Ahead of a screening of Ghawre Bairey Aaj, National Award-winning director Aparna Sen speaks about the need to include social commentary in films and changing contemporary Indian cinema

The plot revolves around a Leftist student leader, a young Dalit girl, and her liberal editor husband, reflecting the current political turbulence in the country

What about Tagore’s classic, Ghawre Bairey inspired you to revisit the story in a contemporary setting?

Many old classics fit perfectly into what is happening in the world today. In this case, the original story is about how politics affects the intimate spaces in our homes, relationships, and lives. Though it’s a love triangle, it is also very much about two friends, who have been close since their childhood but are now polarised politically. If you look around, you’ll see that happens a lot these days. People are politically polarised and that affects friendships and even family ties and relationships. I’ve made some changes to the personalities of the original characters though. Bimala, the female protagonist, is an upper-caste Hindu woman in the novel. In my film, she is a Dalit woman. We usually show urban societies in our films; talk about upper and middle-class people. The Dalits and tribals remain largely unrepresented. While Tagore’s Sandeep is nationalist, he’s a bit more opportunist and darker than the character in the film, who has shades of grey. I’ve also included some right-wing element to his character because I believe some of these arguments have merit and need to be heard …Click here to read the full story