Charulata - Exploration of the Old and New

Satyajit Ray's film Charulata involves a highly dramatic and multi-layered plot. However, the visual shots are kept simple and Ray is able to create an effective balance. Ray adeptly uses Charulata to illustrate the emergence of the "modern woman". In the film, there is a reference to a popular Bengali author, Bankim. In Bankim's text "Woman: Old and New", he reveals that the new woman should be modern in a traditional way. Charulata equally embodies both these qualities.
The film is set during the peak of the Bengal Renaissance and British influence can be seen frequently. …