Binodini is a young widow who lives with a woman and her son, Mahendra, who had once refused to marry her. Their lives are thrown into disarray when there is deceit and adultery between Binodini, Mahendra, his wife and his friend. The book, Binodini, is the story of a young woman, who is left to her own devices when her sickly husband dies soon after they are married. She returns to her village and lives there for a couple of months until she sees one of her relations passing by there on her way to somewhere else. Binodini hails the woman and the two soon agree that it would be best if Binodini came to live with the woman and her son, Mahendra (who, by the way, was one of the first to see Binodini's photo when she was unwed and up for grabs yet refused her on account of his being "unready for marriage"). Now, when the two arrive the woman's son and his new bride are in the throes of passion, constantly sneaking off to be alone together; this infatuation does not last long, however, when Mahendra begins to see that his wife's friend, Binodini, is more his type. The story details the lives of these three and Mahendra's best friend as they deal with certain issues as distrust, adultery, lies, and numerous fallings-out between them. The movie correctly depicts what Tagore so skillfully wrote and is a sad, stirring tale of the deceit and sorrow that come from being unsatisfied and unhappy. —gavin (gunmasterM@hotmail.com) Mahendra is a doctor circa British rule in India, who lives a comfortable life in a city in Bengal (India). He is friendly with a young man, a bachelor named Behari. Both Mahendra and Behari are of marriage age, and do get a lot of proposals. One day they receive a proposal of a young woman named Binodini along with a photograph. Neither of them shows any interest nor even take a look at the photograph. They get news that Binodini has got married. Shortly thereafter, they receive another proposal without a photograph, for a young woman named Ashalata. Behari is asked to check her out for Mahendra - he ends up consenting to marry her, but subsequently let's Mahendra be the groom. A few months later Ashalata gets pregnant, and the family gets the news that Binodini has been widowed only after a year's marriage. Then things get complicated when Ashalata befriends Binodini - and both Mahendra and Behari get attracted to her - so much so that Mahendra is considering separating from his bride - and Behari separating from his bachelorhood - but both in quandary over the social taboo of marrying a widow - and of the present agitation aimed against the British to quit India. —rAjOo (gunwanti@hotmail.com)
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