The true definition of a classic is its timelessness. One example of this is “Gora”, the biggest novel of Rabindranath Tagore written over a hundred years ago. By any estimate, it is one of the most important novels in Bengali literature. The novel deals with the debate between Modernity and Tradition with arguments both for and against traditionally accepted norms.
The novel has earlier been adapted for a tele-serial. After many years, it is finding air space again, on Doordarshan. To be telecast in 26 episodes in Hindi on DD 1, the series was launched on October 29.
In a press meet in Delhi recently, Tripurari Sharan, Director General of Doordarshan, along with producer Gargi Sen and director Somnath Sen, said the decision to air the series — telecast on Mondays and Tuesdays — was triggered by the 150 years celebration of Tagore’s birthday.
“On his 150th anniversary, people are doing a lot of seminars, plays, cultural events so on and so forth, but we haven’t found anything as significant as the whole series based on the novel written by him. We felt pride in bringing ‘Gora’ for Indian audiences,” said Sharan.
Gargi Sen added, “We are definitely expecting tremendous results from Gora and it will prove a success in getting the audience back to DD.” She said the initial plan was to make a film on the novel but DD was keen on a tele-serial. Gargi Sen is the winner of the International Clore fellowship (2011-2012), U.K. and spent a few months for her secondment at the two Tate galleries in London.
Director Somnath Sen said, “Many questions raised by Gurudev in this novel are relevant today, even a hundred years later. A director’s job is to translate the written word to the screen. And I used the word ‘translate’ deliberately here. I was lucky. If you got a good story and good actors, the director’s work ends there itself.”
