icon

synopsis

Bhagini Nivedita

Margaret Elizabeth Noble - a Scots-Irish lady, famously known as Sister Nivedita was one of Swami Vivekananda's closest disciples. Swami himself gave her the name ‘Nivedita'. The word Nivedita is used to refer to someone who is highly dedicated to the almighty God.

The film starts with the early life of young Margaret. The sudden tragic end of her dearest friend, a young Engineer, hastened her inner crisis. At this time she met Swami Vivekananda in London. It was this young and fiery sannyasin who fully satisfied her with his answers on the vital questions of Life and Culture and national development.
She came to India, saw Sarodamoni and spent impatient days till Swami one day spoke to her on the subject: first she had to become worthy, become an Indian, discover the secret of work, and then take up the burden. Swamiji also gave his initiation to her and the name “Nivedita”.
In November 1898, she opened a girls' school in the Baghbazar area of Calcutta. She wanted to educate girls who were deprived of even basic education.
During the plague epidemic in Calcutta in 1899, Nivedita nursed and took care of the poor patients. Nivedita had close associations with the newly established Ramakrishna Mission.
Then a call came from the country for her help. Nivedita agreed to play her part without involving the institution she was linked with. She worked tirelessly for the revolutionaries, bringing them whatever succour and encouragement that could be given.
Because of her active contribution in the field of Indian Nationalism, she had to publicly dissociate herself from the activities of the Ramakrishna Mission under the then president Swami Brahmananda.
Neglecting her health and ignoring the minimum comfort needed to keep going, Nivedita had reached the breaking point. Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose, the renowned scientist and her friend, invited her to his house at Darjeeling where she died on 13 October 1911. Her epitaph reads, "Here lies Sister Nivedita who gave her all to India".

icon

film details

Name of the Film:
Bhagini Nivedita
Director:
Bijoy Bose
Production Company:
Aurora Film Corporation P. Ltd.
Music:
Anil Bagchi
Cast:
Arundhuti Debi, Amaresh Das, Asit Baran & Others
Format:
DVD
Genres:
BIOGRAPHY
Release Date:
February 16, 1962
Pioneered at:
Bhagini Nivedita was the first Bengali film to be shot in England
icon

Festival(s) / Award(s)

  • Winner of President Gold Medal as the Best Feature Film of the year 1961