Gora (1938): Bengali Film : Part 1

Gora is based on a novel of the same name by Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941). The film was released in 1938 and was directed by Naresh Mitra. Naresh Mitra was a well known Bengali director, actor and writer who directed 20 films between 1922 and 1957. He was born in british India on May 18, 1888 in Agartala of Tripura province. In this film he also plays the role of Panubabu. Among the other casts are Jiban Ganguly (Gora), Protima dasgupta (Lalita), Devabala, Rajlakshmi Devi (Anandamoyee), and Ranibala (Sucharita). The music director of this film was another well-known poet-songwriter of Bengal - Kazi Nazrul Islam (1899-1976). Naresh Mitra died in Calcutta on September 25, 1968, aged 80. The plot: Gora and Mahim were two sons of Krishna Dayal Babu. From childhood, Bijay and Gora were friends. Through an accident, Bijay was introduced to Paresh Babu's family. Paresh was a Bramhin. So Gora did not like Bijay's visit to that house. Gora's mother was very anxious about Gora's Hindusim. Krishna Dayal was also very annoyed being an orthodox Hindu. As per his father's request, Gora went to Paresh Babu's house. Paresh babu's wife Bhadra Sundari was not happy seeing Gora there. But Gora had a real conflict with Haran Babu. The marriage of Haran Babu and Suchitra was almost fixed. The reason of the conflict was that, Haran Babu always thought of himself to be a social reformer and saviour of Brahma religion. Mahim thought of his 12 year old daughter Shashi's marriage with Binoy. As Binoy was associated with Bramha Samaj, so Gora was against that marriage. But Anandamoyee was so adamant about that marriage that Gora left home and went for a travel to the countryside. In the meantime Haran Babu started writing against Gora, in different news papers with different pen names . Haran Babu organised an agro-industrial conference in Hoogly to help Paresh Babu. There he came to know that Suchitra wanted to know Gora's views and she lost interest in Haran Babu. While travelling Gora was detained at Charghoshpur as the villagers were tortured by the landlord's tax collector. Shekhar Chakraborty designed a conspiracy and sent Gora to jail for six months. Paresh babu's younger daughter Lalita was returning by a steamer. Bijay was also returning by that same steamer, after meeting Gora. Both of them discovered their love for each other. Suchitra clearly said that she had no consent to her marriage with Haran Babu. Seeing his influence diminished Haran babu became furious. He didn't only hesitate to attack Paresh babu because he had allowed Lalita to be associated with a Hindu boy. Hearing that, Lalita declared that she has no objection to marry Bijay even if he did not become a Bramhin. Gora had returned from jail. Hearing Bijay's marriage with Lalita, he became agitated and went to Suchitra's house to discuss. But Gora found that Suchitra had changed a lot. Gora wanted her beside him and his patriotic mission to save the country.