to stay with them. Amal’s inspiring affinities in poetry and music awaken Charulata in ways both empowering and momentous, converging with the quiet storms that soon take place within and outside their home.

Based on Rabindranath Tagore’s 1901 novella Nastanirh (‘The Broken Nest’), the film’s heroine stands in for Ray and his much-acclaimed observations of human nature, captured in all their subtleties, contradictions, and melancholy. Exemplifying Ray’s all-encompassing talents as filmmaker, the film features Ray’s adaptation of the novella, his extensive research into late-19th century India, his originally composed soundtrack, and a minimalist film poster of his own design.

Charulata is the tenth film shot by Subrata Mitra, Ray’s cinematographer, whose inventive and intuitive use of bounce lighting creates a rich visual environment, delicately laying bare the interior worlds of its characters and rendering them whole. An admirer of Satyajit Ray’s films, T’ang Shushuen later invited Mitra as the cinematographer for her debut feature, The Arch (1968). Even with his diminished eyesight at the time, Mitra’s masterful lensing of interiors—shot at Wing Wah Studios in Kowloon—thoughtfully captured Lisa Lu’s internal turmoil in yet another journey of female self-discovery.

Satyajit Ray (1921–1992, India) was a Bengali director, writer, composer, and graphic designer, and one of the most influential and important filmmakers in the history of cinema. Ray wrote and directed thirty-six films, comprising features, documentaries, and shorts. His debut feature Pather Panchali (1955), along with Aparajito (1956) and The World of Apu (1959), form the renowned Apu Trilogy, which brought Indian cinema to the world stage. Known as a master storyteller, Ray’s multiple award-winning and critically acclaimed films include Devi (1960), Charulata (1964), Nayak (1966), Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne (1969), Ashani Sanket (1973), and Ghare Baire (1984). Alongside his directorial work, Ray was also an occasional novelist and essayist, designed many of his film’s posters, and composed music for dozens of his films.