Stories for when the skies turn grey

There is a subtle quaintness to the Bangladeshi monsoon. It is perhaps no surprise, then, that the stories we reach for also change with the weather. We immerse ourselves in books that unfold patiently and films that are willing to sit with silence, memory, and longing. 

If you are looking to embrace the season, here are five books, films and shows to delve into while the skies remain grey.

Aranyak 

Few works of fiction understand nature as closely as Aranyak. Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay's prowess is yet again brought to light through how he does not merely describe the forests but invites us to inhabit them. Satyacharan, the young protagonist, encounters the enormity of the forest and morphs into a quiet spectator of nature engulfing him. 

Aranyak humbles us; it reminds us that nature is capable of reclaiming what we assume belongs to us. What better way to spend a rainy day than losing yourself in its pages, before looking out the window with newly attentive eyes? 

In the Mood for Love 

Rain has long belonged to the language of romance, often accompanied by happily-ever-afters. Wong Kar-wai's In the Mood for Love imagines something different altogether. A chance move into neighbouring apartments brings Mr Chow and Mrs Chan together, but the discovery that their spouses are involved in an affair connects them in ways they never anticipated. 

Determined not to repeat the betrayal that has wounded them, they rehearse conversations, share meals, and drift through rain-drenched streets, holding themselves at the edge of a love they refuse to cross. Wong Kar-wai builds this fragile yet complicated relationship through hushed corridors, the slow cadence of footsteps, and the recurring strains of Yumeji's Theme, where longing is measured by hesitation. 

Few films understand that desire often resides in what remains withheld, making In the Mood for Love a companion to the monsoon's persistence.

Bohubrihi
Often attributed as the pioneer of sitcoms in Bangladesh (and rightly so), this television series feels like a walk down memory lane. Set in the Dhaka of the late 80s, the plot revolves around Sobhan Shaheb and his family. 

The show serves as a social commentary; Sobhan Shaheb loves solving social problems around him while his tenant Anis, a single father, scrutinises his approach. The light-hearted banter between Mili, Sobhan's daughter, and the Doctor develops into a beautiful relationship that defies all social stereotypes — quite radical for its time. 

Thespians like Aly Zaker and Abul Khair bring remarkable gravitas to the screen, elevating every scene they inhabit. On a rainy afternoon, there's hardly a better companion than this humorous classic and a steaming cup of tea. 

Monsoon Wedding
A wedding is usually where cinema goes to celebrate love. Mira Nair transforms it into a place where a family is finally forced to confront itself. Set over the few chaotic days before an arranged marriage in Delhi, Monsoon Wedding moves between dance rehearsals, florist mishaps, clandestine romances, and preparations, before quietly revealing the childhood sexual abuse that has haunted one of its youngest members. 

Nair never isolates this revelation from the festivities around it; rather, she asks whether celebration has any meaning when silence is the default reaction. Unlike other entries in this list, the film actually uses monsoon as a motif and ensures to weave that into the plot. Not every monsoon companion is comforting, and this movie is the perfect reminder for that!

The Stranger

If you are in the mood for something quieter, The Stranger is the perfect antidote to the usual rain-soaked romance. The Stranger invites us to sit with discomfort instead. After killing an Arab man in colonial Algeria, Meursault finds himself on trial as much for his emotional indifference as for the crime itself. 

From this deceptively simple premise, Albert Camus unravels profound questions about morality, conformity, and the search for meaning in an indifferent universe. His sparse prose demands the kind of slow attention that rainy days naturally demand. Better yet, it is a novella; short enough to finish in a single sitting. But beware, you will be carrying an existential crisis tough to shake off.

The monsoon changes more than our surroundings; it changes how we experience stories. These five works span different countries, languages, and decades, yet each understands something essential about slowing down. Let us know what your favourite rainy-day books and movies are!