Charulata (1964)

Shailen Mukherjee: Bhupati, husband

Photos 

Quotes 

• Bhupati Dutta : How do we go on living? Trust, faith - are these just empty words? Is there no honesty? Is it all just a sham and lies?

• Amal : Cousin, "The Lotus" accepted my essay.

  Bhupati Dutta : "Light of the Moonless Night"?

  Amal : No. "Dark of the Sun".

• Bhupati Dutta : The British have a phrase: "the idle rich." I intend to prove them wrong. Just having money doesn't mean you're lazy, does it?

• Bhupati Dutta : You know, when I hear Suren Banerjee speak - Someday I'll explain this business of politics to you.

• Bhupati Dutta : You're very lonely aren't you?

  Charulata : Oh, I'm used to it now.

  Bhupati Dutta : Loneliness isn't something to get used to, Charu.

• Bhupati Dutta : I have my Charulata. I need nothing else. Plays, novels, poetry - I don't need such things.

• Bhupati Dutta : You'll have to work.

  Amal : Work? Oh, that cursed word!

• Bhupati Dutta : Let me see a copy. Twenty-fourth issue of "The Sentinel." Dated, April the ninth, 1879.

  [Amal takes the just printed newspaper out of Bhupati's hands] 

  Bhupati Dutta : Careful! It's still wet.

  Amal : Very nice name.

  Bhupati Dutta : That was Nishikanta's idea. The motto was mine.

  Amal : "Truth Survives." But will the paper survive?

• Bhupati Dutta : You missed the most important thing - my editorial.

  Amal : What's this? Criticizing the government?

  Bhupati Dutta : Why not? Why not, Amal? Why are they carrying on the Afghan campaign? Because England's prestige in Europe is at stake. But India bears the cost. Why? Should we support this? And what about the Press Act? Three years now and they haven't changed it. And what about the Civil Service scheme? What about the Arms Act? The salt tax? The rent tax? The British government is running the country - fine. But the business of running the country, the Indians have no say. Why? There is no representation. They've left no scope for that. Am I wrong to condemn it?

  Amal : What if you're arrested?

  Bhupati Dutta : Why? To be outspoken is not necessarily to be disloyal.

  Amal : Good Lord - sedition!

• Umapada : It's a political paper. No sizzle, no spice. How can it survive without all that?

  Bhupati Dutta : You mean silly satire and saucy news? All the scandals of the marketplace? No, Umapada. No. No. I'd sooner give it all up.

  Umapada : But I need motivation. There's no rudder, no mast. This ship just might sink.

  Bhupati Dutta : We have a rudder! I hold the rudder and I'm not letting go. And our mast? The paper's truth and integrity.

• Bhupati Dutta : You think we can't keep the paper going? The only way is the way of honesty. What you're suggesting isn't honest. It's the way of prostitution.

• Bhupati Dutta : See here, Umapada. You know what this paper is to me? Your sister's rival.

  [laughs] 

  Bhupati Dutta : But don't let that slip to Charulata.

• Bhupati Dutta : England!

  Amal : The land of Shakespeare.

  Bhupati Dutta : Why just Shakespeare? Burke, Macaulay, Gladstone!

• Bhupati Dutta : Big news - an election in England. We're all very excited. The party in power now, the Tories, will never do India any good. So we all want the other party, the Liberals, to win.

  [laughs] 

  Bhupati Dutta : Bipin says he'll offer a prayer for them at the Kalighat temple.

• Bhupati Dutta : My favorite smell: the smell of printing ink.