The Home and the World (Ghare-Baire)

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

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?