36 Chowringhee Lane is a 1981 film written and directed by Aparna Sen and produced by Shashi Kapoor.

It stars Jennifer Kendal in a critically acclaimed role, along with Dhritiman Chatterjee and Debashree Roy.Two major songs used in the film were 1960's song "YELLOW POLKA DOT BIKINY" by Brian Hyland and 1964 version of "SILENT NIGHT" by Mary Martin.

In post-independence India an Anglo-Indian teacher, Violet Stoneham (Jennifer Kendal), lives a quiet and uneventful life at 36 Chowringhee Lane in Calcutta, now Kolkata.

Her brother Eddie (Geoffrey Kendal, Jennifer's father in real life) is senile and ailing in a nursing home.

Returning home from church on a Christmas Day, Violet runs into a former student, Nandita (Debashree Roy), and her author-boyfriend Samaresh (Dhritiman Chatterjee), and invites them over for coffee.

The final scene shows Violet reciting aloud from King Lear, her only audience being a stray dog.

Script and casting The idea of the film emerged from a story Sen had written, and that had taken the shape of a screenplay.

She was persuaded by Utpal Dutt to cast Kendal, who herself suggested the look of Violet Stoneham with her hair in a bun.

[3] The film was shot at almost a namesake address of 26, Chowringhee Road with a beautiful view of the Indian Museum and the Maidan along with its landmarks like the Eden Gardens, the High Court, Pratt Memorial School, Governor's House, the Shaheed Minar and Fort William.

Music Two major songs used in the film were 1960's "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" by Brian Hyland and the 1964 version of "Silent Night" by Mary Martin.

Describing it as a "total loss", Shashi Kapoor lamented that at places he had to hire the theatres himself to exhibit it.

36 Chowringhee Lane was also entered in the first edition of the Manila International Film Festival, where it won the top prize.