Dwarkanath Tagorewas an early 19th century self-made entrepreneur who has been compared with Jamshedji Tata-the industrial pioneer. He was also the grandfather of Rabindranath Tagore, though curiously, the poet in his substantial body of works, hardly mentions Dwarkanath, who was a man of rare qualities ranging from strong business acumen to the love of the arts, poetry and music.
Though at times ruthless in business, he was also aprogressive thinker and a generous donor to many charities and worthy causes. Though not often acknowledged, his economic success saved his descendants from the perils of the job-seeking Bengali for several generations and allowed them to focus on their creative output relatively undisturbed - a rare luxury among contemporary writers and artists in India.

Expert testimonials:

Aniruddho Sanyal's personal tribute to Dwarkanath, "Disconnected Genius", brings this larger-than-life man alive. It is an attractive mixture of historical material, contemporary footage shot in Calcutta, England and the United States, dramatized scenes from Dwarkanath's life, and a fascinating interview with Blair Kling, an American economic historian who wrote an important book on Dwarkanath's empire. Anyone interested in the Tagore family and the roots of modern India's current economic rise should see "Disconnected Genius"

-Andrew Robinson, Tagore scholar and biographer, world renowned authority on Satyajit Ray and formerly Editor, Times Literary Supplement


Aniruddho Sanyal's documentary, "Disconnected Genius," captures the important place of Dwarkanath Tagore, the grandfather of Rabindranath, in the history of modern India. It depicts Dwarkanath, who flourished in early nineteenth-century Calcutta, as a man of many facets—business and industrial entrepreneur, patron of western education and theater, social leader who broke taboos by associating with Europeans and bringing British and Indian elites together, and citizen of the British Empire who spent long periods in London where he hobnobbed with literati and social leaders and with Queen Victoria herself. Sanyal's vivid and concise portrayal of Dwarkanath also explores the mystery of why Rabindranath in none of his writings acknowledged the achievements of his illustrious ancestor.

-Blair Kling, Professor of History, Tagore scholar and author of "Partner in Empire: Dwarkanath Tagore," the greatest sourcebook on the subject of Rabindranath's grandfather and the 19th century renaissance in Bengal.



Aniruddho Sanyal's impressive film on Dwarkanath Tagore - Rabindranath's grandfather - is a long overdue assessment of a pioneering Indian entrepreneur who made his mark in a highly competitive colonial business world. It goes to show that the Tagores were modernists, starting effectively with Dwarkanath. Rabindranath Tagore's myriad modernising efforts in the field of Indian culture are but a continuation of the same momentum. Both Rajah RamMohun Roy and Dwarkanath Tagore began a progressive dialogue with the west which was temporarily regressed by Maharshi Debendranath, Dwarkanath's son. Fortunately it was revitalised by Rabindranath to inspire India in search of her rightful place in the world.

-Krishna Dutta, Tagore scholar and biographer. Author (with Andrew Robinson) of "Rabindranath Tagore: The Myriad Minded Man"( St. Martin's Press, 1996) and several other seminal volumes on Rabindranath Tagore and a path-breaking book on Calcutta.

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