Charulata (Bengali: চারুলতা, [t͡ʃaɾulɔt̪a] , lit. 'The Lonely Wife') is a 1964 Indian drama film written and directed by Satyajit Ray. Based on Rabindranath Tagore's novel Nastanirh, it stars Soumitra Chatterjee, Madhabi Mukherjee, and Sailen Mukherjee. Widely regarded as one of Ray’s finest works, the film is frequently included in lists of the greatest films ever made.

Both the opening and closing scenes have received critical acclaim. The first scene, with minimal dialogue, depicts Charu’s loneliness as she observes the outside world through binoculars. 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 freeze frames in cinema.