Charulata (Bengali: চারুলতা, [t͡ʃaɾulɔt̪a] ⓘ; also known as The Lonely Wife) is a 1964 Indian drama film written and directed by Satyajit Ray.

In the final scene, as Charu and her husband are about to hold hands, the screen freezes—a technique praised as a masterful use of the freeze frame in cinema.

Amal and Charu bond over conversations and debates about literature and poetry, and their relationship evolves into an intimate, teasing friendship.

Amal is momentarily tempted by the idea of seeing Europe, but then tells Bhupati that he does not want to leave India, and to ask the father to give him a month to consider the proposal.

An essay that Amal wrote in his notebook gets accepted by a magazine, and Charu responds by secretly writing something of her own and getting it published by an even more selective periodical.

During a party that Bhupati throws to celebrate the victory of the Liberals in the English parliamentary elections, Umapada sneaks away.

Shattered, he tells Amal that he plans to shut down the newspaper, not for financial reasons, but because he has lost faith in mankind.

Excited, they rush home, where they find a letter from Amal, who has been staying with a friend in Madras and says he will accept the proposal.

[4] Ray spent many months researching the film's historical setting, working for the first time in his career without a deadline for either pre-production or the shoot.

[5] None of the film's interior scenes were shot on location, and Ray worked closely with art director Bansi Chandragupta to build or remodel all of the sets to accurately portray India in the 1880s.

Penelope Houston of Sight and Sound praised the film, stating that "the interplay of sophistication and simplicity is extraordinary".

[17] In 2013, The Criterion Collection released a restored high-definition digital transfer of the film with new subtitle translations on DVD and Blu-ray.