The Home and the World (1984) Movie Script
1
The National Film Development
Corporation of India Presents
THE HOME AND THE WORLD
A film by Satyajit Ray from
the novel by Rabindranath Tagore
With Soumitra Chatterji, Victor
Bannerji, Swatilekha Chatterji
Gopa Aich, Manoj Mitra,
Jennifer Kappor,...
Bimal Chaterji, Indrapromit Roy
Photography by Soumendu Roy
Art direction by Ashoke Bose
Film editing by Dulal Dutta
Make-up by Ananta Das
Scenario, music and
direction by Satyajit Ray
I have passed through fire
What was impure in me...
has been burnt to ashes
What remains, I dedicate to him...
who received all my failings
in the depths of his stricken heart
Now I know there is not one like him
It was ten years ago
that I first met him
He was the son of a noble
family and I was his bride
I heard that my husband
was of gentle disposition
I considered myself
fortunate; not every bride is so lucky
My sister-in-law was
already in widow's whites...
when I entered this household
Even though one wouldn't
know by looking at her..
..I knew my sister-in-law hadn't got
any happiness in her married life.
Our place was in the inner
apartments of the palace
A passage with stained glass windows
led to the outer apartments
For us, the door this
passage was always closed
As one brought up to follow convention
I did not mind the seclusion.
But my husband had modern views
He was the first in his family
to have had a Western education.
Miss Gilby was appointed to
make a memsahib out of me.
Tell me the tale that to me was so dear
Tell me the tale that to me was so dear
Long long ago... Long long ago...
Long long ago... Long long ago...
Sing me the song that
I would like to hear
Sing me the song that
I would like to hear
Long long ago... Long ago...
Long long ago... Long ago...
Now you are calm all my greatest remote
Now you are calm all my greatest remote
Let me forget that the long you've wrote
Let me forget that the long you've wrote
Let me believe that you long for a love
Let me believe that you long for a love
Long long ago... Long ago...
Good morning Mr. Choudhury
- Good morning
I was hoping that you'd
come one of these days
And how's our pupil today
Ask her, she'll tell you
What did you learn today, Bimala?
Nothing
Oh! Don't be naughty
We're making very good progress
We had ten minutes of conversation today
Really!
And history and geography
And her grammar is improving so much
She wrote a very good essay
about the birds in her garden
I think she can sing
Why, didn't you know?
No, she told me she couldn't sing
Really... Bimala
You are impossible
I've asked several times
but she has never sung for me
Oh that's silly
Bimala, have you
learn how to pour tea?
No.
Yes she has, and she'll do it for you
Why did you have to come here?
Soon even my dress began to
show Miss Gilby's influences
English jackets, English songs.
Your sister-in-law will
seem a stranger to you.
You have not told me how I look
Pretty as a picture
You're a lucky one
You should grab your
good fortune with both hands
Few brides have known
happiness in this family
Hardly knowing their husband's face...
let alone the face of happiness
I used to wait up for him all night,
hoping he'd come to me
For the two days before he
died I was at his bedside...
as he lay dazed with fever
Suddenly he opened his eyes and said:
"Who are you?"
He didn't even know his own wife
I wonder if you realize...
how lucky you are
Why shouldn't I?
Don't I know my own...
Why, we were just talking about you
Really?
I thought only little
girls played with dolls...
now I see even men have dolls
What do you mean?
Can't you see before you?
I see.
It's for you she's dolling up
Well, you know...
men must have their little fancies
Enjoy them
I'll watch from the wings
Why from the wings?
It's best that way
In our time we used attar
These foreign perfumes turn my stomach
I am leaving.
"Won't you buy my pretty flowers?"
Are these jackets all new?
The tailor brought them in today.
All made from my own designs
I know
But is it right that there should
be only one man to admire them?
You think I dress for
all the men in the world?
Why all the men?
I'm thinking of the ones
I've sung your praises to
You think they're dying to glimpse me?
Do you know something?
What?
This seclusion of women
was never a Hindu custom
Draupadi and the great heroines
of our epics were never in purdah
What of it? Your Bimala is
You know about women
choosing their husbands...
from their suitors?
Why laugh?
If I had the option, I
might not have chosen you
I know
But you didn't have the option
How sad
I do envy Draupadi and her five husbands
And in all your life
you've set eyes on only one man
How can you know what
kind of man he is...
if you can't
compare him with others?
You don't want to bring back
the classical age, do you?
Still, I see no logic
behind this seclusion.
I think it came with the Muslims
Hindus never insisted on it
I don't think people will give up
the custom just because you say so
It's not people I'm thinking of, Bimala
You know I'm not like others
I don't think conventions
ought to be followed blindly
If I could persuade you to meet
my friends, I'd feel very proud
"Friends" meaning him?
Sandip is certainly a host in himself
I have no wish to meet
someone who fleeces you...
on some pretext or other
Sandip works for the country
He's gifted, but he lacks money
If my money helps me share his
good deeds, that's to my advantage
How does he work for the country?
Swadeshi
Do you know the world?
Of course. They often use it these days
Boycott foreign goods, buy Swadeshi
Swadeshi salt, Swadeshi sugar...
You know so much?
Don't I read the newspaper?
Do you know the reason?
I do
Tell me.
Sit here and tell me
Yes, Mr. School master
Tell me what's behind Swadeshi
The Governer-General has split up Bengal
Hindus and Muslims
lived peacefully together;
he's driven a wedge between them
You seem to forget that
your wife has been educated
I know English; why
shouldn't I know these facts?
Sorry madam, sorry
Well, Sandip is a leader
of this Swadeshi Movement
Aren't they the ones who
shout "Hail Motherland!"?
Yes.
"Hail Motherland"
This one cry has set
the whole nation astir
But for one person
- he is not stirred
It takes a lot to stir me, Bimala.
Although I certainly don't
approve of Lord Curzon's policy
I think it's villainous to set
Hindus and Muslims against each other
Don't the Swadeshis
burn foreign clothes?
They do
They'll certainly consign
this sari to the flames...
if they lay hands on it
Do you know where the yarn for
this comes from? Manchester
Really?
Most of the objects on this
dressing-table come from abroad
This brush is foreign...
the mirror... the comb...
you hairpins...
Those perfumes are from France
These bottles are foreign cut glass
The table's foreign, too
Most of the furniture here comes
from Lazarus, a British company
Really, and we don't give it a thought
What do you think we should do?
Why not ask Sandip? He is coming here
Really? When?
Shortly
He'll be my guest. He'll
hold a meeting in our quadrangle
I think you'll enjoy meeting him
Why?
Something about him appeals to women
He's had quite a few affairs
And not all the women were Swadeshi
But he's not married, is he?
He has no time for it, he says
Domesticity doesn't suit him
He has a restless nature.
Quite my opposite
Why should I enjoy
meeting your opposite?
You may not enjoy it, but
you may find it instructive
I'm happy in my seclusion
I have no wish to be
like the classical heroines
I was unprepared for the
incident that followed in a few days
Such a shock Mr. Choudhury
To think that they do this to me
School Boys did it, Ms. Gilby
I know the face, they
smile at me, greet me...
Good morning madam,
Good morning madam Gilby
Now say, I don't know what came over them
From the church on the way home I
passed standing outside the grocery store
I smiled at their men
one of them pick up a stone
I was amazed to hear the woman speak.
It is Sunday today.
That is why she had
gone to the Church today.
On her way back..
..one of the school boys..
..threw a stone at her..
..and caused a wound on her head.
This is the effect of
the nationalist movement.
The people of the nation have poison
in their mind against the English.
That is why a helpless
person like Ms. Gilby..
..is in danger today.
I could understand..
..that I couldn't be an
English madam anymore.
You have been so good to me.
You have been..
Even you have been.
Miss Gilby went away
A few days later the Swadeshis arrived
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
There he is. Those boys are
bearing him on their shoulders
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Friends!
You all know why we're
assembled here tonight.
A grave crisis has
shattered the peace of Bengal
Lord Curzon, with one stroke
of his diplomatic sword...
has severed Bengal in two
The spirit of solidarity...
which had bound the
two religious groups...
in the east and west of Bengal...
had become a source of
grave concern to our rulers
The split has cut at the
very roots of this solidarity
Now we all know what the
policy of our rulers is:
divide and rule, to bring about a
rift between the two communities...
and thereby
strengthen their own hands
The power of our British rulers...
is matched by their arrogance
The political leaders of Bengal...
rose as one man
against the Partition
But our rulers paid no heed to them.
We lacked the means to prevent our
rulers from carrying out their design
But our rulers failed to realize that
we can meet diplomacy with diplomacy
Our strategy will not
only confound our rulers
It will ultimately bring
prosperity and help our people...
stand on their own feet
This is the practice of Swadeshi
I call upon all of you: men
and women, rich and poor...
rulers and subjects
- take the solemn vow
Boycott all foreign goods...
and open your arms to Swadeshi
Our rulers have so far
thwarted all our efforts...
to develop our resources
We have been forced to
buy foreign cloth,...
foreign salt, foreign sugar
Have you ever
considered how many articles...
in daily use are made here?
I don't know if you've seen the
big foreign stores in Calcutta.
I have
Their profusion of goods and the
prosperity they enjoy is staggering
Haven't we the right to ask...
why our wealth should fill
the coffers of our foreign rulers?
Who has given them this
right of exploitation?
Is this not at the root of our poverty?
Is it not our duty to put
and end to this extortion?
Has not the time come
to wipe out this shame?
If we remain indifferent, if
this robbery continues...
what kind of future can
we expect for our country?
So I say: the time for action has come
Let us all take the
solemn vow of Swadeshi
And the great cry from the heart
that will launch us on this task
The sacred-mantra that will
rock the throne of our rulers
Come, let us all chant that
mantra and, braving all peril,
dedicate ourselves to the
service of the Mother land!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Tell me the tale that to me was a dear
Long long ago... Long ago...
Tell me the tale that to me was a dear
Still singing English songs after
that impassioned nationalist speech?
What should I sing, then?
Kirtans, songs about
the Lord Krishna...
'Gentle she walks, The Beauteous One'
'Radiant as the moon The Beauteous One'
'It goes away.'
That's better
I must say, he speaks
well; the way he turns phrases
He was good at debate in college
'Her smile sends ripples of delight'
The boys in saffron
made a pretty picture
That makes the Love-God swoon
How long will he stay?
He'll go to Rongpur tomorrow
He'll work from there
Do you want to meet him?
What's the use?
I'll have nothing to say
Say nothing. He'll do all the talking
Suppose he asks me about Swadeshi?
Tell him what you think
He certainly seemed to make sense
Tell him so
I'm sure he'll be shocked if I
wear one of my fancy jackets
What do you think I should wear?
On the 15th of November, 1907
the young mistress of the house...
of the Choudhurys
defied convention...
a trod the passage
to the outer apartments
Greeting
Your speech has inspired my wife
to take up the cause of Swadeshi
You must be joking
It's the truth
Come with me.
Sit down.
Sit down, Sandip
What happened?
Sit down.
At first I couldn't believe my eyes
Now I can't believe my ears
My husband is exaggerating
Even if only a fraction is true,
I'll be more than happy
Whatever I may
accomplish as a politician...
you have already
achieved a social revolution
And I know what that means
I also realize that you're
no mere shadow of your husband
You have a mind of you own
Nikhil never takes me seriously.
Go on like that and
she'll be walking on air
You can't stop me
As a politician I'm brazen
about seeking support for my cause
I haven't yet succeeded
in persuading a woman...
but should that ever happen,
I'd be delighted
Women have this rare
quality of intuition
I admire it greatly
Man's powers of reasoning pale beside it
What do you say, Nikhil?
Tell him what you thought of his speech
Oh yes.
I was going to ask you
Tell me.
Did it sound like drivel to you?
Come on, don't hesitate
I haven't had much time to think
That's precisely why I'm asking you
Thinking is for him; you tell
me what comes from your heart
Forget about making
sense when you speak.
I feel that if the British have
done wrong to split up Bengal...
then we should not let it pass
If Swadeshi can shake them
a bit, then we should do it
Yes, yes.
Of course, it won't help if only
a few people take up the cause
But if the whole country wakes
up to it, then we may succeed
Absolutely.
Bravo! That is exactly what we aim at
That is what our battle-cry
is for: Hail Motherland!
Awaken the nation. Isn't
there magic in those two words?
Have you tried them?
Please do.
You need not raise
your voice; softly will do
As a matter of fact, when
all of you gave that cry,
I felt a...
Thrill?
A shiver down the spine
That's as it should be
Do you know, your husband does
not believe in our battle-cry?
What do you say, Nikhil?
I don't believe in artificial stimulants
Artificial stimulants?
If you want people who've
never thought before...
about their country's problems...
how can you do
without artificial stimulants?
But the work comes first, Nikhil
And the battle-cry
provides the incentive to work
Don't you know how the
Marseillaise stirred...
the French revolutionaries?
What we need most today is
to rouse the people to action
Our poets write Swadeshi
songs to inspire the people.
Do you know any?
"You will break bonds of rules."
'You think you are
strong enough to break...
the bonds that destiny has tied?'
"You think you can make or
break us according to your will?"
"You think you can
break the bond of destiny."
"You think you are so powerful."
"You think you are so powerful."
'You think you can make or
break us. You have this pride."
"You think you can
break the bond of destiny."
"You think you can
pull us back forever."
"And keep us under you."
"You think you can
pull us back forever."
"And keep us under you."
"You don't have the strength."
"You don't have the strength."
"We will not accept those rules."
"You think you can
break the bond of destiny."
"You think you are so powerful."
"You may burden us with constraints."
"But there's one mightier than you"
"You may burden us with constraints."
"But there's one mightier than you"
"You may pride yourself on you might."
"But even the weak can summon strength"
"Rob us of our strength.
And you dig your own grave"
"Rob us of our strength.
And you dig your own grave"
"Your boat will surely sink
under the weight of your own quilt"
"You think you can
break the bond of destiny."
"You think you are so powerful."
'You think you can make or
break us. You have this pride."
"You think you can
break the bond of destiny."
"You think you can
break the bond of destiny."
"You think you are so powerful."
Wow.
I grant that it's an admirable song
Oh my God.
What's all this?
Swadeshi tea: Darjeeling
But there's a lot more than just tea
You must have some sweets, too
And they're not only Swadeshi,
Bimala made them herself
Then I have to taste one
I haven't yet got over
my weakness for sweets
Nor for foreign cigarettes, I can see
Out of the question! Do you
know the Swadeshi brands?
Unthinkable!
Can't you give up smoking?
Smoking?
Haven't you the will-power?
Okay.
You join our party and I'll stop smoking
Sugar?
One if it's foreign two if it's Swadeshi
What are your plans now?
Your neighbour land owner
Harish Kundu, has sent word
They'll have a
bonfire of foreign clothes
He wants me to conduct
the ritual, so I must go
Do you know that for me the one
stumbling block is your husband?
He refuses to help the cause
You'll find many landed gentry
around here to help the cause
Why not leave my estate alone?
You see, not a shred
of patriotism in him!
Anyway.
So tell me.
Are you joining our party or not?
Don't worry, you don't have
to sign a pledge or anything
You'll stay exactly as you are
I'll come to you in case of need
What is it? Tell me.
Well? Yes or no?
All right
Good.
Well, I must go now
Must you?
There's work to do; my
boys are waiting downstairs
Mrs. Choudhury, this is
truly a memorable day for me
Only one request; trust your intuition
- Don't let this gentleman guide you
Don't worry, Sahib
From now on, my wife is a free agent
Splendid
Okay. Shall I leave?
I'll come along with you
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
You haven't told me yet
What?
What you thought of my friend
But we've only met once
I think the less one knows
Sandip, the better one likes him
You seem to have so little in common;
I wonder how you ever became friends
That's not unusual, Bimala
Friendships are not
worked out mathematically
We've been friends since college
It's not that we had nothing in common
We both decided to have nothing
to do with irrational conventions
He was even more radical than I
When his parents
arranged a bride for him...
he was so annoyed he
severed all ties with them
Soon after we were married he
asked to be introduced to you
He would remind me from time to time
Finally he said:
"I don't believe a word of what
you say about your wife"
And do you know what he said today
What?
I shall not tell you
- Why not?
What can he say after
such a brief meeting?
I can say a lot more
But you never do
Do I have to? Don't
you have your intuition?
Madam
What is it?
A letter from Mr. Mukherji
I hope the rule was
not broken for just a day
Can I see you for a moment?
Tell him I'm coming
Okay.
When Krishna's flute
beckons so, I must go
Hail Motherland!
My husband's not in
I did not ask for him, I asked for you
Won't you sit down?
You have eluded me for years;
..you mustn't keep your distance now
Sit beside me
That's it
What's the matter?
I can't believe it
Ever since you married, Nikhil has
said he would introduce me to you
I didn't believe him
Even now I find it hard to believe
Until now I've only heard
of your many accomplishments
You've learnt English from a memsahib
You love books, needlework, cooking
I even know your favourite dishes,
what flowers you like...
I also know something else
You resent the fact...
that I borrow money from Nikhil
So you really are no stranger to me
But I never imagined I'd
one day find myself....
sitting by your side
Did you go to Rongpur?
- I did
How was the trip? -Splendid
That's why the first thing I
wanted this morning was to see you
Don't you have to go again?
Where?
Rongpur. Isn't that your base?
That was the idea, but not any more
No?
Let me tell you frankly,
I want to be near you when I work
Like the worker bee
working for the queen;
.. you'll be Queen Bee
Do you mind?
But won't you find it inconvenient here?
That's true
Nikhil will not approve, I think
But the thing is...
I have in me...
a stubborn streak
I can't accept Nikhil's attitude at all
I want to spread the
cause of Swadeshi right here
And I want your help
But I really know
nothing about your work
I know that you make
speeches Is that all?
That's one of the main
things; persuasion can work wonders
Wait.
If you really want to know
about our work, read this
You will know
everything when you read this.
"Our Struggle"
I'll certainly read it
May I tell you something now?
One of the biggest markets in
this area is here, in Suksayar
So I've heard
It's the only market in the district
..where foreign goods
are still being sold
Elsewhere the landowners
have stopped their sale
But Nikhil hasn't done so
I'll do my best to right that...
but with your help my
task would be much easier
I'm afraid you
over-estimate my capabilities
Not at all
Nikhil may be my friend,
but he's your husband
You have much more hold on him
My husband is not easily swayed
I know, but I think he'll listen to you
I know how much you mean to him
Will you try just once to persuade him?
Nikhil's tenants would not
dare go against his will
He has only to tell them not to
bring foreign goods into the market
And if I fail to persuade him?
I'd be happy if you only tried
If you fail, I'll use other means
Not without Queen
Bee's knowledge, of course
Can I depend on you?
I'll try
The more I see you...
the more I'm filled with admiration
I think I'll...
You may go now
Listen.
There's something...
This is one foreign
object which I shall keep
Did you see Sandip today
Yes
How is he doing?
He's worried
Why?
You don't take kindly to his Swadeshi
Nonsense
He's free to work for his cause...
..as long as he leaves my estate alone
He says he'll stay here
Stay here?
That's what he says;
stay here and work here
That wouldn't be right
But everyone has taken up
Swadeshi; why can't you?
That notion would mean throwing
all foreign goods out of the market
Harish Kundu can do that I can't
Surely the market belongs to you
No, Bimala, the market
belongs to the traders;
.. they're people of small means
Foreign goods are
cheaper and of better quality
Naturally, the poor prefer to buy them.
How can I force them not to?
Swadeshi is for those who can afford it
What are you thinking?
Can't we have...
Swadeshi so that
the poor don't suffer?
If we could, I'd certainly support it
You think the very
idea of Swadeshi is wrong?
Even if I do think it is wrong,
who will listen to me?
You yourself felt that Sandip was right;
many others will feel the same
But I believe that coercing the
poor can only harm the country
I can see you're not convinced
I was looking at it differently;
I felt something had to be done
Even if it meant hardship for the
poor now, it'll help in the long run
Swadeshis do care for their country
I believe that what they care for
is an abstract image of the country
The country as the Mother Goddess
Worship the Mother,
work for the Mother
dedicate your life to her sorrows
I know the notion is
bound to appeal to women
I know very well how you feel
But I can't feel the same way
What you were saying tonight
were they your own thoughts?
Why this question?
No.
I felt you were speaking for Sandip
Sandip is your friend, not mine
I thought you had teamed up in
right earnest to work for the cause
He working in public,
you on the domestic front
What an idea!
Will you have daily meetings?
After pressing me to meet your friend,
..you can spare me the insinuations
Sorry, Bimala.
I asked a simple question,
Bimala; I didn't insinuate anything
Very well, if it upsets you so much,
I shall not go outside
You're making a mistake
Why should I be upset?
After all, I know you both so well,
and why shouldn't you go out?
Because I don't want to
You're being unreasonable
I've been out twice; I
don't have to go out every day
Very well
I don't mind if you go or don't go.
I shall not force you
I've told you you're
free to do as you please
But I must tell you one thing
If you say you'll give up
wearing foreign clothes...
or do without your perfumes,
your shoes, your soap...
I won't mind at all
But clamping down on poor traders..
..means abandoning a
principle I hold dear
That I can never do
Swadeshi is something
I can't take lightly
The weak say:
that which has
fallen to my share is mine
And the impotent assent, but
the lesson of experience is;
only that which I can
snatch away by force is mine
My country is not mine
simply because I was born here
It becomes mine only when I
am able to win it by force
The funeral pyre
celebrates the last rites...
of foreign commerce in your village
These ashes are sacred
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
An urgent matter. Touching the cause
Please give this to Mrs. Choudhury
Okay.
Madam is unwell, Sir
I see
You know the Headmaster, don't you?
Good morning. I hope you are well
Not while you're about
How is that?
His students have
disappeared since you arrived
But you must admit that to work for
one's country helps to shape character
One of my students hit Mrs.
Choudhury's governess,
Miss Gilby, with a stone
Does that, too, come
under shaping character?
But that was before I came
here; you can't blame me for that
And you must admit that
such stray incidents...
are inevitable in times of upheaval
You've roped in my
best student, haven't you?
Who?
Amulya? - Yes.
He'd have won a
scholarship if he'd sat his exam.
You prevented him
Amulya? I didn't rope him in,
he joined of his own accord
And what about our rowdies and
shirkers? They've joined, too
They're not shirkers any more, sir;
..they're working for the cause
With two exceptions, everyone
here is working for the cause
The exceptions are you
and your ex-student Nikhil
I regret that I
couldn't persuade him to join
Like you, he turns a
deaf ear to Swadeshi
No, only to your brand
of destructive Swadeshi
He practiced Swadeshi
long before your time
And he needed no battle-cries
to bolster him. You know nothing
Do you know of his Swadeshi bank?
Of his sugar factory, his soap factory?
Do you know he set up his own
looms for weaving Swadeshi cloth?
Where were you and your
Hail Motherland! then?
Do you know how much he
spent on his Swadeshi?
Do you know something?
- It is okay, sir.
You stay out of this!
These things must be told
But that's just what I tell him;
if you and I have the same aim...
why not join us?
It's no the same aim at all
You aim to be self-seeking leaders;
you don't think of the people at all
Nikhil's devotion was selfless
You are being feted
Nikhil was ridiculed
he had no head for business,
so his Swadeshi didn't last
But his was the right way Yours is wrong
It's more than wrong; it's harmful
Dangerous.
Give it to me.
I'll drop by in the evening
Oh my God.
I implore you, Nikhil, keep
that headmaster out of my way
I've come here to make speeches
not to suffer them
I believe you're
planning to stay here and work
I'm going to speak in
your market this afternoon
That's where the challenge is
Not where the land owner
himself supports Swadeshi
Not there.
But remember: most of my
tenants are poor muslims
I don't want them to be harassed
If I see that happening, I
will be forced to intervene
If they prove to be stubborn,
I shall have to take measures
many Muslims have accepted Swadeshi
They've been compelled to...
It'll happen here
I've said what had to.
What you do now is up to you
You all know that the
British have by law...
divided Bengal into two
This amounts to erecting a
wall between Hindus and Muslims
They have not given us the
right to break this wall
But to foil the government we
have chosen a different path
One important way...
is to stop selling
foreign goods in our markets
The things you sell: salt, sugar,
cloth, articles of daily use...
are all foreign products
Because you sell them,
foreigners grow rich...
and Indians become poor
This is wrong, it must not go on
So far we have
tolerated this, but no more
Indian substitutes for foreign
goods are not always available
So you have had to
trade in what there is
If we make sacrifices and
produce Indian goods...
we shall overcome these difficulties
Friends, come forward...
so that we may avoid the
division of Bengal and we may regain...
our self-esteem
See this circle before me
Throw your foreign goods
into the circle of flags
Indian substitutes will be made
Manufacturers have come forward
Do not fear of losing your livelihood
Today's loss will not be lost for ever
Get rid of your foreign goods
The land that gave you birth,
the land that you love...
help that land
Cloth from foreign mills, sugar...
salt, soap...
scissors and knives...
Surrender them in the
noble cause of Swadeshi
We beseech you: don't just sit there
Come ahead and help in
the cause of Swadeshi.
Let the Maharaja come and tell us
We won't listen to you
Your Maharaja is my friend.
I am his guest
Isn't that proof enough
that I have his support?
If we poor traders have
nothing to sell, we'll starve
We've tried selling
Indian goods. Nobody buys them
You have money.
It's easy for you to say
don't sell foreign goods
We're poor. How can we
live without our trade?
It's clear that persuasion
won't work in Nikhil's estate
We have to use other means
Any compromise would
cripple our movement
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
This is Mr. Sanyal
Greetings.
Come on.
Were those snatched from the villagers?
Yes. German wrappers
Sit down.
You may enjoy bonfire, but
those fellows may have you up
We'll set fire to their crops if they do
Can't we try picketing?
It's worked elsewhere
Picketing won't work here; I
know what works and what doesn't
Sit down.
An English brand, I see
One item where I draw
the line at Swadeshi
May I try one?
Sure.
These people won't
take persuasion, Amulya
They've been pampered too much
Listen.
I've been Manager of this estate since
the time of the
present landlord's father
The father was a tough one;
the trouble is with the son
If only he'd been firm,
he could have brought
these fellows to their knees
It would be plain selling for you
Tell me how you can help
If you can't stop the
influx of foreign goods...
you can't stop the trade in them
Those boats bring in the goods;
you have to deal with the boatmen first
Can you do that for me?
The trouble is, the
boatmen's leader is a stubborn fellow
What's his name?
Mirjan. A Muslim.
He's a hard nut to crack
Can't he be brought round?
There's a way round everything,
Mr. Mukerji
A boat which sails is
also a boat which sinks
But this is where you
need more than words
You need...
Money?
We have to stop tongues wagging,
pay compensation...
bribe the police
- it all needs hard cash
It's not that we haven't money
- and more can be raised
Then you can rely on me
I'll do the dirty work all right...
but if it proves awkward for you,
..you'll have to fend for yourself
You need not worry about that.
But if I find myself in trouble...
I'm not taking all the blame
I mean to preserve this letter from you
I didn't go. He asked for me
I gave an excuse and stayed back,
but what good did it do?
All day yesterday I kept thinking of him
Why should this happen to a woman who
never had a thought of any man...
except her own husband?
You didn't say you
wanted the fish cooked, madam
Make curry with ground mustard-seed
Younger madam.
Yes, Nanku?
A letter for you
Are you better?
Yes, thank you
This boy from our group
is very keen to meet you
You've seen me once when I was
little; I came with my mother
What is your mother's name?
- Soudamini Devi
You're Nibaron Ghosal's son?
Yes. My name is Amulya
How old are you?
Seventeen. I was about to
sit my final exam, but I didn't
Because of Swadeshi?
Amulya is a good worker
He knows the Gita
Really?
Here it is.
Do you always carry it?
Always. The Gita gives one courage
Even to die for one's country
Aren't you afraid to die?
Even when a man dies, his soul lives
It always remains constant.
Soul doesn't get destroyed.
Only the body does.
Even if a man dies,
soul never dies, sister.
You may go now
Mr. Mukerji said you believed in
Swadeshi. I wanted to pay my respects
I am leaving, sister.
I'll come again.
- Please do
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
I am leaving.
What are you thinking?
Is there any danger to
your life in the work you do?
Since we set ourselves
against our formidable rulers...
there certainly is
But my boys are a plucky lot
My courage doesn't match theirs
That's a strange
confession from a leader
Sometimes the truth comes out
Now may I have a bit of truth from you?
What?
After so many years, why suddenly
decide to come out of seclusion?
Don't you know why?
How should I know?
You ought to know, you're a man
But you haven't a woman's intuition
Will you tell me why?
I'd never been face to
face with a leader before
I fear the leader may have let you down
Not so far
You play the piano, too?
I was taking lessons.
Piano... singing...
English songs?
"That to me were so dear."
"Long, long ago. Long, long ago."
"Same are the songs."
"I am delighted to hear."
"Long, long ago. Long, long ago."
"Long ago."
Yesterday...
I had a feeling that
you were not really well
I racked my brains
all day trying to guess
What had I done or said to annoy you?
You haven't told me yet why you called
I just wanted to see you
Is that the reason?
I didn't see you yesterday and it
turned out to be a dismal day for me
My pride as a leader was badly shaken
The people won't listen to you?
Sometimes words are not enough
Why do you do then?
- Try other ways
May I know what ways?
Because my husband's
not going to help you
Has Nikhil said so?
Do you know what I feel sometimes?
To hell with Swadeshi!
I'll spend my life chatting to Queen Bee
With me? You?
Would you mind?
Why laugh?
It's so absurd
You're not the type to
spend even an hour chatting
You're right
The truth is...
I need politics
as much as I need you
I don't want you to give up at all
My husband and I don't
see eye to eye on this
He has many gifts and
I admire him for them
But he is much too placid
You can't afford to be
so at a time like this
I entirely agree with you
My husband says you
don't think of poor...
so you can't really
do the country any good
I don't believe you'll hurt the poor
You'll do as much as
possible with persuasion
But the problem is...
persuasion doesn't always work
You need more than that.
- What do you need?
Let's not talk about that.
- I want to know
I don't want to talk about
mundane matters with you
Why?
I want no note of
discord in our relationship
But I'd be really happy to help
This is beyond you, Queen
Haven't you seen me
going beyond myself?
I know you can go a long way.
Even so, I'd rather not talk about it
Then there's no reason for me to stay
I am leaving.
Please, don't go away like that
If I'm not needed for the cause,
then I'm just wasting my time here
I didn't wish to cause
you anxiety for my sake
Is politics, my work, the
only thing we must talk about?
Promise you'll tell
me if you need money,
..and you'll take it if I give it
I promise
I will give my word,
Mukhi. I am giving my word.
I'll come again this evening.
Please wait for me here
I hate having to send for you every time
Let go of me
Promise that you'll come to me everyday
I must see you at least once every day
There's nothing
wrong in that. Promise me
All right
Please let go of my hand. I want to go
Khemi, do the room later
Gently she walks, the Beauteous One
Back so early?
What are you gawping at?
What is there to gawp at
but you? Such goings on!
Such tender concern for our guest;
enough to make him stay for ever
In our time we had to
look after our husbands, too
If only my brother-in-law were a
guest here, he'd be warmly welcomed
I don't want any advice from you
I was a small girl when
I came here as a bride
Your husband was my playmate then
Where were you then?
You need not repeat what I already know
He was the only one who felt for me
He used to say:
"We're still in the Dark Ages,
that's why you suffer so"
"For you, having a husband is
just as painful as losing one
"My wife shall be a
free woman ", he'd say
Well, I see the free
woman before my eyes
But don't forget, dear sister,
there is a God above us...
and He has eyes, too
I believed I had strength to bear...
whatever misfortune
Fate had in store for me
I would call up visions of
suffering and steel myself against them
Visions of poverty,
imprisonment, dishonour, death...
even Bimala's death
But one thing I could
never imagine happening
Now I keep asking
myself again and again..
..have I the strength to bear this?
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
What do you want?
We have some questions
Hail Motherland!
Why don't you clear our
market of foreign goods?
I have a reason
You'd lose by it?
Not me, but the poor would lose
The country will gain.
We've given up foreign
goods for the country's sake
How can you compare
yourselves with the poor?
You can afford to
spend more on Indian goods
The poor do not stand in your way.
Why do you stand in theirs?
You want to oppose a nation
that's taken the vow of Swadeshi?
It's beyond my power to do so
But how can you say the
nation's taken your vow?
Aren't the traders part of the nation?
So you won't throw out foreign goods?
No, because the
goods do not belong to me
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
No, I think this is the one.
What are you looking for?
Passiflora. Didn't you have a phial?
Have you been sleeping badly?
One sleeps less as one grows older...
but lesser these last three nights
Here it is
Please keep the phial
Thank you.
I don't like it, Nikhil
I have grave misgivings
about the way things are shaping
Everyone knows that Sandip
is your friend and your guest
Soon they'll believe that
whatever he's doing has your sanction
Don't you realise the terrible
consequences it may have for you?
The consequences can
already be felt, sir
That I'm a lackey of the British...
that I don't force Swadeshi
.. on my tenants for
fear they'd stop paying rent
No, no.
Don't let that worry you
Nothing can touch you as long
as you have a clear conscience
But the portents are bad, Nikhil
Muslim preachers from Dacca are
going around setting on the peasants
Do you keep a check on those?
I've read about it in the papers
What's to stop them coming here?
Nothing
So?
If anything should happen,
..how could we put all the
blame on the preachers?
What about our own responsibility?
Think how we ourselves
have treated the poor Muslims
Have we even given them
their dues as human beings?
That's true, but what's to be done now?
I'll go around
I'll see for myself. Rumours can mislead
Can't you have a word
with the Magistrate?
I don't think he'd mind a riot;
that would make short work of Swadeshi
There is one thing you can do
You can at least root out
the source of the trouble.
Why let Sandip stay?
I thought he'd leave his own accord
But now...
Leave? Why?
With all the comfort and
protection he enjoys here?
Besides, you've done him a special
favour, introducing him to your wife
Isn't he taking full advantage of that?
I'd no idea he'd changed so much
All this adulation has turned his head
I think it comes from a
deep sense of frustration
With all his gifts, he
couldn't really accomplish anything
Sometimes I feel pity for him
This is no time for pity, Nikhil
You can't bring
yourself to be firm with him,
..because he's close to you...
but I fail to see why you
vacillate at a time like this
You would see if I
told you... but I can't
Remember this?
It's from my factory
You've saved it?
Not just the soap
Towels, pens, matchboxes
- everything
Did you ever use it?
It's no good for anything,
not even for washing clothes
What foolish notions I had then
You still have
You freed her from her moorings,
now look where she's drifted
That was no foolish notion
You still insist?
If she likes what she's doing,
then that's the kind of person she is
I could stop her from going,
but it wouldn't change her
You can teach a child,
but not the grown-up
The husband is the master
Bending her to my will would not help
At least get him out of the way;
he's not a friendly friend, is he?
It would certainly do my estate
good to get him out of the way
But I'm selfish enough
to think of myself, too
I can't help it. I must
If he goes, you'll
find her back by your side
And I would find her regretting it
Because she would not be
doing it out of choice
That would be unbearable
As much for her as for me
I can't do it
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
What is the matter?
Why so late?
That was a lot of work, Mr. Mukherji
There's a play at Chandrapur tonight;
I had to wait for the boatmen to go
These jobs can't be
done with people around
Mirjan's boat?
Good
But when he comes back and
finds his boat missing...
it won't take him to
put two and two together...
and then he'll come
groveling to you and beg for compensation
Keep 5,000 or so handy
I will.
And now a word of advice...
if you don't mind my being frank
Out with it. It's late
I think you should wind
up here fast and decamp
Why?
The outlook's bad
There may be a riot
You may be a leader,
..but you're not exactly
a popular one, you know
They're certainly not
eager to put you on a pedestal
I'll decide what to do, Mr.
Sanyal. You don't have to worry
Onward, sons of India,
the Motherland calls
Onward, sons of India,
the Motherland calls
The strong, the brave, the proud,
to serve the nation's cause
Onward, sons of India,
the Motherland calls
You should give up
politics and take to singing
I once had an idea to go on the stage
It's wonderful to be able to
hold a large audience in your grip
I thought that when I heard
you speak the other evening
Of course...
it's nothing like
winning the heart of a woman
I gather you've won the
hearts of many women...
and not all of them Swadeshi
This is bad!
Has Nikhil told you all this?
Why not? After all, you
know such a lot about me
Youthful indiscretions, that's
what they were - ancient history
I wonder what happened to those women
You shouldn't. I'm longer
the same person, you know
Still, it helps to understand the person
It's not difficult to understand men
It's women who are unfathomable;
one despairs of knowing their minds
You know that song, don't you?
- What song?
"Who can ever fathom a woman's ways?"
"Who can ever fathom a woman's ways?"
"Her silence mean more than what she says"
"She looks at you, then drops her eyes"
"Her silence mean more than what she says"
"She looks at you, then drops her eyes"
"She laughs one moment the next she cries"
"She lingers close,
then leaves you in a daze"
"Who can ever fathom a woman's ways?"
"Who can ever fathom a woman's ways?"
Is that why you haven't married?
How can I marry if I can't
find a woman after my heart?
I waited a long time for you
last night. You didn't come
Forgive me, Queen. I was
very busy; I got back late
What were you busy with?
- The cause of Swadeshi, of course
Making speeches?
- Oh, no
What, then?
Winding up. I can't stay
here for ever, you know
We have to be on the move, campaigning
You'll go away?
I must, sooner or later
What if Queen Bee doesn't let you go?
Then no one would be happier than I,
but I'm not thinking of going yet
There are problem to be cleared up
Tell me
What?
How much money?
Tell me.
About five thousand, Queen. We
spend more than we reckoned on
If I get the money, you'll
have to take it without question
If you say so, but you
mustn't part with your ornaments
When I said money, I meant money
What if I can't repay it?
I don't expect you to. Can't I
do this much for the cause?
I'm worried, Queen
Why?
I seem to have become a burden to you.
But I can't help it. I can explain
You don't have to.
Only tell me one thing
What?
If I give you the money, you won't go?
Do you think I want to leave you?
Then what made you talk of going away?
After all the torment I've
been through, only for your sake
And..
And you?
The Hindus ask you to
join hands with them
They wheedle you, they coax you...
they even use threats
They want you to take
up Swadeshi at all costs
Don't let their words misguide you
Hindus don't care for your well-being
They don't care about you at all.
Their one aim is to keep you
under their heels for ever
Don't forget that in Bengal...
Muslims are in the majority,
Muslims are mostly peasants
The country's wealth...
comes from the land
No part of this wealth
is produced by the Hindus
It's you who enriched them
They have no right to
the fruit of your labour
They use their cunning to
appropriate what you sweat to produce
So, brother Muslims...
do not listen to the Hindus,
don't get mixed up in their politics
Swadeshi is not for you
I've sent for you because you lead
the Hindu community in this village
You are men of discretion and judgement
I think you will appreciate
what I am going to tell you
I trust you will
I only want to say...
while we can hold on to
our own religious beliefs...
we cannot interfere
with the belief of others
Even amongst us Hindus...
a Vaishnava has no right to prevent
a Shakta spilling the blood of animals
So, in order to live by their
own religious convictions...
the Muslims must be left free
The Muslims in this
village never slaughtered cows
We hear they're now doing so
I've heard so, too
But I strongly believe that
they're being forced to do so...
to stir up trouble
between the two sects
I urge you not to add fuel to the fire
They won't stop unless
you put them down, sir.
The good old days are gone
Listen. Muslims are a part of India
This is a fact of history.
You must accept the fact
We can't imagine an
India without Muslims
If we try to put them down, it'll
not only not stop the killing of cows
It may lead to the killing of men
Never more so than in
the present state of unrest
You have a grave responsibility now
I beseech you, I pray you
Do not encourage hatred
To do so now would be to court disaster
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Nikhil.
Did you hear a shot?
I did.
What now?
I know what must be done
But first,
take my carriage, go home and
come back with your belongings
The roads are no longer safe; I
don't want you to get into trouble
That's all very well, but...
I'll tell Sandip right away
Time's running out; I
must have the money now
What's that?
- Can't you guess?
Money?
Hardly enough.
There can't be more
than 500 in those bags
You must have forgotten,
I asked for 5,000
What is this?
Gold coins?
Gold!
Gold!
You should have told me,
or how else would I know?
Please don't be angry, Queen
Sandip.
I've come to talk to you
- What about?
I don't want you to stay any longer
Things have taken a serious turn;
your presence may make matters worse
I want you to leave
Suksayar by tomorrow morning
Am I supposed to take orders from you?
It's not that
Your leaving for Calcutta will
help you and ease the situation here
I have nothing to do in Calcutta
All the more reason to go
You've done too much here
Don't think I haven't been informed
From setting fire to
the peasants' barns...
to sinking Mirjan's boat
You speak of Hindu-Moslem unity,
but in fact you oppress Muslims
I shan't put up with it any longer
I may not believe in Swadeshi...
but I have true
admiration for some Swadeshi leaders
But not for those whose
actions believe their words
You're harming the country,
not saving it.
This mustn't go on in my estate
There's only one person
here I'm prepared to listen to
Queen, do you want me to stay or go?
Queen.
I'm waiting for your answer
Do you want that I
should leave Suksayar?
Tell me, Queen
I've said what I came to say
I hope I won't have to repeat it
Queen.
What's the matter with you?
All of a sudden..
Is Amulya in your room?
Amulya? - Yes.
Why?
Ask him to see me. It's urgent
Can't you tell me the reason?
No, I'll tell Amulya.
Please send him to me
Very well
Amulya.
Can you do me a favour?
- Certainly
Take the morning train to
Calcutta and return in the evening
Money for the journey is in this box
What box is that?
My jewel case. I need 5,000 rupees.
Sell some of my ornaments
I'll get you the money without that
How? It's not a small sum
I'll get it
No, do as I tell you
But why did you give Mr.
Mukherji 5,000 rupees?
He said he needed 5,000
No, we worked out that we needed 3,500.
If he gets more, he spends it on himself
He's quite a spender; he
always travels by first-class
Mr. Mukherji?
Yes, sister.
He says hardship
saps a leader's strength
Well, I shan't take back
what I've already given
It may be needed later.
You get me the 5,000.
Put the box away. I'll
get you the money tonight
How?
- From the treasury
Are you mad? What about the guards?
But we carry arms
Good heavens!
Working for the country requires funds
Have you no qualms about robbing?
Whose money is it? Mine today,
the moneylender's tomorrow
Why not use it for the cause?
No, Amulya. If you go robbing
treasuries, I'll die of fear
Do as I tell you
Sell as much as you need
to and bring back the rest
And be careful, for heaven's sake
Very well
I am leaving.
Yes.
Queen.
You're going?
Is there any reason for me to stay?
Why do you say that?
Can't you hear the not of discord?
If I've done anything wrong,
please forgive me. Don't go like this
My husband says the less one
knows you, the better one like you
Perhaps I know you too well
Don't say that. Has
knowing me meant nothing to you?
Has it all been in vain?
I believed you'd succeed,
I wanted you to succeed
in what you were doing
But not any more?
No.
Allah is great!
Allah is great!
Allah is great!
Allah is great!
Allah is great!
Allah is great!
Allah is great!
Who is it?
Who is it?
Who is it? Who is it?
Hands up!
Hands up.
Go indoors!
Come on.
Turn round!
Turn around.
Now open the safe
Come on.
Open it and count out 3,500 rupees
What's going on?
What's the hue and cry about?
I don't know. I hope it's not a riot
What are you saying, brother-in-law?
What will happen to us?
We're going to Calcutta
tomorrow; it's no longer safe here
Who is "we"? Aren't I coming with you?
Did I say that?
The Chakravarty's
treasury has been raided
What's to stop them raiding this place?
If they kill me they'll burn my
body by the shriveled banyan.
That's awful
Start packing; and don't
forget your Talking Machine
You're not joking, are you?
Am I the frivolous
type? Don't you know me?
Bimala.
I want to tell you something
What?
There were 5,000 rupees in
gold coins in two bags in the safe
I gave them to Sandip
He needed the money
Now you know how
hard it is to refuse him
I'll replace it
I've given my jewel case to Amulya;
he'll sell ornaments to get the money
I felt bad speaking to
Sandip like that in your presence
But I had to. Things
have taken a bad turn
It's no longer safe for him here
What about you?
Your safety is what
concerns me; no one else's matters
Tomorrow we're going to Calcutta.
All three of us
And if something happens before then?
You won't leave the house, will you?
If something should happen I'd
have to go and intervene, Bimala
I knew
I knew I'd be punished
Punished? Why? You
have not done anything wrong
I can't even ask for forgiveness
But you've come back
to me, haven't you?
What an age it seems since I
last looked at you and spoke to you
What came over me? Why
do such things happen?
You've done nothing wrong, Bimala
For ten years you
didn't look at another man
Why do you forget that?
There's 3,500 rupees here
Please return the jewel
case and the gold coins
Where did you get the
money? Where have you been?
To the sub-treasury at Chakna
I hope nobody saw you
I covered my face
Did you see any trouble?
- There's a riot
Muslims have broken into
the temple of Visalakshi
You're going?
Yes. To Rongpur
Will you come with me?
I must go now
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
What are you thinking?
Nothing
I don't want to think
I want to forget
All that has happened
in the last few days
Why must you forget?
Come in, Sandip
This is the age of breaking rules.
Your wife came out of seclusion...
and now I've invaded
the privacy of your bedroom
These are your property,
which I duly return
One jewel case and
two bags of gold coins
Jewel case?
Your devotee didn't take it with him,
but he's brought the money
Since you have your valuables,
I hope you won't mind
me keeping the money
Are you going?
Yes, Nikhil. The train to
Rongpur leaves in an hour
You can hear the sound of
riot; Amulya witnessed it
So I must make my proverbial escape;
I must live to finish my work, you know
Don't make the same mistake again.
Can't you see the result of your action
I follow the Gita, Nikhil
I am concerned only with the action,
not with the result
And I consider Ravana to be
the hero of Ramayana, not Rama
So I can't listen to
the followers of Rama
The straight path is not my path
Well, it's time to say good-bye
I'm keeping this as a memento
Who knows if we'll ever meet again?
Good-bye, Nikhil
Queen Bee
Hail Motherland!
Courage, Bimala. I
must go out to them now
I must
Don't stop me. Please
You let him go?
He wouldn't heed us
You witch! You send him to his death!
Have you no pity in
your heart of stone?
The National Film Development
Corporation of India Presents
THE HOME AND THE WORLD
A film by Satyajit Ray from
the novel by Rabindranath Tagore
With Soumitra Chatterji, Victor
Bannerji, Swatilekha Chatterji
Gopa Aich, Manoj Mitra,
Jennifer Kappor,...
Bimal Chaterji, Indrapromit Roy
Photography by Soumendu Roy
Art direction by Ashoke Bose
Film editing by Dulal Dutta
Make-up by Ananta Das
Scenario, music and
direction by Satyajit Ray
I have passed through fire
What was impure in me...
has been burnt to ashes
What remains, I dedicate to him...
who received all my failings
in the depths of his stricken heart
Now I know there is not one like him
It was ten years ago
that I first met him
He was the son of a noble
family and I was his bride
I heard that my husband
was of gentle disposition
I considered myself
fortunate; not every bride is so lucky
My sister-in-law was
already in widow's whites...
when I entered this household
Even though one wouldn't
know by looking at her..
..I knew my sister-in-law hadn't got
any happiness in her married life.
Our place was in the inner
apartments of the palace
A passage with stained glass windows
led to the outer apartments
For us, the door this
passage was always closed
As one brought up to follow convention
I did not mind the seclusion.
But my husband had modern views
He was the first in his family
to have had a Western education.
Miss Gilby was appointed to
make a memsahib out of me.
Tell me the tale that to me was so dear
Tell me the tale that to me was so dear
Long long ago... Long long ago...
Long long ago... Long long ago...
Sing me the song that
I would like to hear
Sing me the song that
I would like to hear
Long long ago... Long ago...
Long long ago... Long ago...
Now you are calm all my greatest remote
Now you are calm all my greatest remote
Let me forget that the long you've wrote
Let me forget that the long you've wrote
Let me believe that you long for a love
Let me believe that you long for a love
Long long ago... Long ago...
Good morning Mr. Choudhury
- Good morning
I was hoping that you'd
come one of these days
And how's our pupil today
Ask her, she'll tell you
What did you learn today, Bimala?
Nothing
Oh! Don't be naughty
We're making very good progress
We had ten minutes of conversation today
Really!
And history and geography
And her grammar is improving so much
She wrote a very good essay
about the birds in her garden
I think she can sing
Why, didn't you know?
No, she told me she couldn't sing
Really... Bimala
You are impossible
I've asked several times
but she has never sung for me
Oh that's silly
Bimala, have you
learn how to pour tea?
No.
Yes she has, and she'll do it for you
Why did you have to come here?
Soon even my dress began to
show Miss Gilby's influences
English jackets, English songs.
Your sister-in-law will
seem a stranger to you.
You have not told me how I look
Pretty as a picture
You're a lucky one
You should grab your
good fortune with both hands
Few brides have known
happiness in this family
Hardly knowing their husband's face...
let alone the face of happiness
I used to wait up for him all night,
hoping he'd come to me
For the two days before he
died I was at his bedside...
as he lay dazed with fever
Suddenly he opened his eyes and said:
"Who are you?"
He didn't even know his own wife
I wonder if you realize...
how lucky you are
Why shouldn't I?
Don't I know my own...
Why, we were just talking about you
Really?
I thought only little
girls played with dolls...
now I see even men have dolls
What do you mean?
Can't you see before you?
I see.
It's for you she's dolling up
Well, you know...
men must have their little fancies
Enjoy them
I'll watch from the wings
Why from the wings?
It's best that way
In our time we used attar
These foreign perfumes turn my stomach
I am leaving.
"Won't you buy my pretty flowers?"
Are these jackets all new?
The tailor brought them in today.
All made from my own designs
I know
But is it right that there should
be only one man to admire them?
You think I dress for
all the men in the world?
Why all the men?
I'm thinking of the ones
I've sung your praises to
You think they're dying to glimpse me?
Do you know something?
What?
This seclusion of women
was never a Hindu custom
Draupadi and the great heroines
of our epics were never in purdah
What of it? Your Bimala is
You know about women
choosing their husbands...
from their suitors?
Why laugh?
If I had the option, I
might not have chosen you
I know
But you didn't have the option
How sad
I do envy Draupadi and her five husbands
And in all your life
you've set eyes on only one man
How can you know what
kind of man he is...
if you can't
compare him with others?
You don't want to bring back
the classical age, do you?
Still, I see no logic
behind this seclusion.
I think it came with the Muslims
Hindus never insisted on it
I don't think people will give up
the custom just because you say so
It's not people I'm thinking of, Bimala
You know I'm not like others
I don't think conventions
ought to be followed blindly
If I could persuade you to meet
my friends, I'd feel very proud
"Friends" meaning him?
Sandip is certainly a host in himself
I have no wish to meet
someone who fleeces you...
on some pretext or other
Sandip works for the country
He's gifted, but he lacks money
If my money helps me share his
good deeds, that's to my advantage
How does he work for the country?
Swadeshi
Do you know the world?
Of course. They often use it these days
Boycott foreign goods, buy Swadeshi
Swadeshi salt, Swadeshi sugar...
You know so much?
Don't I read the newspaper?
Do you know the reason?
I do
Tell me.
Sit here and tell me
Yes, Mr. School master
Tell me what's behind Swadeshi
The Governer-General has split up Bengal
Hindus and Muslims
lived peacefully together;
he's driven a wedge between them
You seem to forget that
your wife has been educated
I know English; why
shouldn't I know these facts?
Sorry madam, sorry
Well, Sandip is a leader
of this Swadeshi Movement
Aren't they the ones who
shout "Hail Motherland!"?
Yes.
"Hail Motherland"
This one cry has set
the whole nation astir
But for one person
- he is not stirred
It takes a lot to stir me, Bimala.
Although I certainly don't
approve of Lord Curzon's policy
I think it's villainous to set
Hindus and Muslims against each other
Don't the Swadeshis
burn foreign clothes?
They do
They'll certainly consign
this sari to the flames...
if they lay hands on it
Do you know where the yarn for
this comes from? Manchester
Really?
Most of the objects on this
dressing-table come from abroad
This brush is foreign...
the mirror... the comb...
you hairpins...
Those perfumes are from France
These bottles are foreign cut glass
The table's foreign, too
Most of the furniture here comes
from Lazarus, a British company
Really, and we don't give it a thought
What do you think we should do?
Why not ask Sandip? He is coming here
Really? When?
Shortly
He'll be my guest. He'll
hold a meeting in our quadrangle
I think you'll enjoy meeting him
Why?
Something about him appeals to women
He's had quite a few affairs
And not all the women were Swadeshi
But he's not married, is he?
He has no time for it, he says
Domesticity doesn't suit him
He has a restless nature.
Quite my opposite
Why should I enjoy
meeting your opposite?
You may not enjoy it, but
you may find it instructive
I'm happy in my seclusion
I have no wish to be
like the classical heroines
I was unprepared for the
incident that followed in a few days
Such a shock Mr. Choudhury
To think that they do this to me
School Boys did it, Ms. Gilby
I know the face, they
smile at me, greet me...
Good morning madam,
Good morning madam Gilby
Now say, I don't know what came over them
From the church on the way home I
passed standing outside the grocery store
I smiled at their men
one of them pick up a stone
I was amazed to hear the woman speak.
It is Sunday today.
That is why she had
gone to the Church today.
On her way back..
..one of the school boys..
..threw a stone at her..
..and caused a wound on her head.
This is the effect of
the nationalist movement.
The people of the nation have poison
in their mind against the English.
That is why a helpless
person like Ms. Gilby..
..is in danger today.
I could understand..
..that I couldn't be an
English madam anymore.
You have been so good to me.
You have been..
Even you have been.
Miss Gilby went away
A few days later the Swadeshis arrived
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
There he is. Those boys are
bearing him on their shoulders
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Friends!
You all know why we're
assembled here tonight.
A grave crisis has
shattered the peace of Bengal
Lord Curzon, with one stroke
of his diplomatic sword...
has severed Bengal in two
The spirit of solidarity...
which had bound the
two religious groups...
in the east and west of Bengal...
had become a source of
grave concern to our rulers
The split has cut at the
very roots of this solidarity
Now we all know what the
policy of our rulers is:
divide and rule, to bring about a
rift between the two communities...
and thereby
strengthen their own hands
The power of our British rulers...
is matched by their arrogance
The political leaders of Bengal...
rose as one man
against the Partition
But our rulers paid no heed to them.
We lacked the means to prevent our
rulers from carrying out their design
But our rulers failed to realize that
we can meet diplomacy with diplomacy
Our strategy will not
only confound our rulers
It will ultimately bring
prosperity and help our people...
stand on their own feet
This is the practice of Swadeshi
I call upon all of you: men
and women, rich and poor...
rulers and subjects
- take the solemn vow
Boycott all foreign goods...
and open your arms to Swadeshi
Our rulers have so far
thwarted all our efforts...
to develop our resources
We have been forced to
buy foreign cloth,...
foreign salt, foreign sugar
Have you ever
considered how many articles...
in daily use are made here?
I don't know if you've seen the
big foreign stores in Calcutta.
I have
Their profusion of goods and the
prosperity they enjoy is staggering
Haven't we the right to ask...
why our wealth should fill
the coffers of our foreign rulers?
Who has given them this
right of exploitation?
Is this not at the root of our poverty?
Is it not our duty to put
and end to this extortion?
Has not the time come
to wipe out this shame?
If we remain indifferent, if
this robbery continues...
what kind of future can
we expect for our country?
So I say: the time for action has come
Let us all take the
solemn vow of Swadeshi
And the great cry from the heart
that will launch us on this task
The sacred-mantra that will
rock the throne of our rulers
Come, let us all chant that
mantra and, braving all peril,
dedicate ourselves to the
service of the Mother land!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Tell me the tale that to me was a dear
Long long ago... Long ago...
Tell me the tale that to me was a dear
Still singing English songs after
that impassioned nationalist speech?
What should I sing, then?
Kirtans, songs about
the Lord Krishna...
'Gentle she walks, The Beauteous One'
'Radiant as the moon The Beauteous One'
'It goes away.'
That's better
I must say, he speaks
well; the way he turns phrases
He was good at debate in college
'Her smile sends ripples of delight'
The boys in saffron
made a pretty picture
That makes the Love-God swoon
How long will he stay?
He'll go to Rongpur tomorrow
He'll work from there
Do you want to meet him?
What's the use?
I'll have nothing to say
Say nothing. He'll do all the talking
Suppose he asks me about Swadeshi?
Tell him what you think
He certainly seemed to make sense
Tell him so
I'm sure he'll be shocked if I
wear one of my fancy jackets
What do you think I should wear?
On the 15th of November, 1907
the young mistress of the house...
of the Choudhurys
defied convention...
a trod the passage
to the outer apartments
Greeting
Your speech has inspired my wife
to take up the cause of Swadeshi
You must be joking
It's the truth
Come with me.
Sit down.
Sit down, Sandip
What happened?
Sit down.
At first I couldn't believe my eyes
Now I can't believe my ears
My husband is exaggerating
Even if only a fraction is true,
I'll be more than happy
Whatever I may
accomplish as a politician...
you have already
achieved a social revolution
And I know what that means
I also realize that you're
no mere shadow of your husband
You have a mind of you own
Nikhil never takes me seriously.
Go on like that and
she'll be walking on air
You can't stop me
As a politician I'm brazen
about seeking support for my cause
I haven't yet succeeded
in persuading a woman...
but should that ever happen,
I'd be delighted
Women have this rare
quality of intuition
I admire it greatly
Man's powers of reasoning pale beside it
What do you say, Nikhil?
Tell him what you thought of his speech
Oh yes.
I was going to ask you
Tell me.
Did it sound like drivel to you?
Come on, don't hesitate
I haven't had much time to think
That's precisely why I'm asking you
Thinking is for him; you tell
me what comes from your heart
Forget about making
sense when you speak.
I feel that if the British have
done wrong to split up Bengal...
then we should not let it pass
If Swadeshi can shake them
a bit, then we should do it
Yes, yes.
Of course, it won't help if only
a few people take up the cause
But if the whole country wakes
up to it, then we may succeed
Absolutely.
Bravo! That is exactly what we aim at
That is what our battle-cry
is for: Hail Motherland!
Awaken the nation. Isn't
there magic in those two words?
Have you tried them?
Please do.
You need not raise
your voice; softly will do
As a matter of fact, when
all of you gave that cry,
I felt a...
Thrill?
A shiver down the spine
That's as it should be
Do you know, your husband does
not believe in our battle-cry?
What do you say, Nikhil?
I don't believe in artificial stimulants
Artificial stimulants?
If you want people who've
never thought before...
about their country's problems...
how can you do
without artificial stimulants?
But the work comes first, Nikhil
And the battle-cry
provides the incentive to work
Don't you know how the
Marseillaise stirred...
the French revolutionaries?
What we need most today is
to rouse the people to action
Our poets write Swadeshi
songs to inspire the people.
Do you know any?
"You will break bonds of rules."
'You think you are
strong enough to break...
the bonds that destiny has tied?'
"You think you can make or
break us according to your will?"
"You think you can
break the bond of destiny."
"You think you are so powerful."
"You think you are so powerful."
'You think you can make or
break us. You have this pride."
"You think you can
break the bond of destiny."
"You think you can
pull us back forever."
"And keep us under you."
"You think you can
pull us back forever."
"And keep us under you."
"You don't have the strength."
"You don't have the strength."
"We will not accept those rules."
"You think you can
break the bond of destiny."
"You think you are so powerful."
"You may burden us with constraints."
"But there's one mightier than you"
"You may burden us with constraints."
"But there's one mightier than you"
"You may pride yourself on you might."
"But even the weak can summon strength"
"Rob us of our strength.
And you dig your own grave"
"Rob us of our strength.
And you dig your own grave"
"Your boat will surely sink
under the weight of your own quilt"
"You think you can
break the bond of destiny."
"You think you are so powerful."
'You think you can make or
break us. You have this pride."
"You think you can
break the bond of destiny."
"You think you can
break the bond of destiny."
"You think you are so powerful."
Wow.
I grant that it's an admirable song
Oh my God.
What's all this?
Swadeshi tea: Darjeeling
But there's a lot more than just tea
You must have some sweets, too
And they're not only Swadeshi,
Bimala made them herself
Then I have to taste one
I haven't yet got over
my weakness for sweets
Nor for foreign cigarettes, I can see
Out of the question! Do you
know the Swadeshi brands?
Unthinkable!
Can't you give up smoking?
Smoking?
Haven't you the will-power?
Okay.
You join our party and I'll stop smoking
Sugar?
One if it's foreign two if it's Swadeshi
What are your plans now?
Your neighbour land owner
Harish Kundu, has sent word
They'll have a
bonfire of foreign clothes
He wants me to conduct
the ritual, so I must go
Do you know that for me the one
stumbling block is your husband?
He refuses to help the cause
You'll find many landed gentry
around here to help the cause
Why not leave my estate alone?
You see, not a shred
of patriotism in him!
Anyway.
So tell me.
Are you joining our party or not?
Don't worry, you don't have
to sign a pledge or anything
You'll stay exactly as you are
I'll come to you in case of need
What is it? Tell me.
Well? Yes or no?
All right
Good.
Well, I must go now
Must you?
There's work to do; my
boys are waiting downstairs
Mrs. Choudhury, this is
truly a memorable day for me
Only one request; trust your intuition
- Don't let this gentleman guide you
Don't worry, Sahib
From now on, my wife is a free agent
Splendid
Okay. Shall I leave?
I'll come along with you
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
You haven't told me yet
What?
What you thought of my friend
But we've only met once
I think the less one knows
Sandip, the better one likes him
You seem to have so little in common;
I wonder how you ever became friends
That's not unusual, Bimala
Friendships are not
worked out mathematically
We've been friends since college
It's not that we had nothing in common
We both decided to have nothing
to do with irrational conventions
He was even more radical than I
When his parents
arranged a bride for him...
he was so annoyed he
severed all ties with them
Soon after we were married he
asked to be introduced to you
He would remind me from time to time
Finally he said:
"I don't believe a word of what
you say about your wife"
And do you know what he said today
What?
I shall not tell you
- Why not?
What can he say after
such a brief meeting?
I can say a lot more
But you never do
Do I have to? Don't
you have your intuition?
Madam
What is it?
A letter from Mr. Mukherji
I hope the rule was
not broken for just a day
Can I see you for a moment?
Tell him I'm coming
Okay.
When Krishna's flute
beckons so, I must go
Hail Motherland!
My husband's not in
I did not ask for him, I asked for you
Won't you sit down?
You have eluded me for years;
..you mustn't keep your distance now
Sit beside me
That's it
What's the matter?
I can't believe it
Ever since you married, Nikhil has
said he would introduce me to you
I didn't believe him
Even now I find it hard to believe
Until now I've only heard
of your many accomplishments
You've learnt English from a memsahib
You love books, needlework, cooking
I even know your favourite dishes,
what flowers you like...
I also know something else
You resent the fact...
that I borrow money from Nikhil
So you really are no stranger to me
But I never imagined I'd
one day find myself....
sitting by your side
Did you go to Rongpur?
- I did
How was the trip? -Splendid
That's why the first thing I
wanted this morning was to see you
Don't you have to go again?
Where?
Rongpur. Isn't that your base?
That was the idea, but not any more
No?
Let me tell you frankly,
I want to be near you when I work
Like the worker bee
working for the queen;
.. you'll be Queen Bee
Do you mind?
But won't you find it inconvenient here?
That's true
Nikhil will not approve, I think
But the thing is...
I have in me...
a stubborn streak
I can't accept Nikhil's attitude at all
I want to spread the
cause of Swadeshi right here
And I want your help
But I really know
nothing about your work
I know that you make
speeches Is that all?
That's one of the main
things; persuasion can work wonders
Wait.
If you really want to know
about our work, read this
You will know
everything when you read this.
"Our Struggle"
I'll certainly read it
May I tell you something now?
One of the biggest markets in
this area is here, in Suksayar
So I've heard
It's the only market in the district
..where foreign goods
are still being sold
Elsewhere the landowners
have stopped their sale
But Nikhil hasn't done so
I'll do my best to right that...
but with your help my
task would be much easier
I'm afraid you
over-estimate my capabilities
Not at all
Nikhil may be my friend,
but he's your husband
You have much more hold on him
My husband is not easily swayed
I know, but I think he'll listen to you
I know how much you mean to him
Will you try just once to persuade him?
Nikhil's tenants would not
dare go against his will
He has only to tell them not to
bring foreign goods into the market
And if I fail to persuade him?
I'd be happy if you only tried
If you fail, I'll use other means
Not without Queen
Bee's knowledge, of course
Can I depend on you?
I'll try
The more I see you...
the more I'm filled with admiration
I think I'll...
You may go now
Listen.
There's something...
This is one foreign
object which I shall keep
Did you see Sandip today
Yes
How is he doing?
He's worried
Why?
You don't take kindly to his Swadeshi
Nonsense
He's free to work for his cause...
..as long as he leaves my estate alone
He says he'll stay here
Stay here?
That's what he says;
stay here and work here
That wouldn't be right
But everyone has taken up
Swadeshi; why can't you?
That notion would mean throwing
all foreign goods out of the market
Harish Kundu can do that I can't
Surely the market belongs to you
No, Bimala, the market
belongs to the traders;
.. they're people of small means
Foreign goods are
cheaper and of better quality
Naturally, the poor prefer to buy them.
How can I force them not to?
Swadeshi is for those who can afford it
What are you thinking?
Can't we have...
Swadeshi so that
the poor don't suffer?
If we could, I'd certainly support it
You think the very
idea of Swadeshi is wrong?
Even if I do think it is wrong,
who will listen to me?
You yourself felt that Sandip was right;
many others will feel the same
But I believe that coercing the
poor can only harm the country
I can see you're not convinced
I was looking at it differently;
I felt something had to be done
Even if it meant hardship for the
poor now, it'll help in the long run
Swadeshis do care for their country
I believe that what they care for
is an abstract image of the country
The country as the Mother Goddess
Worship the Mother,
work for the Mother
dedicate your life to her sorrows
I know the notion is
bound to appeal to women
I know very well how you feel
But I can't feel the same way
What you were saying tonight
were they your own thoughts?
Why this question?
No.
I felt you were speaking for Sandip
Sandip is your friend, not mine
I thought you had teamed up in
right earnest to work for the cause
He working in public,
you on the domestic front
What an idea!
Will you have daily meetings?
After pressing me to meet your friend,
..you can spare me the insinuations
Sorry, Bimala.
I asked a simple question,
Bimala; I didn't insinuate anything
Very well, if it upsets you so much,
I shall not go outside
You're making a mistake
Why should I be upset?
After all, I know you both so well,
and why shouldn't you go out?
Because I don't want to
You're being unreasonable
I've been out twice; I
don't have to go out every day
Very well
I don't mind if you go or don't go.
I shall not force you
I've told you you're
free to do as you please
But I must tell you one thing
If you say you'll give up
wearing foreign clothes...
or do without your perfumes,
your shoes, your soap...
I won't mind at all
But clamping down on poor traders..
..means abandoning a
principle I hold dear
That I can never do
Swadeshi is something
I can't take lightly
The weak say:
that which has
fallen to my share is mine
And the impotent assent, but
the lesson of experience is;
only that which I can
snatch away by force is mine
My country is not mine
simply because I was born here
It becomes mine only when I
am able to win it by force
The funeral pyre
celebrates the last rites...
of foreign commerce in your village
These ashes are sacred
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
An urgent matter. Touching the cause
Please give this to Mrs. Choudhury
Okay.
Madam is unwell, Sir
I see
You know the Headmaster, don't you?
Good morning. I hope you are well
Not while you're about
How is that?
His students have
disappeared since you arrived
But you must admit that to work for
one's country helps to shape character
One of my students hit Mrs.
Choudhury's governess,
Miss Gilby, with a stone
Does that, too, come
under shaping character?
But that was before I came
here; you can't blame me for that
And you must admit that
such stray incidents...
are inevitable in times of upheaval
You've roped in my
best student, haven't you?
Who?
Amulya? - Yes.
He'd have won a
scholarship if he'd sat his exam.
You prevented him
Amulya? I didn't rope him in,
he joined of his own accord
And what about our rowdies and
shirkers? They've joined, too
They're not shirkers any more, sir;
..they're working for the cause
With two exceptions, everyone
here is working for the cause
The exceptions are you
and your ex-student Nikhil
I regret that I
couldn't persuade him to join
Like you, he turns a
deaf ear to Swadeshi
No, only to your brand
of destructive Swadeshi
He practiced Swadeshi
long before your time
And he needed no battle-cries
to bolster him. You know nothing
Do you know of his Swadeshi bank?
Of his sugar factory, his soap factory?
Do you know he set up his own
looms for weaving Swadeshi cloth?
Where were you and your
Hail Motherland! then?
Do you know how much he
spent on his Swadeshi?
Do you know something?
- It is okay, sir.
You stay out of this!
These things must be told
But that's just what I tell him;
if you and I have the same aim...
why not join us?
It's no the same aim at all
You aim to be self-seeking leaders;
you don't think of the people at all
Nikhil's devotion was selfless
You are being feted
Nikhil was ridiculed
he had no head for business,
so his Swadeshi didn't last
But his was the right way Yours is wrong
It's more than wrong; it's harmful
Dangerous.
Give it to me.
I'll drop by in the evening
Oh my God.
I implore you, Nikhil, keep
that headmaster out of my way
I've come here to make speeches
not to suffer them
I believe you're
planning to stay here and work
I'm going to speak in
your market this afternoon
That's where the challenge is
Not where the land owner
himself supports Swadeshi
Not there.
But remember: most of my
tenants are poor muslims
I don't want them to be harassed
If I see that happening, I
will be forced to intervene
If they prove to be stubborn,
I shall have to take measures
many Muslims have accepted Swadeshi
They've been compelled to...
It'll happen here
I've said what had to.
What you do now is up to you
You all know that the
British have by law...
divided Bengal into two
This amounts to erecting a
wall between Hindus and Muslims
They have not given us the
right to break this wall
But to foil the government we
have chosen a different path
One important way...
is to stop selling
foreign goods in our markets
The things you sell: salt, sugar,
cloth, articles of daily use...
are all foreign products
Because you sell them,
foreigners grow rich...
and Indians become poor
This is wrong, it must not go on
So far we have
tolerated this, but no more
Indian substitutes for foreign
goods are not always available
So you have had to
trade in what there is
If we make sacrifices and
produce Indian goods...
we shall overcome these difficulties
Friends, come forward...
so that we may avoid the
division of Bengal and we may regain...
our self-esteem
See this circle before me
Throw your foreign goods
into the circle of flags
Indian substitutes will be made
Manufacturers have come forward
Do not fear of losing your livelihood
Today's loss will not be lost for ever
Get rid of your foreign goods
The land that gave you birth,
the land that you love...
help that land
Cloth from foreign mills, sugar...
salt, soap...
scissors and knives...
Surrender them in the
noble cause of Swadeshi
We beseech you: don't just sit there
Come ahead and help in
the cause of Swadeshi.
Let the Maharaja come and tell us
We won't listen to you
Your Maharaja is my friend.
I am his guest
Isn't that proof enough
that I have his support?
If we poor traders have
nothing to sell, we'll starve
We've tried selling
Indian goods. Nobody buys them
You have money.
It's easy for you to say
don't sell foreign goods
We're poor. How can we
live without our trade?
It's clear that persuasion
won't work in Nikhil's estate
We have to use other means
Any compromise would
cripple our movement
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
This is Mr. Sanyal
Greetings.
Come on.
Were those snatched from the villagers?
Yes. German wrappers
Sit down.
You may enjoy bonfire, but
those fellows may have you up
We'll set fire to their crops if they do
Can't we try picketing?
It's worked elsewhere
Picketing won't work here; I
know what works and what doesn't
Sit down.
An English brand, I see
One item where I draw
the line at Swadeshi
May I try one?
Sure.
These people won't
take persuasion, Amulya
They've been pampered too much
Listen.
I've been Manager of this estate since
the time of the
present landlord's father
The father was a tough one;
the trouble is with the son
If only he'd been firm,
he could have brought
these fellows to their knees
It would be plain selling for you
Tell me how you can help
If you can't stop the
influx of foreign goods...
you can't stop the trade in them
Those boats bring in the goods;
you have to deal with the boatmen first
Can you do that for me?
The trouble is, the
boatmen's leader is a stubborn fellow
What's his name?
Mirjan. A Muslim.
He's a hard nut to crack
Can't he be brought round?
There's a way round everything,
Mr. Mukerji
A boat which sails is
also a boat which sinks
But this is where you
need more than words
You need...
Money?
We have to stop tongues wagging,
pay compensation...
bribe the police
- it all needs hard cash
It's not that we haven't money
- and more can be raised
Then you can rely on me
I'll do the dirty work all right...
but if it proves awkward for you,
..you'll have to fend for yourself
You need not worry about that.
But if I find myself in trouble...
I'm not taking all the blame
I mean to preserve this letter from you
I didn't go. He asked for me
I gave an excuse and stayed back,
but what good did it do?
All day yesterday I kept thinking of him
Why should this happen to a woman who
never had a thought of any man...
except her own husband?
You didn't say you
wanted the fish cooked, madam
Make curry with ground mustard-seed
Younger madam.
Yes, Nanku?
A letter for you
Are you better?
Yes, thank you
This boy from our group
is very keen to meet you
You've seen me once when I was
little; I came with my mother
What is your mother's name?
- Soudamini Devi
You're Nibaron Ghosal's son?
Yes. My name is Amulya
How old are you?
Seventeen. I was about to
sit my final exam, but I didn't
Because of Swadeshi?
Amulya is a good worker
He knows the Gita
Really?
Here it is.
Do you always carry it?
Always. The Gita gives one courage
Even to die for one's country
Aren't you afraid to die?
Even when a man dies, his soul lives
It always remains constant.
Soul doesn't get destroyed.
Only the body does.
Even if a man dies,
soul never dies, sister.
You may go now
Mr. Mukerji said you believed in
Swadeshi. I wanted to pay my respects
I am leaving, sister.
I'll come again.
- Please do
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
I am leaving.
What are you thinking?
Is there any danger to
your life in the work you do?
Since we set ourselves
against our formidable rulers...
there certainly is
But my boys are a plucky lot
My courage doesn't match theirs
That's a strange
confession from a leader
Sometimes the truth comes out
Now may I have a bit of truth from you?
What?
After so many years, why suddenly
decide to come out of seclusion?
Don't you know why?
How should I know?
You ought to know, you're a man
But you haven't a woman's intuition
Will you tell me why?
I'd never been face to
face with a leader before
I fear the leader may have let you down
Not so far
You play the piano, too?
I was taking lessons.
Piano... singing...
English songs?
"That to me were so dear."
"Long, long ago. Long, long ago."
"Same are the songs."
"I am delighted to hear."
"Long, long ago. Long, long ago."
"Long ago."
Yesterday...
I had a feeling that
you were not really well
I racked my brains
all day trying to guess
What had I done or said to annoy you?
You haven't told me yet why you called
I just wanted to see you
Is that the reason?
I didn't see you yesterday and it
turned out to be a dismal day for me
My pride as a leader was badly shaken
The people won't listen to you?
Sometimes words are not enough
Why do you do then?
- Try other ways
May I know what ways?
Because my husband's
not going to help you
Has Nikhil said so?
Do you know what I feel sometimes?
To hell with Swadeshi!
I'll spend my life chatting to Queen Bee
With me? You?
Would you mind?
Why laugh?
It's so absurd
You're not the type to
spend even an hour chatting
You're right
The truth is...
I need politics
as much as I need you
I don't want you to give up at all
My husband and I don't
see eye to eye on this
He has many gifts and
I admire him for them
But he is much too placid
You can't afford to be
so at a time like this
I entirely agree with you
My husband says you
don't think of poor...
so you can't really
do the country any good
I don't believe you'll hurt the poor
You'll do as much as
possible with persuasion
But the problem is...
persuasion doesn't always work
You need more than that.
- What do you need?
Let's not talk about that.
- I want to know
I don't want to talk about
mundane matters with you
Why?
I want no note of
discord in our relationship
But I'd be really happy to help
This is beyond you, Queen
Haven't you seen me
going beyond myself?
I know you can go a long way.
Even so, I'd rather not talk about it
Then there's no reason for me to stay
I am leaving.
Please, don't go away like that
If I'm not needed for the cause,
then I'm just wasting my time here
I didn't wish to cause
you anxiety for my sake
Is politics, my work, the
only thing we must talk about?
Promise you'll tell
me if you need money,
..and you'll take it if I give it
I promise
I will give my word,
Mukhi. I am giving my word.
I'll come again this evening.
Please wait for me here
I hate having to send for you every time
Let go of me
Promise that you'll come to me everyday
I must see you at least once every day
There's nothing
wrong in that. Promise me
All right
Please let go of my hand. I want to go
Khemi, do the room later
Gently she walks, the Beauteous One
Back so early?
What are you gawping at?
What is there to gawp at
but you? Such goings on!
Such tender concern for our guest;
enough to make him stay for ever
In our time we had to
look after our husbands, too
If only my brother-in-law were a
guest here, he'd be warmly welcomed
I don't want any advice from you
I was a small girl when
I came here as a bride
Your husband was my playmate then
Where were you then?
You need not repeat what I already know
He was the only one who felt for me
He used to say:
"We're still in the Dark Ages,
that's why you suffer so"
"For you, having a husband is
just as painful as losing one
"My wife shall be a
free woman ", he'd say
Well, I see the free
woman before my eyes
But don't forget, dear sister,
there is a God above us...
and He has eyes, too
I believed I had strength to bear...
whatever misfortune
Fate had in store for me
I would call up visions of
suffering and steel myself against them
Visions of poverty,
imprisonment, dishonour, death...
even Bimala's death
But one thing I could
never imagine happening
Now I keep asking
myself again and again..
..have I the strength to bear this?
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
What do you want?
We have some questions
Hail Motherland!
Why don't you clear our
market of foreign goods?
I have a reason
You'd lose by it?
Not me, but the poor would lose
The country will gain.
We've given up foreign
goods for the country's sake
How can you compare
yourselves with the poor?
You can afford to
spend more on Indian goods
The poor do not stand in your way.
Why do you stand in theirs?
You want to oppose a nation
that's taken the vow of Swadeshi?
It's beyond my power to do so
But how can you say the
nation's taken your vow?
Aren't the traders part of the nation?
So you won't throw out foreign goods?
No, because the
goods do not belong to me
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
No, I think this is the one.
What are you looking for?
Passiflora. Didn't you have a phial?
Have you been sleeping badly?
One sleeps less as one grows older...
but lesser these last three nights
Here it is
Please keep the phial
Thank you.
I don't like it, Nikhil
I have grave misgivings
about the way things are shaping
Everyone knows that Sandip
is your friend and your guest
Soon they'll believe that
whatever he's doing has your sanction
Don't you realise the terrible
consequences it may have for you?
The consequences can
already be felt, sir
That I'm a lackey of the British...
that I don't force Swadeshi
.. on my tenants for
fear they'd stop paying rent
No, no.
Don't let that worry you
Nothing can touch you as long
as you have a clear conscience
But the portents are bad, Nikhil
Muslim preachers from Dacca are
going around setting on the peasants
Do you keep a check on those?
I've read about it in the papers
What's to stop them coming here?
Nothing
So?
If anything should happen,
..how could we put all the
blame on the preachers?
What about our own responsibility?
Think how we ourselves
have treated the poor Muslims
Have we even given them
their dues as human beings?
That's true, but what's to be done now?
I'll go around
I'll see for myself. Rumours can mislead
Can't you have a word
with the Magistrate?
I don't think he'd mind a riot;
that would make short work of Swadeshi
There is one thing you can do
You can at least root out
the source of the trouble.
Why let Sandip stay?
I thought he'd leave his own accord
But now...
Leave? Why?
With all the comfort and
protection he enjoys here?
Besides, you've done him a special
favour, introducing him to your wife
Isn't he taking full advantage of that?
I'd no idea he'd changed so much
All this adulation has turned his head
I think it comes from a
deep sense of frustration
With all his gifts, he
couldn't really accomplish anything
Sometimes I feel pity for him
This is no time for pity, Nikhil
You can't bring
yourself to be firm with him,
..because he's close to you...
but I fail to see why you
vacillate at a time like this
You would see if I
told you... but I can't
Remember this?
It's from my factory
You've saved it?
Not just the soap
Towels, pens, matchboxes
- everything
Did you ever use it?
It's no good for anything,
not even for washing clothes
What foolish notions I had then
You still have
You freed her from her moorings,
now look where she's drifted
That was no foolish notion
You still insist?
If she likes what she's doing,
then that's the kind of person she is
I could stop her from going,
but it wouldn't change her
You can teach a child,
but not the grown-up
The husband is the master
Bending her to my will would not help
At least get him out of the way;
he's not a friendly friend, is he?
It would certainly do my estate
good to get him out of the way
But I'm selfish enough
to think of myself, too
I can't help it. I must
If he goes, you'll
find her back by your side
And I would find her regretting it
Because she would not be
doing it out of choice
That would be unbearable
As much for her as for me
I can't do it
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
What is the matter?
Why so late?
That was a lot of work, Mr. Mukherji
There's a play at Chandrapur tonight;
I had to wait for the boatmen to go
These jobs can't be
done with people around
Mirjan's boat?
Good
But when he comes back and
finds his boat missing...
it won't take him to
put two and two together...
and then he'll come
groveling to you and beg for compensation
Keep 5,000 or so handy
I will.
And now a word of advice...
if you don't mind my being frank
Out with it. It's late
I think you should wind
up here fast and decamp
Why?
The outlook's bad
There may be a riot
You may be a leader,
..but you're not exactly
a popular one, you know
They're certainly not
eager to put you on a pedestal
I'll decide what to do, Mr.
Sanyal. You don't have to worry
Onward, sons of India,
the Motherland calls
Onward, sons of India,
the Motherland calls
The strong, the brave, the proud,
to serve the nation's cause
Onward, sons of India,
the Motherland calls
You should give up
politics and take to singing
I once had an idea to go on the stage
It's wonderful to be able to
hold a large audience in your grip
I thought that when I heard
you speak the other evening
Of course...
it's nothing like
winning the heart of a woman
I gather you've won the
hearts of many women...
and not all of them Swadeshi
This is bad!
Has Nikhil told you all this?
Why not? After all, you
know such a lot about me
Youthful indiscretions, that's
what they were - ancient history
I wonder what happened to those women
You shouldn't. I'm longer
the same person, you know
Still, it helps to understand the person
It's not difficult to understand men
It's women who are unfathomable;
one despairs of knowing their minds
You know that song, don't you?
- What song?
"Who can ever fathom a woman's ways?"
"Who can ever fathom a woman's ways?"
"Her silence mean more than what she says"
"She looks at you, then drops her eyes"
"Her silence mean more than what she says"
"She looks at you, then drops her eyes"
"She laughs one moment the next she cries"
"She lingers close,
then leaves you in a daze"
"Who can ever fathom a woman's ways?"
"Who can ever fathom a woman's ways?"
Is that why you haven't married?
How can I marry if I can't
find a woman after my heart?
I waited a long time for you
last night. You didn't come
Forgive me, Queen. I was
very busy; I got back late
What were you busy with?
- The cause of Swadeshi, of course
Making speeches?
- Oh, no
What, then?
Winding up. I can't stay
here for ever, you know
We have to be on the move, campaigning
You'll go away?
I must, sooner or later
What if Queen Bee doesn't let you go?
Then no one would be happier than I,
but I'm not thinking of going yet
There are problem to be cleared up
Tell me
What?
How much money?
Tell me.
About five thousand, Queen. We
spend more than we reckoned on
If I get the money, you'll
have to take it without question
If you say so, but you
mustn't part with your ornaments
When I said money, I meant money
What if I can't repay it?
I don't expect you to. Can't I
do this much for the cause?
I'm worried, Queen
Why?
I seem to have become a burden to you.
But I can't help it. I can explain
You don't have to.
Only tell me one thing
What?
If I give you the money, you won't go?
Do you think I want to leave you?
Then what made you talk of going away?
After all the torment I've
been through, only for your sake
And..
And you?
The Hindus ask you to
join hands with them
They wheedle you, they coax you...
they even use threats
They want you to take
up Swadeshi at all costs
Don't let their words misguide you
Hindus don't care for your well-being
They don't care about you at all.
Their one aim is to keep you
under their heels for ever
Don't forget that in Bengal...
Muslims are in the majority,
Muslims are mostly peasants
The country's wealth...
comes from the land
No part of this wealth
is produced by the Hindus
It's you who enriched them
They have no right to
the fruit of your labour
They use their cunning to
appropriate what you sweat to produce
So, brother Muslims...
do not listen to the Hindus,
don't get mixed up in their politics
Swadeshi is not for you
I've sent for you because you lead
the Hindu community in this village
You are men of discretion and judgement
I think you will appreciate
what I am going to tell you
I trust you will
I only want to say...
while we can hold on to
our own religious beliefs...
we cannot interfere
with the belief of others
Even amongst us Hindus...
a Vaishnava has no right to prevent
a Shakta spilling the blood of animals
So, in order to live by their
own religious convictions...
the Muslims must be left free
The Muslims in this
village never slaughtered cows
We hear they're now doing so
I've heard so, too
But I strongly believe that
they're being forced to do so...
to stir up trouble
between the two sects
I urge you not to add fuel to the fire
They won't stop unless
you put them down, sir.
The good old days are gone
Listen. Muslims are a part of India
This is a fact of history.
You must accept the fact
We can't imagine an
India without Muslims
If we try to put them down, it'll
not only not stop the killing of cows
It may lead to the killing of men
Never more so than in
the present state of unrest
You have a grave responsibility now
I beseech you, I pray you
Do not encourage hatred
To do so now would be to court disaster
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
Nikhil.
Did you hear a shot?
I did.
What now?
I know what must be done
But first,
take my carriage, go home and
come back with your belongings
The roads are no longer safe; I
don't want you to get into trouble
That's all very well, but...
I'll tell Sandip right away
Time's running out; I
must have the money now
What's that?
- Can't you guess?
Money?
Hardly enough.
There can't be more
than 500 in those bags
You must have forgotten,
I asked for 5,000
What is this?
Gold coins?
Gold!
Gold!
You should have told me,
or how else would I know?
Please don't be angry, Queen
Sandip.
I've come to talk to you
- What about?
I don't want you to stay any longer
Things have taken a serious turn;
your presence may make matters worse
I want you to leave
Suksayar by tomorrow morning
Am I supposed to take orders from you?
It's not that
Your leaving for Calcutta will
help you and ease the situation here
I have nothing to do in Calcutta
All the more reason to go
You've done too much here
Don't think I haven't been informed
From setting fire to
the peasants' barns...
to sinking Mirjan's boat
You speak of Hindu-Moslem unity,
but in fact you oppress Muslims
I shan't put up with it any longer
I may not believe in Swadeshi...
but I have true
admiration for some Swadeshi leaders
But not for those whose
actions believe their words
You're harming the country,
not saving it.
This mustn't go on in my estate
There's only one person
here I'm prepared to listen to
Queen, do you want me to stay or go?
Queen.
I'm waiting for your answer
Do you want that I
should leave Suksayar?
Tell me, Queen
I've said what I came to say
I hope I won't have to repeat it
Queen.
What's the matter with you?
All of a sudden..
Is Amulya in your room?
Amulya? - Yes.
Why?
Ask him to see me. It's urgent
Can't you tell me the reason?
No, I'll tell Amulya.
Please send him to me
Very well
Amulya.
Can you do me a favour?
- Certainly
Take the morning train to
Calcutta and return in the evening
Money for the journey is in this box
What box is that?
My jewel case. I need 5,000 rupees.
Sell some of my ornaments
I'll get you the money without that
How? It's not a small sum
I'll get it
No, do as I tell you
But why did you give Mr.
Mukherji 5,000 rupees?
He said he needed 5,000
No, we worked out that we needed 3,500.
If he gets more, he spends it on himself
He's quite a spender; he
always travels by first-class
Mr. Mukherji?
Yes, sister.
He says hardship
saps a leader's strength
Well, I shan't take back
what I've already given
It may be needed later.
You get me the 5,000.
Put the box away. I'll
get you the money tonight
How?
- From the treasury
Are you mad? What about the guards?
But we carry arms
Good heavens!
Working for the country requires funds
Have you no qualms about robbing?
Whose money is it? Mine today,
the moneylender's tomorrow
Why not use it for the cause?
No, Amulya. If you go robbing
treasuries, I'll die of fear
Do as I tell you
Sell as much as you need
to and bring back the rest
And be careful, for heaven's sake
Very well
I am leaving.
Yes.
Queen.
You're going?
Is there any reason for me to stay?
Why do you say that?
Can't you hear the not of discord?
If I've done anything wrong,
please forgive me. Don't go like this
My husband says the less one
knows you, the better one like you
Perhaps I know you too well
Don't say that. Has
knowing me meant nothing to you?
Has it all been in vain?
I believed you'd succeed,
I wanted you to succeed
in what you were doing
But not any more?
No.
Allah is great!
Allah is great!
Allah is great!
Allah is great!
Allah is great!
Allah is great!
Allah is great!
Who is it?
Who is it?
Who is it? Who is it?
Hands up!
Hands up.
Go indoors!
Come on.
Turn round!
Turn around.
Now open the safe
Come on.
Open it and count out 3,500 rupees
What's going on?
What's the hue and cry about?
I don't know. I hope it's not a riot
What are you saying, brother-in-law?
What will happen to us?
We're going to Calcutta
tomorrow; it's no longer safe here
Who is "we"? Aren't I coming with you?
Did I say that?
The Chakravarty's
treasury has been raided
What's to stop them raiding this place?
If they kill me they'll burn my
body by the shriveled banyan.
That's awful
Start packing; and don't
forget your Talking Machine
You're not joking, are you?
Am I the frivolous
type? Don't you know me?
Bimala.
I want to tell you something
What?
There were 5,000 rupees in
gold coins in two bags in the safe
I gave them to Sandip
He needed the money
Now you know how
hard it is to refuse him
I'll replace it
I've given my jewel case to Amulya;
he'll sell ornaments to get the money
I felt bad speaking to
Sandip like that in your presence
But I had to. Things
have taken a bad turn
It's no longer safe for him here
What about you?
Your safety is what
concerns me; no one else's matters
Tomorrow we're going to Calcutta.
All three of us
And if something happens before then?
You won't leave the house, will you?
If something should happen I'd
have to go and intervene, Bimala
I knew
I knew I'd be punished
Punished? Why? You
have not done anything wrong
I can't even ask for forgiveness
But you've come back
to me, haven't you?
What an age it seems since I
last looked at you and spoke to you
What came over me? Why
do such things happen?
You've done nothing wrong, Bimala
For ten years you
didn't look at another man
Why do you forget that?
There's 3,500 rupees here
Please return the jewel
case and the gold coins
Where did you get the
money? Where have you been?
To the sub-treasury at Chakna
I hope nobody saw you
I covered my face
Did you see any trouble?
- There's a riot
Muslims have broken into
the temple of Visalakshi
You're going?
Yes. To Rongpur
Will you come with me?
I must go now
Hail Motherland!
Hail Motherland!
What are you thinking?
Nothing
I don't want to think
I want to forget
All that has happened
in the last few days
Why must you forget?
Come in, Sandip
This is the age of breaking rules.
Your wife came out of seclusion...
and now I've invaded
the privacy of your bedroom
These are your property,
which I duly return
One jewel case and
two bags of gold coins
Jewel case?
Your devotee didn't take it with him,
but he's brought the money
Since you have your valuables,
I hope you won't mind
me keeping the money
Are you going?
Yes, Nikhil. The train to
Rongpur leaves in an hour
You can hear the sound of
riot; Amulya witnessed it
So I must make my proverbial escape;
I must live to finish my work, you know
Don't make the same mistake again.
Can't you see the result of your action
I follow the Gita, Nikhil
I am concerned only with the action,
not with the result
And I consider Ravana to be
the hero of Ramayana, not Rama
So I can't listen to
the followers of Rama
The straight path is not my path
Well, it's time to say good-bye
I'm keeping this as a memento
Who knows if we'll ever meet again?
Good-bye, Nikhil
Queen Bee
Hail Motherland!
Courage, Bimala. I
must go out to them now
I must
Don't stop me. Please
You let him go?
He wouldn't heed us
You witch! You send him to his death!
Have you no pity in
your heart of stone?