Rakhsha Bandhan special: 5 Bengali films on the incredibly strong brother-sister bond

Bengali cinema has often explored the sensitive dimensions of different forms in relationships in our lives. As Rakhsha Bandhan will be celebrated throughout the country this weekend, sisters will pray for the long lives of their brothers who promise to protect their sisters from all odds. While the charms of this adorable relationship are already in the air, we can’t help but wonder, what are some of the popular Bengali movies that beautifully portray this pure and chaste relationship? Here we have listed five films which have sensitively displayed the brother-sister bond.

‘Pather Panchali’ (A Song of the Little Road) marked Satyajit Ray’s debut as a director. This masterpiece from Ray is a social drama inspired by a famous novel of the same name by Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay. ‘Pather Panchali’ plots a young boy Apu from a poor family and his daily life in a rural Indian village. The film was produced by the then West Bengal government as the legendary filmmaker ran out of money after only shooting half of the movie. The sibling love between Apu and his elder sister Durga is the heart of the film, their scenes of everyday intimacy encapsulate the sweet bonding between a brother and sister. Ray’s camera artistically captures their squabbles and tenderness, whether a huddling during rainstorm or chasing a man selling sweets – it’s better to have a close look at the sweets instead of living in a world entirely devoid of them.

This film was both written and directed by one of Bengali cinema’s iconic figures Ritwik Ghatak and is based on a popular novel by Shaktipada Rajguru. This Bengali classic is based on the infamous 1947 partition of Bengal and how the refugees coped with their tragic fate. ‘Dada Ami Bachte Chai’ (Brother I Want To Live) could still send chills down anyone’s spine, couldn’t it? The way a selfless young woman Neeta (Supriya Choudhury) sacrificed her own happiness for her unappreciative family in the film, it’s like an unmatched one. Shankar (Anil Chatterjee), Neeta’s elder brother and a struggling singer, shares a special relationship with her sister Neeta. They call each other khoka and khuki, a little boy and little girl. When one is mentally down, the other steps in to cheer him up.

This is the last installment of Ghatak's Partition Trilogy. ‘Subarnarekha’ narrates the life story of three refugees in West Bengal: a Hindu man, his little sister, and a low-caste boy. Basically named after the river Subarnarekha, it was actually produced in 1962 but was released in 1965. The partition drama focuses on the dramatic conflicts portraying a strained relationship between brother and sister. Ishwar (Abhi Bhattacharya) fails to come to terms with his sister Sita (Madhabi Mukherjee), as she plans to marry Abhiram (Satindra Bhattacharya), a lower caste young man. Such caste prejudice turns into a key element in the narrative when Ishwar orders Abhiram to leave for Calcutta. When Ishwar asks Sita to meet the family which has come to see her for a possible marriage arrangement, Sita’s refusal results in a patriarchal violence.

Despite being a talented footballer, a jovial, kindhearted Saheb (Tapas Pal) was often bullied by his arrogant brothers. Only his sister-in-law and sister Bulti (Mahua Roychowdhury) cared for him. Saheb had a lot of potentials but lack of support from his family pulled him down. When Bulti's marriage was fixed with a well-educated family and budget of her marriage was too much to bear for the family, Saheb decides to sell his kidney ending his football career keeping his family in the dark. On the day of his sister's marriage when everyone was enjoying, Saheb was fighting for his life. Directed by Bijoy Basu, the family drama turned out to be a commercial hit at that time. Barring the melodramatic scenes, watching ‘Saheb’ with your sister can be an emotional tribute to the sibling bonding.

In a village where football is like religion, Uttam Kumar was cast as a middle-aged man whose day begins and ends with nothing but football. As an owner of a regional football club, he seeks only the champion's trophy. However, the irony is the enemy club’s owner is also desperate to win the match. The match itself turns out to be a fun-filled event when Uttam Kumar's club scores ten goals. Furious villagers interfere and things ultimately take a hilarious turn. It’s no doubt an all-time best Bengali comedy flick; ‘Dhanyee Meye’ also explored the beautiful relationship between a sister and his brother. Sabitri Chatterjee played Uttam Kumar’s wife and beloved sister to Ghanta, superbly played by Tapen Chatterjee. The sibling bonding between the two stood tall among the bone-tickling comedy scenes.