NALINI AND RABINDRANATH TAGORE: A LOVE STORY THAT WAS WAITING TO BE TOLD

 

We’re sure you know about Priyanka Chopra going beyond acting with her production house Purple Pebbles Pictures. We’re also sure that most of you know that she’s planning to make a Marathi-Bengali feature film on Rabindranath Tagore. The actor has previously explored Marathi, Punjabi, Bhojpuri, Sikkimese and Goan films. This film, which will be a Bengali-Marathi venture, will be titled Nalini.

The film is said to be based on Tagore’s relationship with Annapurna Turkhud, who is said to have given English lessons to the poet before he left for England for the first time when he 22 years old. A report in Mumbai Mirror quoted National Award winning director Ujjwal Chatterjee as saying, “It was a platonic love story and the film will narrate it from the point of view of a young student, who visits modern-day Santiniketan and sees a picture of Annapurna captioned ‘Nalini’."

The topic is very much every romantic’s dream scene to watch. While Bengalis being very touchy about their ‘icons’ is a well-known fact, we can’t deny that a relation that Tagore, who is considered one of the most beloved poets and writers in the world, took to his heart and one that touched his soul is waiting for a rightful depiction. Chatterjee said that the Chopras, who were keen on knowing how much of the story was factually true, agreed to produce the film after he showed them his research.

“It was a platonic love story and the film will narrate it from the point of view of a young student, who visits modern-day Santiniketan and sees a picture of Annapurna captioned ‘Nalini’."—Ujjwal Chatterjee

Madhu Chopra has also been reported as saying that her daughter wants to produce good movie. "Priyanka wants good stories to reach audiences. Nalini has great potential and is an entertaining subject and we're happy to be associated with it.”

But what do we know about the candid, shy relationship that Tagore had with Turkhud? We’ll let you in on it with whatever we know. Feel free to feel mesmerised with a flutter we hope that Tagore too felt with the young lady.

Annapurna and Tagore’s relationship has been given a vivid account in a fantastic book titled, Tagore—A Life, written by Krishna Kripalani.

A young 17-year-old Tagore, before leaving for England for his studies, stayed for two months in Bombay. His stay, which started in August 1878, was at the household of Dr Atmaram Pandurang Turkhud, who was considered one of the most eminent physicians and also the founder of Prarthana Sabha. Atmaram was a friend of Tagore’s elder brother, Satyendranath Tagore, who was also the first Indian to have been inducted into the Indian Civil Service.

Hoping that his younger brother’s English would improve if he stayed with the anglicised Turkhund family, Satyendranath convinced Tagore to stay on and also gather some English mannerism and behavioural stances.

She was meant to be his mentor and teacher in his endeavour to learn the English way and language. Annapurna was the second daughter of Dr Atmaram and had just returned from England and was well versed with the nitty-gritties of English culture and the language. She was around three years younger to the Rabindranath.

Enter Annapurna. She was meant to be his mentor and teacher in his endeavour to learn the English way and language. Annapurna was the second daughter of Dr Atmaram and had just returned from England and was well versed with the nitty-gritties of English culture and the language. She was around three years younger to the Rabindranath.

As the preparatory classes started off, there seems to be an intimacy that developed between the teacher and the student. How well the classes went, nobody really knows. Whether Tagore’s proficiency in the English language and mannerisms improved under Annapurna’s able guidance is still debatable. But, one thing that was established was a lasting bond between the two.

It is said that on Annapurna’s insistence, Tagore gave her the name Nalini. He made her immortal by taking her name and writing a poem for her, for which he included music too during his stay at her house in Bombay. The teacher is said to have been moved by the thoughtfulness of her student, the young poet. “I think that even if I were on my death bed, your songs would call me back to life,” she had exclaimed.

It is said that on Annapurna’s insistence, Tagore gave her the name Nalini. He made her immortal by taking her name and writing a poem for her, for which he included music too during his stay at her house in Bombay.

Poetry and classes galore, their relationship never took the development that a romantic liaison must take. Mostly because of Tagore’s shy nature. It never went beyond the two-month stay that Tagore made at her house. Upon the completion of those two months Tagore left Annapurna and Bombay behind and boarded a ship to England to pursue his studies.

Two years later, in November, 1880, Tagore’s beloved Nandini married a Scot named Harold Littledale who was the then vice principal of Baroda High School and College. Annapurna did not lead a very long life. Post her marriage, the couple moved to England where she died in 1891 at Edinburgh. She was just 33 years old.

Not many know how Tagore took the news of her death or even got to know about it in the first place. But there is definite evidence to point towards a relationship which could have been something that legends are made of but was cut short by reasons beyond the couple’s control back then.

Poetry and classes galore, their relationship never took the development that a romantic liaison must take. Mostly because of Tagore’s shy nature. It never went beyond the two-month stay that Tagore made at her house. Upon the completion of those two months Tagore left Annapurna and Bombay behind and boarded a ship to England to pursue his studies.

If excerpts from The Myriad Minded Man are to be believed, Annapurna’s father visited Calcutta with her and another daughter in early 1879. This was when Tagore was in England. Turkhud almost certainly came to see Tagore’s father, Debendranath at Jorasanko Thakurbai, the Tagore’s family residence. Turkhud is said to have put forth a marriage proposal, between his daughter Annapurna and Tagore. Debendranath, however, rejected it outright, reasons for which are till date not clear.

The book further mentions that Annapurna continued to use the name given to her by Tagore. Also, one of her nephews was named Rabindranath. Tagore, too, never stopped thinking about her. One look at his work would tell anyone how important his Nalini was to him. Many of his poems have Nalini being used in the most beautiful manner. He also wrote a prose drama in 1884 with the same name.

Their adoration for each other was truly something to be written about. Many also talk about how Annapurna had wanted Tagore to keep himself ‘clean shaven’. “You must never wear a beard; do not let anything hide the outline of your face,” she had told him. Alas, it never happened. “Everyone knows that I have not followed that advice. But she herself didn’t live to see my disobedience proclaimed upon my face,” Tagore had said. The tragedy of love, one can say.

“Oh! Nalini open your eyes
Is sleep still to abandon its ply
See standing at your door
The rising sun’s first score”