''Nirjan Saikate'' ( bn, নির্জন সৈকতে) (English subtitle: The Desolate Beach) is a

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...

film directed by Tapan Sinha. It was released in 1963. This movie is an adaptation of the novel by the same name from eminent Bengali writer

Samaresh Basu Samaresh Basu (11 December 1924 – 12 March 1988) was a writer in modern Bengali literature, known for his versatility and vast range of themes. He wrote under the pen name ''Kalkut''. Basu was awarded the 1980 Sahitya Akademi Award in Bengal ...

, who wrote this travelogue under his pen name '

Kalkut Samaresh Basu (11 December 1924 – 12 March 1988) was a writer in modern Bengali literature, known for his versatility and vast range of themes. He wrote under the pen name ''Kalkut''. Basu was awarded the 1980 Sahitya Akademi Award in Bengal ...

'. The film won the Silver Peacock - Best Feature Film at the 3rd IFFI.

Plot

The writer is himself the protagonist. He is on his way to Puri by train. In the course of the journey he gets acquainted with a group of 4 Bengali widows accompanying their niece, also going to Puri. The writer was going to just get out of his day to day Kolkata life whereas these ladies were actually going to calm down their niece who had just suffered a breakup with her lover. The rest of the story revolves around these people and their attraction and involvement with the writer. The writer is amused with them and for his part tries to calm the girl. The story guides us around the different relationships the writer develops with each of the character he meets. The movie tries to show the social taboos for widows and teaches the philosophy that life is ahead of us and not behind. There is a pretty good description of

Puri Puri () is a coastal city and a Nagar Palika, municipality in the state of Odisha in eastern India. It is the district headquarters of Puri district and is situated on the Bay of Bengal, south of the state capital of Bhubaneswar. It is als ...

Konark Konark is a medium town in the Puri district in the state of Odisha, India. It lies on the coast by the Bay of Bengal, 65 kilometres from the capital of the state, Bhubaneswar. It is the site of the 13th-century Sun Temple, also known as t ...

and Rambha. At the time this movie was shot it was possible for Tapan Sinha to shoot inside the Konark sun temple, also the bullock cart way to Konark is an extra for the viewer.

Cast

* Anil Chatterjee as the protagonist -the writer * Sharmila Tagore as the Niece Renu * Chhaya Devi as Sejdi * Ruma Guha Thakurta as Choto bou *

Renuka Devi Begum Khurshid Mirza (Urdu: بیگم خورشید مرزا ), also known by her screen name as Renuka Devi (1918 – 1989), was a Pakistani television actress and a film actress in the pre-partition era. Early life, Family and Educa ...

as Obu * Bharati Devi as Sibi the 4 widows. *

Rabi Ghosh Robi Ghosh ( bn, রবি ঘোষ) (24 November 1931 – 4 February 1997) was an Indian actor known for his work in Bengali cinema. He is known for his comic appeal, though his versatile acting talent brought him success in various kin ...

as a Panda of Puri *

Jahar Ganguly Jahar Ganguly (October 1904 – 1969) was an Indian actor and theater personality. He received Best actor award in 6th Annual Bengal Film Journalists' Association Awards in 1943 for his performance in ''Bandi''. Career Ganguly was born in undivi ...

as the Hotel Owner. *

Nripati Chattopadhyay Nripati Nath Chttopadhyay ( bn, নৃপতি নাথ চট্টোপাধ্যায়; born 1907 – 27 May 1975) was a Bengali actor, known for his role in ''Teen Kanya'' (1961), ''Bhanu Pelo Lottery'' (1958) and ''Dui Bari'' (1963). ...

Pahari Sanyal Pahari Sanyal (22 February 1906 – 10 February 1974) was an Indian actor and singer who is known for his work in Bengali cinema. Sanyal acted in many Bengali films, such as ''Harano Sur'', ''Bhanu Goenda Jahar Assistant'', and ''Shilpi''. B ...

Awards

*The leading 4 ladies of this film -the 4 widows, shared the

IFFI Best Actor Award (Female) The IFFI Award for Best Actress (officially known as the Silver Peacock for the Best Actor Award (Female)) is an honor presented annually at the International Film Festival of India since 2010 to an actress for the best performance in a leading ...

in 1965 at the 3rd IFFI. *Audience Award, Sydney Film Festival. * Silver Peacock - Best Feature Film at the 3rd IFFI.

References

External links

* 1963 films Films directed by Tapan Sinha 1960s adventure drama films Indian adventure drama films Bengali-language Indian films Films based on Indian novels 1960s Bengali-language films 1963 drama films Films based on works by Samaresh Basu {{1960s-Bengali-film-stub