The Bengal Heritage Foundation (BHF) has launched A Bengali Summer in London 2025 — a season-long series of events showcasing the richness of Bengali arts, cinema, music, dance, and community culture.
This year’s programme opened with Rabindra Jayanti on May 9, a flagship event paying homage to Rabindranath Tagore’s lasting influence on Bengali and Indian cinema. The celebration continues across London with curated cultural experiences running through June.
The season opened at London’s Nehru Centre with ‘Rabindranath in Bengali Cinema Over the Years: Through Words, Melody, and Movement’. Over the decades, Tagore’s stories, poetry, and philosophy have been adapted into films that continue to inspire and captivate audiences worldwide.
From Satyajit Ray’s ‘Charulata’(1964) to Aparna Sen’s ‘Paromitar Ek Din’ (2000), Tagore’s timeless narratives have found new expressions through the lens of cinema. His themes of love, freedom, human relationships, and social change have seamlessly translated onto the silver screen, keeping his legacy alive for generations.
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For Rabindra Jayanti this year, BHF in collaboration with the High Commission of India and Nehru Centre presented an immersive journey through Tagore’s presence in Bengali cinema. Through words, melody, and movement, this year’s celebration will explore how Tagore’s works have been interpreted and reimagined by some of the finest filmmakers in Indian cinema.
Koushik Chatterjee, BHF President, noted: "Rabindranath Tagore’s works continue to resonate because they speak to the fundamental truths of the human experience—love, freedom, identity, and the search for meaning. At a time when the world is increasingly fragmented by borders, ideologies, and inequalities, Tagore’s vision offers a timeless reminder of unity through empathy and imagination.
“His poetry, songs, and stories do not belong to one nation or language — they belong to humanity. He saw art as a bridge between the individual and the universal, and believed deeply in the power of education, creativity, and cultural dialogue to foster a more compassionate world.”
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The launch event is followed by other screenings and festive events, bringing Bengali culture to life across London.
*More info: Bengal Heritage Foundation
