(b) Novels, Songs and Film about Sundarbans :

 

The Sundarbans has been mentioned in numerous Bengali and English noveles, songs and film. In ‘Manasa Mongal’, the Bengali folk epic menions Netidhopani and ‘Padma Nadir Majhi’, a novel by Manik Bandhopadhaya. Boatman of the River Padma (1993) is an award-winning Indian Bengali feature film directed by Goutam Ghosh. Depicts the rigors of lives of villagers & fishermen. ‘Taan’ (2014) is a women centric film centered on the water prostitutes of Jal Baishya who live in the remote areas of underbans and are abducted and exploited by traffickers living along those areas and unfortunately they have no other option but to become prostitutes. This film based on the story Jal Baishya by Bangladeshi author Al-Mahmud is centred on the lives of these women and the traffickers. Directed by Mukul Roychoudhury (2014). ‘Moner Manush’ (2010) is a Bengali feature film based on the life and philosophy of Lalan, a noted spiritual leader, poet and folk singer of Bengal in the 19th century. Directed by Goutam Ghose, the film has Prosenjit as the lead actor portraying the character of Lalan Fakir. Paoli Dam plays the character of Komli, the key female disciple of Lalan. ‘Ganga’ (1960) is a Bengali film directed by Rajen Tarafdar. This film narrates the life of river fishermen. Panchu is a fisher man. His young nephew Bilash joins the profession who is very short tempered. He want to go to sea and capture fish there. But Panchu is scared of it and does not want to allow Bilash to do so. He arranges the marriage of Bilash with Gardi who used to do fishing in Ichamati River. ‘The Japanese wife’ 2010) The story revolves around a young Bengali village school teacher (Rahul Bose) marrying his Japanese pen friend (Chigusa Takaku) over letters and remaining true and loyal to her throughout his life, while actually never meeting her. Directed by Aparna Sen. ‘Amanush’ (1975) of Madhusudan Roy (Uttam Kumar), Rekha (Sharmila Tagore) and PoliceInspector Bhuvan (Anil Chatterjee). Directed by Sakti Samanta. ‘Antarjali Yatra’ (1987) a novel, Mahayatra by Kamal Kumar Majumdar. It documents the institution of Kulin Brahmin polygamy in nineteenth century Bengal. The film got National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Bengali in 1988. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section the 1988 Cannes Film Festival. Director Goutam Ghose.

 

The part of the plots of Salman Rushdie’s Booker Prize winning novel. A contemporary story of adventure, history, and identity by the Prize winning anthropologist Amitava Ghosh’ 2004 novel ‘The Hungry Tide’ (2005) are also set in
Sundarbans. The Documentary movies viz. 2003 IMAX production’s ‘The Bengal Tiger–Shinning Bright’. BBC TV series (about the honey collectors of Sundarbans) are mentionable. ‘Monpura’ (2010) is film based on romance in a rural scenario. The debut film by Gias Uddin Selim of Bangladesh. ‘Gyentuputra Kamola’ (2012) is the film of Humayan Ahmed's last film before his death. The film was selected as the Bangladeshi entry for the Best Foreign Language Oscar at the 85th Academy Awards awareded. A human film of Bangladesh. Poet Jasimuddin, singar Abbas Uddin Ahmed, Binod Bera, Dhurjoti Naskar, Tusher Kanjilal

 great of Sundarbans. Numerous Bengali folk songs and dances centered on the folk heros, gods and goddesses specific to Sundarbans viz. Bonbibi & Dakhin Roy and to the lower gangetic delta viz. Manasa & Chand Sawdagar are popular.