'Films on Tagore Stories' put together for 150th birth anniversary

New Delhi, May 4 (IANS) 'Khudito Pashan', 'Teen Kanya' and 'Kabuliwala' -- these films are packed together in a commemorative DVD of classic films based on stories written by Rabindranath Tagore. It will be launched on the 150th birth anniversary of the Nobel laureate poet Saturday.

The collection is titled 'Tagore Stories on Film' and the first film in it is Tapan Sinha's 1960 national award winning Bengali film 'Khudito Pashan' (Hungry Stones), based on Tagore's eponymous story.

It is followed by Satyajit Ray's 'Teen Kanya' (Three Daughters). Yet again in Bengali, the film released in 1961 and is based on three of Tagore's stories - 'The Post Master', 'Monihara' and 'Samapti'. The veteran director's 1984 classic 'Ghare Bhaire' (Home and the World), which was nominated in the Cannes Film Festival Golden Palm section, is also included in the compilation.

Then there is critically and commercially acclaimed Hindi movie 'Kabuliwala' by director Hemen Gupta apart from 'Char Adhyay' (Four Chapters), directed by Kumar Shahani. The 1997 Hindi film is a comment on the adverse effects of nationalism and a nuanced interpretation of Tagore's short novel of the same name.

The DVD pack has been compiled by NFDC and a special screening committee on behalf of the National Committee for Commemoration of 150th Birth Anniversary of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, ministry of culture and ministry of information and broadcasting, which commissioned the project so that the people of all regions of India could connect with the poet.

The sixth DVD in the pack includes two documentaries as bonus features based on Tagore's life.

The silent film 'Natir Puja' is a compilation of the footage available of the film that was directed by Tagore. Shot over four days on the occasion of Tagore's 70th Birth Anniversary on 1932, the film also features Tagore in an important role.

The second documentary, called 'Rabindranath Tagore', was made by Satyajit Ray in 1961 to celebrate Tagore's birth centenary.