Documentary on Gitanjali set to release

A documentary titled “Timeless Gitanjali”, sponsored by the India Bangladesh Foundation, High Commission of India in Bangladesh and directed by popular Tagore singer and researcher Dr. Chanchal Khan, is set to be released on May 16 at the National Museum.
Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali will inaugurate the release of the documentary. Special guests will include the High Commissioners of India, UK, Australia and the Ambassador of Sweden, for their country's relevance to Tagore's Nobel-winning creation, and the production of the documentary. Produced by Shurolok Bangladesh, a music appreciation group and creative direction by Hasina Ahmed, the 50-minute documentary is in English.
The documentary traces the history of “Gitanjali” from its original publication in 1910, leading to its translation and transformation into its English version, the events that shaped its Nobel award, and its relevance in today's world. A number of eminent Tagore researchers, artistes and academics have been interviewed in this documentary, highlighting its relevance as a timeless creation, and how this work became a part of Western literature. Professor Emeritus Dr. Anisuzzaman, Dr. Hayat Mahmud, Professor Shamsuzzaman Khan, Dr. Karunamay Goswami, and Ranjan Bandopadhyay are among those interviewed. The documentary was shot in London, Kolkata, Shantiniketan and Bangladesh over the last year. The documentary also features songs, and recitation from “Gitanjali”.
“The uniting factor of 'Gitanjali' remains Shantiniketan in West Bengal and Shilaidaha in East Bengal (Bangladesh). Shantiniketan saw the initiation and creation of a significant amount of work contained in 'Gitanjali,' while Shilaidaha saw the beginning of translation of his own works in English that found a place in 'Gitanjali,'” says the conceptualiser, planner and director Dr. Chanchal Khan.