Bengali Movie Goynar Baksho 2013 12 | 2026 |
When searching for the phrase "Bengali Movie Goynar Baksho 2013 12", one is likely looking for a specific connection—perhaps the film’s runtime, a particular scene in chapter 12, or details about its 2013 release. But what you find is far more than a timestamp or a clip. You find a poignant, humorous, and deeply feminist gem of Bengali cinema.
Directed by the legendary Aparna Sen, Goynar Baksho (translation: The Jewelry Box) is not just a film; it is a Bengali inheritance passed down through generations. Released in 2013, this movie transcends the typical family drama to explore women’s relationship with property, freedom, and legacy.
Let us unlock the Goynar Baksho and examine why this film, especially in its 2013 avatar, remains a benchmark in Tollywood (Bengali cinema).
The Bengali film Goynar Baksho (The Jewellery Box), released on April 12, 2013, is a celebrated supernatural comedy-drama directed by the legendary Aparna Sen. Based on the novel by Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay, the film uses a box of gold ornaments to trace the evolving social status of women across three generations of a Bengali family. Plot Overview: A Legacy of Lust and Liberation
The story centers on Rashmoni (played by Moushumi Chatterjee), the matriarch of a decaying zamindar family who was widowed at a very young age. Possessive of her secret stash of 500 bhari of gold, she dies and returns as a foul-mouthed, hookah-smoking ghost to protect her treasure from greedy relatives. The narrative follows three key stages:
The Hoarding (Rashmoni): Representing the repressed desires and lack of agency of early 20th-century widows.
The Capital (Somlata): Rashmoni’s niece-in-law, Somlata (Konkona Sen Sharma), uses the jewels as capital to start a sari business, moving the family from landed gentry to industrious commerce.
The Cause (Chaitali): Somlata’s daughter, Chaitali (Srabanti Chatterjee), an educated woman of the 1970s, ultimately donates the jewelry to the Mukti Bahini during the Bangladesh Liberation War, signifying a complete shift from personal greed to collective social good. Key Cast and Crew
The film is noted for its powerful performances, particularly the dynamic between the ghost and the living:
Aparna Sen's 2013 film Goynar Baksho (The Jewelry Box) is a satirical, supernatural comedy that uses a box of gold to trace the shifting roles of women in Bengal from the 1940s to the 1970s. Based on Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay's novel, the film is more than a ghost story; it is a witty critique of patriarchy and a celebration of female agency. The Three Generations of Change Bengali Movie Goynar Baksho 2013 12
The film centers on three women whose lives are linked by a wooden box containing 500 bharis of gold ornaments:
Rashmoni (Pishima): A child widow in a decadent zamindar household, Rashmoni is bitter and foul-mouthed. Denied a normal life, she channels all her passion and greed into her jewelry box. Even after death, she remains as a ghost to guard it, embodying the repressed desires of a woman sidelined by society.
Somalata: Rashmoni’s niece-in-law, played by Konkona Sen Sharma, represents a transitional generation. While she respects tradition, she uses her "native intelligence" to convince the ghost-aunt to pawn the jewels. She uses the capital to start a sari business, single-handedly reviving the family’s dying fortunes and turning her "good-for-nothing" husband into a responsible man.
Chaitali: Somalata’s daughter represents the modern, liberated woman of the 1970s. For her, the jewelry is no longer a symbol of status or survival but a resource for a larger cause. In a final act of liberation, she donates the gold to support the Bangladesh Liberation War, effectively ending the jewelry box’s cycle of possession. A Satire of the "Aristocracy"
Set against the backdrop of the Partition of Bengal and the move from East to West Bengal, the film mocks the faded grandeur of the landed gentry. The men of the family are portrayed as idle and ineffective, obsessed with their "aristocratic" habits while their wealth disappears. It is the women—initially through greed and later through industry—who adapt to the changing political and economic landscape. Why It Stands Out
Aparna Sen's Goynar Baksho (2013) is a satirical period drama that uses a box of jewelry to track the evolving status of three generations of Bengali women. Spanning from post-partition 1949 to the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, the film blends supernatural comedy with a strong feminist subtext. Plot Overview The story centers on
(Pishima), a foul-mouthed widow who is obsessively possessive of her 500-bhari gold jewelry box. After her death, she returns as a ghost to haunt her niece-in-law,
, ensuring her treasure isn't stolen by greedy male relatives. Generation 1 (Pishima):
Represents the era of hoarding and personal security through jewelry. Generation 2 (Somlata): When searching for the phrase "Bengali Movie Goynar
Uses the gold as capital to start a sari business, transitioning the family from landed gentry to modern commerce. Generation 3 (Chaitali):
An independent woman who eventually gives the box away to support freedom fighters during the war. Performances Goynar Baksho (2013)
Goynar Baksho (The Jewellery Box) is a 2013 Indian Bengali-language supernatural comedy film directed by Aparna Sen . It is based on a novel by Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay
and follows three generations of women and their relationship with a box of jewels. Key Details Release Date: April 12, 2013. Comedy, Horror, Fantasy, and Drama. Lead Cast: Moushumi Chatterjee as Pishima (Rashmoni). Konkona Sen Sharma as Somlata. Srabanti Chatterjee as Chaitali (and young Rashmoni). Saswata Chatterjee as Somlata's husband. The "12" Reference: Your query likely refers to the release date or the character Rashmoni at age 12
, played by Surangana Banerjee, whose life as a child widow is central to the backstory. Plot Summary
Released in 2013, Goynar Baksho ("The Jewelry Box") is a critically acclaimed Bengali horror-comedy directed by Aparna Sen . Based on a story by Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay
, the film follows three generations of women and their evolving relationship with a box of inherited gold, serving as a metaphor for the changing position of women in Bengali society. Core Narrative and Characters
The film spans roughly half a century, moving from post-partition India to the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. Rashmoni (Pishima): Portrayed by Moushumi Chatterjee
, she was widowed at age 11 and lived a life of severe austerity while obsessively guarding her 500-bhari gold jewelry box The Bengali film Goynar Baksho (The Jewellery Box),
. After her death, she returns as a mercurial ghost to ensure the jewelry stays within the family. Konkona Sen Sharma
, she is a timid but witty bride who enters the declining Zamindar household. She uses the jewelry not for vanity, but as capital to start a business and save the family from poverty. Portrayed by Srabanti Chatterjee
, Somlata’s daughter represents the modern woman. Evolved beyond material attachment, she eventually gives the jewelry away to support the Muktijoddhas (freedom fighters) in the Bangladesh Liberation War Major Themes
1. A Feminist Fable Disguised as a Family Drama At its heart, Goynar Baksho asks: What is a woman’s wealth worth? For Rashmoni’s generation, jewellery was a status symbol and financial security she couldn’t touch. For Somlata, it’s a tool to save the family from ruin. For Chaitali, it’s startup money to open a garment business. The film brilliantly shows how women’s relationship with money and autonomy evolves.
2. Magical Realism Done Right Rashmoni as a petni is not scary—she is hilarious, cranky, and poignant. Moushumi Chatterjee delivers a career-best performance, floating through walls while chain-smoking and complaining about modern morals. Her ghostly presence is a metaphor for the lingering grip of patriarchal tradition.
3. Performances to Remember
4. The Music Songs like "Moner Pakhi" and "Aaj Jhoro Jhoro Mukhoro Boney" are hauntingly beautiful, composed by Debajyoti Mishra. The music feels like a soft breeze through a crumbling old house.
Headline: "The Box That Keeps Watch"
Line: "One family’s sparkle hides a century of stories."
2013 was a remarkable year for Bengali cinema. While mainstream Tollywood was churning out action-comedies, Aparna Sen delivered a quiet revolution.
Aparna Sen, one of Indian cinema’s finest feminist filmmakers, transforms a whimsical ghost story into a sharp critique of patrilineal greed. Unlike the original short story, Sen expands Pishima’s ghost into a full-fledged character who is not malevolent but mischievous—a woman who in life was silenced, and in death refuses to shut up.
Key directorial choices include: