Três Mulheres

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.)

Two daughters by Satyajit Ray was my first introduction to Indian cinema. Satyajit Ray has produced a gem of a movie that differs from almost any other Indian films I have seen. Two daughters actually consists of two separate stories based on stories written by Rabindranath Tagore.

The Postman is the better of the two stories. Not giving away the plot, this movie had one of the most heart-wrenching scenes in cinema. The simple, but powerful way Ray pulls his quiet films together at their end makes these quiet films very memorable. Sampati drags out somewhat longer, but has a powerful climax of its own. After years, these two movies have stuck in my memory. I would recommend them to anyone.

Like most anthology films this one from Satyajit Ray, which has as its common theme womans' travails in early 20th century India and based on stories by Rabindranath Tagore, has entries of varying quality. The first, dealing with a stray waif who keeps body and soul together by acting as a servant to the postmaster of a poor village and becomes attached to him as a father figure only to be abandoned when the postmaster returns to Calcutta, is affecting mostly due to the wonderful performance given by the child actor; heart tugging without being cloying. Not easy to do, even with an accomplished adult actor, so credit Ray along with the kid. Problem with it is that it's not long enough (certainly not a flaw often seen in this director's work!). Just when you're starting to see a relationship build between the child and the adult the plug is pulled. Consequently, what should be a heart rending denouement is, at best, bittersweet.

Second entry about an upper middle class woman's marital problems is so dull I wish it were half the length of the first.

Third entry is the best, by far. A triangle between a too controlling mother, her spoiled son, and the "headstrong, crazy" girl (read a woman with a mind of her own) with whom the son is infatuated, the story is well told by Ray with a beguiling combination of comedy and tragedy. And the ending, where both the son and the girl learn to grow up, in their various ways, if they wish to salvage their marriage, is most satisfying.

First film: B Second Film: C Third Film: A

Ergo, let's give it a B.

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.

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.