Teen Kanya

Teen Kanya / Three Daughters (1961) : Brief Review -

A Classic Poetic and Artistic Woman oriented Anthology by Satyajit Ray. I never knew that Indian Cinema has seen Anthology during 60s decade (please spare me if I'm wrong) before modern filmmaking got recognition in India. So, this idea of making Anthology in early 60s had already left stunned and additionally it has 3 wonderful stories to tell and every single one has got a powerful storyline. Based on popular Indian stories of the great writer Rabindranath Tagore, these short films reveal definitive moments in the lives of three young girls. First is The Postmaster, a story of a pre-adolescent orphan girl who shares a warm bond with the new postmaster who teaches her to write and read. This story ends on such a heart-wrenching note that will definitely leave you dazed. The second one is kind of psychological drama of a married woman who is obsessed with Jewels and her husband who is desperate to get loved by her. This one is titled Monihara and it's very gripping and thrilling ride. The final one is Samapti. Mrinmoyee, a funky teenage girl is married against her choice to a good fella Amu. After marriage she disown this relationship but when husband goes away, she realises the real meaning of Husband-Wife's relationship. If i have to rank these 3 quality wise, then The Postmaster will top the list. Sampati and Monihara to be be followed. Acting, writing, execution and cinematography everything is absolutely Classy. Hats off to Satyajit Ray for giving that much needed experimental Cinematic Classic to Indian Cinema even before Indian Cinema was ready to accept it. This is Indian Cinema's answer to Hollywood filmmaking that how to create a Magical Classic Film out of simple short stories. Overall, a Cult that started another new wave in Indian Cinema.

RATING - 8/10*

By - #samthebestest.

Originally, this movie comprised _three_ separate stories by the legendary Rabindranath Thakur (Tagore); hence the title "Teen Kanya" ("Three Daughters"). However, the subtitling could not be finished in time for a Tagore anniversary, so the middle story, a ghost story, is not included in the videocassette, retitled "Two Daughters." In the two remaining stories, we explore the lives of two girls living in a world not of their making, facing their fates with limited options. The first story, "The Postman," is about a lower-middle-class bourgeois city boy who goes deep into the Bengali countryside to take a job as a village postman. The "daughter" in this story is Ratna (nicknamed "Ratan"), his servant, a little slip of a girl. In the west, this girl, an orphan, not even at the age of adolescence, is a child. How can she cope? What can she look forward to? The second story, "Samapti," is about another girl in rural Bengal, this one a little older. She's what we would call a "tomboy." The life of an adult woman in this society -- a housewife -- wouldn't seem to be much in her taste. She is active, vivacious, lively, brazen, playful. She is known as "Pagli" ("crazy") by the disapproving villagers. But it is these very qualities that attract the attention of Amulya, a young college graduate who has returned home to his widowed mother to be nagged by her to settle down and take a wife -- a traditional, shy, modest, and, in Amulya's view, boring wife. Despite the serious subject of these two stories, they are actually quite funny. The second story is even hilarious, with a couple of near-slapstick sequences. (In the scene in which Amulya breaks the news to his mother as to which girl he really likes, pay close attention to what's happening in the background.)

When the writing is of Kaviguru and the depiction is of Ray, what can it be other than a true Masterpiece! Of the three segments, I like the last one the most. The horror of that segment can be felt if you are really immersed in the movie. If you are watching it just to watch, then you may not feel anything, but if you are really into the film, then you can feel every word.

Without any superior technology, the acting and the depiction of the actors and actresses, and the director, respectively, have made it very real. I am giving it a seven because of my own taste. This piece is from the olden days, and for that reason, the fluidity is missing. But, I have that much sense to call it a MASTERPIECE.

I have been a fan of Ray for a long time and I have seen most of his famous films. This film was not available for some time because the quality of the film was deteriorating so badly that they had to restore the entire film. Originally made with three entirely unrelated short stories by Nobel Prize winner Rabindranath Tagore, the restored version has only two stories of the original three. In both the stories Postmaster and Samapti you will find the inimitable Ray touch. You can see the same neo realistic portrayal of simple lives and events of ordinary people. Postmaster evokes a feeling of pity for the young girl, but at the same time it seems to reflect the strength and courage of ordinary people going about their lives. The second story "samapti", though not as tight as the first (it winds around a bit before it reaches a climactic finish) again pours life into a simple story about a young girl who is reluctant to let go of her childhood and who is pushed into the world of adulthood. Aparna Sen ( Ray finds such beautiful women to play in his movies) plays this part brilliantly. The picturisque Bengal country side comes to life in this colourful black and white film. A must see for anyone who likes films.

In the year of Tagore's centenary, Ray made a documentary about him, and this anthology. Based on three short stories of Tagore, for which he should have got another Nobel Prize I think, the titular women are the central character of the stories. All shot in wide angle cameras, these stories are mostly filmed in rural bengal and the beauty of it enhances through the lens. And speaking about beauty, all the main mans - oops, womans - here successfully make us cry, scared or giggly, accordingly to the different genres of the short films in it. Eventually we will get better supporting characters and awesome ensemble in Ray's films, but this should be noted for writing so much strong and prominent non-lead characters in it.