The Storyteller

Tarini Bandyopadhyay, a 60-something Bengali storyteller who loves fish and dislikes capitalism, has held 73 jobs and devoted his life to tales. He accepts a job as a personal storyteller for wealthy Ahmedabad businessman Ratan Garodia, moving to the city to begin a new chapter. The arrangement promises a generous payment for his unpublished works, drawing him into Garodia's insomnia-curing scheme.

Ratan Garodia claims he hasn't slept in three decades and seeks solace in comforting bedtime stories. Tarini accepts the position as his personal storyteller and relocates to Ahmedabad to begin nightly sessions. The arrangement sets the stage for a delicate power dynamic between a weary businessman and a wandering storyteller.

Each night, Tarini crafts spontaneous, amusing tales intended to lull Garodia into sleep. The improvised narratives reveal Tarini's creativity and wit, and the two men develop a routine around the storytelling ritual. The stories begin to shape Garodia's world more than his insomnia ever did.

By day, Tarini roams fish markets and libraries, feeding his imagination with real-world textures. He befriends Suzie Fibert, a lively librarian who shares his love of books. Their bond adds a personal dimension to Tarini's stay in Ahmedabad.

Garodia, eager to gain literary prestige and control the narrative, starts publishing Tarini's tales under the pen name Gorkhe. The move earns Garodia recognition in intellectual circles and rekindles a romance with a widow named Revathy who values literary talent. Tarini remains largely unaware of the publishing venture and its true authorship.

Tarini notices a magazine featuring stories credited to Gorkhe, revealing that his work is being published without his consent. He realizes someone is appropriating his talent, yet he continues to work for Garodia, possibly out of gratitude or circumstance. The theft seeds a quiet anger that will later come to a head.

Despite the theft, Tarini keeps delivering stories to Garodia, perhaps hoping for fairness or simply choosing to stay in the arrangement. The public exposure of his supposed genius under Gorkhe deepens Garodia's reputation and Tarini's uncertain status. The dynamic intensifies the tension between author and patron.

Authorities from the Rabindranath Tagore Foundation reveal that Garodia has been copying Tagore's work, triggering a lawsuit and a fine of Rs 10 lakh. The revelation reframes Tarini's relationship to the published work and exposes Garodia's exploitation. Tarini's own role remains shadowed, as Garodia misattributes Tagore's stories as Tarini's original writings.

Tarini reveals that he tricked Garodia by narrating Tagore's stories, a ruse that Garodia mistook for Tarini's original work due to his ignorance of literature. The confession reframes their relationship and clarifies where art and theft intersect. The foundation's verdict confirms Tarini's moral complexity rather than simple innocence.

In a concluding act, Tarini writes his own story about meeting Garodia, using a pen gifted by his late wife. The act symbolizes reclaiming authorship and a newly defined purpose as a storyteller. The pen itself becomes a tangible link to memory and identity.

Garodia, inspired by the affair and its lessons, begins writing about Tarini himself, pivoting from exploitation to mutual storytelling. The meta-narrative suggests two creators shaping each other's legacies. Their collaboration shifts from manipulation to a more honest exchange of ideas.

The film closes with Tarini and Garodia recognizing their own talents and vulnerabilities, realizing the power of storytelling beyond profit. They emerge with a new understanding of art, fame, and personal connection, implying future possibilities for their relationship as creators. The boundaries between teller and patron blur, leaving room for growth.