Chitrangada: Ritu and Rabindranath/ চিত্রাঙ্গদা : ঋতু ও রবীন্দ্রনাথ

Abstract

This essay explores the intersection of literature, cinema, and gender identity through a comparative analysis of Rabindranath Tagore’s Chitrangada and Rituparno Ghosh’s cinematic interpretation. While Tagore's Chitrangada transitions from a warrior to an ideal woman for love, Ghosh reimagines the character as a metaphor for gender fluidity and the struggle for self-acceptance. In Chitrangada: The Crowning Wish, Ghosh reflects his own journey as a queer artist, transforming Tagore’s narrative into a modern tale of identity and resistance. The essay discusses how literature offers boundless creative freedom, but cinema, bound by audience and market expectations, requires bold reinterpretations. Ghosh uses cinema not merely to retell a story but to challenge gender norms and societal prejudices, especially against homosexuality and trans identities. His film becomes a powerful statement of individuality and emotional truth, pushing beyond traditional binaries of male and female. This reinterpretation marks a significant step in blending mainstream art with marginalized voices.