36 Chowringhee Lane

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36 Chowringhee Lane

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Plot

An older woman teaches Shakespeare in a girls' school, but events conspire to get her down-graded to an entry-level position. Just as that misfortune occurs, her only remaining family member -- a brother in an institution -- dies. Bereft on these personal and professional levels, she is especially grateful for the friendship of a couple she has met and has generously invited to share her apartment. The couple move out when they marry, and the woman goes to their wedding, continuing her acts of generosity to her newfound friends. Some time goes by before she realizes that the couple had been friends as long as they needed her apartment, and now that they no longer need it, they are not that interested in keeping up a relationship with her. When she does not hear from them any longer, she is at a loss as to how to recuperate some sort of balance in her life. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

Cast

  • Jennifer Kendal - Miss Violet Stoneham
  • Dhritiman Chatterjee - Samaresh Moitra
  • Debasree Roy
  • Geoffrey Kendal - Eddie Stoneham
Phyllis Bose - English Lady; Soni Razdan - Rosemary; Renu Roy - Miss Mazumdar

Credit

Aparna Sen - Director, Vanraj Bhatia - Composer (Music Score), Bansi Chandragupta - Production Designer, Ashok Mehta - Cinematographer, Aparna Sen - Screenwriter

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Wikipedia on Answers.com:

36 Chowringhee Lane

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36 Chowringee Lane

DVD cover
Directed by Aparna Sen
Produced by Shashi Kapoor
Written by Aparna Sen
Starring Jennifer Kendal
Debashree Roy
Dhritiman Chatterjee
Geoffrey Kendal
Music by Vanraj Bhatia
Cinematography Ashok Mehta
Editing by Bhanudas Divakar
Release date(s) 29 August 1981
Running time 122 min.
Country India
Language Hindi
Bengali
English

36 Chowringee Lane is a 1981 film written and directed by Aparna Sen and produced by Shashi Kapoor. The film was very well received upon release. It stars Jennifer Kendal in a critically acclaimed role and Debashree Roy.

Contents

Plot

In post-independent India a teacher, Violet Stoneham (Jennifer Kendal), lives a quiet and uneventful life at 36 Chowringhee Lane in Calcutta. Alone after the marriage of her niece, her only joy in life is teaching Shakespeare despite the lack of interest from her students.

When a former student, Nandita pays a visit with her author-boyfriend Samaresh, Violet is delighted, particularly when Samaresh decides that he would like to work on a novel in her apartment. She doesn't realize that Samaresh and Nandita merely want to use her apartment for their tête-à-têtes while she is away at work. Over time, she grows very fond of them, and begins to look upon them as her friends. Her old friends die or go away, she isn't appreciated at her job, and they are the only friends she has - the only people who can make her laugh.

Eventually Samaresh and Nandita get married, and move on with their lives. Violet wants to meet them on Christmas Day, and bake them a cake. They have a party organized at home, however, and think she would be 'a fish out of water' if invited. So they lie about not being in town during Christmas. Violet comes over, any way, to drop off the cake on Christmas Day, and finally sees that she has been deceived by them. She walks home to her lonely life, slowly.

Awards

The film has been nominated for and won the following awards since its release:

1982 Cinemanila International Film Festival (Philippines)
  • Won - Golden Eagle - Best Feature Film - 36 Chowringhee Lane - Aparna Sen
1982 National Film Awards (India)
1983 BAFTA Awards (UK)
  • Nominated - Best Actress - Jennifer Kendal
1982 Evening Standard British Film Awards (UK)

References

External links


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