The Untold Story of Shantiniketan’s Art & Culture - Award Winning Tale

The Art of Shantiniketan – Masters in the Footsteps of Tagore is a heartfelt tribute to Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore’s timeless genius and his artistic journey that began in his sixties. Created by Anita Gurnani and Selina Sen, the film reflects on Tagore’s prediction that paintings and visual art would endure across generations, long after words grew archaic. This short documentary captures the spirit of Kala Bhavana at Shantiniketan, where art, culture, and education blended seamlessly with nature. It traces the Tagore family’s vision behind Visva Bharati University—an institution that connected Indian youth with their cultural roots during colonial times. Through rare archival insights and voices of modern masters like Jogen Chowdhury, Sanat Kar, KS Radhakrishnan, and AR Ramachandran, the film highlights how Shantiniketan nurtured India’s modern art movement. It also features the moving story of artist Chameli, of Chinese descent, who found inspiration in Tagore’s poetry and expressed it through her art in flawless Bengali. In today’s Instagram-driven world, where images often speak louder than words, this documentary resonates even more deeply with Tagore’s foresight. It is not only a celebration of Bengal’s cultural ethos but also a reminder of how Shantiniketan continues to inspire generations of artists and dreamers.