Who Am I Beyond Love? Isheeta Ganguly on Tagore’s Women, Dating & Identity
Why do women, across generations, continue to struggle with questions of identity, ambition, love and agency? In this episode of Booked, India Today’s Sriya Kundu
Why do women, across generations, continue to struggle with questions of identity, ambition, love and agency? In this episode of Booked, India Today’s Sriya Kundu speaks to acclaimed playwright, singer and author Isheeta Ganguly about her latest book, Three Women. The graphic novel brings together three compelling women connected to Rabindranath Tagore’s world—Charu from Charulata, Bimala from Ghare Baire, and Tagore’s sister-in-law Kadambari Devi. Ganguly explains why the loneliness and unfulfilled aspirations experienced by these 19th-century women remain relevant in 2026.
From modern dating and situationships to marriage, infidelity, economic independence and society’s discomfort with strong women, the conversation explores how the vocabulary may have changed, but many of the emotional struggles have not. The author also recalls meeting legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray and asking him about the feminist implications of the women in his adaptations of Tagore’s works. She reveals how Ray diplomatically avoided the question - an interaction that later encouraged her to reimagine what Charu and Bimala might have done if they had been given greater agency.
The conversation concludes on a powerful musical note, with Isheeta Ganguly and Sriya Kundu singing Rabindranath Tagore’s iconic Ekla Chalo Re. Subscribe to India Today for NEW VIDEOS EVERY DAY and make sure to enable Push Notifications so you'll never miss a new video. All you need to do is PRESS THE BELL ICON next to the Subscribe button! India Today TV is India's leading English News Channel. India Today YouTube channel offers latest news videos on Politics, Business, Cricket, Bollywood, Lifestyle, Auto, Technology, Travel, Entertainment and a lot more.
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