Timeless story of goopy gyne and kanu kyne - the statesman

According to the Bengali calendar, 8 May 1969, was the 25th day of Baishakh. It was the 108th birthday of Tagore. However, it is recognised as the day that Satyajit Ray’s iconic fantasy

film, Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne, which was based on the story by his grandfather Upendrakishore Roy Chowdhury, was released. It’s “one of India’s most original films,” according to director Raja

Sen, where “Ray conjured up two musician heroes and a world of ghosts.” In the story, two young, aspiring musicians named Goopy and Bagha were exiled from their respective villages – Amloki

and Hortoki – because their music tortured their neighbours. Subsequently, the king of ghosts, was pleased by their off-key singing and drumming in the forest and gave the singer-drummer

duo Goopy and Bagha three boons: enchanted shoes that let them travel anywhere by clapping their hands together, the power to summon food and clothing at will, and – most remarkably – the

capacity to captivate and spellbind an audience. Both Goopy and Bagha eventually rose to prominence as court musicians in the Shundi kingdom, and each of them married a princess. Everybody

had a happy ending. Everyone, eh? Advertisement The film explores universal themes of brotherhood, compassion, love, and selflessness in addition to its blend of fantasy, comedy, and

adventure. It also persuasively argues for peace in a humane world. For fifty years and more, Ray’s Goopy Gyen Bagha Byen has induced Bengalis, and it will undoubtedly continue to mesmerise

for many more years. The film’s depiction of class differences and anti-war sentiment, among many other socio-political themes, are timeless. Let’s talk about one such significant social

viewpoint and how it has changed over the past hundred years. In the narrative of Goopy Gyen and Bagha Byen, Goopy’s father, Kanu Kyen, was a grocer in Amloki, his village. It was perceived

by many that Goopy might have made a deliberate decision to refuse to acknowledge his village upbringing and the existence of his father in his later years. Goopy’s desire for achieving

power, wealth, happiness, and success might have had a major role in his disregard for his family and his past. Advertisement Regarding Goopy’s mother, Ray made no mention. Therefore, it is

unknown to us if she was still alive when Goopy left Amloki village. However, Upendrakishore made explicit reference to her. How about Bagha? He revealed to Goopy in the movie that his

parents had passed away. But given how Bagha was portrayed in the movie, it’s probable that he had parents or some close relatives, at least, in his village as well. His declaration that he

had no loved ones may therefore have been a conscious decision; like Goopy, he may have wished to break all past ties. In the story, Goopy was driven out of Amloki village on a donkey since

his singing had awakened the king. Goopy eventually forgot about his parents and enjoyed a happy life after marrying a princess. But this Goopy, Bagha, and Kanu are all products of

Satyajit’s reimagination. Upendrakishore’s portrayal of the original characters differs slightly. In the original story, the rhythms of Bagha’s drum also annoyed his parents severely. There

is also a reference to Bagha’s father, Panchu Pyne, therein. In the movie, Kanu Kyne wipes his eyes against a tree as Goopy is being driven out of Amloki village. Kanu came home by himself,

crying. And suddenly he becomes a tragic character who’d become a forgotten character shortly. But in Upendrakishore’s original story, Goopy’s father chased him out from the house.

Nevertheless, in that 1915 tale, Goopy and Bagha took a two-day break from the Shundi king’s court to see their parents. Bagha’s parents passed away earlier, and he escaped and arrived at

Goopy’s house after protecting his drum from the agitated residents of his Hortoki village, who chased him. After being caressed by Goopy’s parents for two days, they left for Shundi. Goopy

made a vow to his parents on the way back that he would have returned to take them with him the next time he had a leave of absence. As the story came to a close, Upendrakishore explained

that Goopy’s parents were content with their prestige after he and Bagha married two princesses, lived in the palace of Shundi’s monarch, and spent their time playing music. Well, were

Goopy’s parents happy remaining in Amloki, their village? Possibly so. Or did Goopy really bring them to his new residence? Upendrakishore, certainly, forgot to clarify that. Determining

whether or not that absence of clarity was intentional is quite challenging. Nevertheless, it is a crucial aspect of the narrative. In a way, the tale of Goopy and Bagha also depicts

enduring socio-economic class distinctions. It depicts the pursuit of money, prosperity, upliftment, peace, and success from hamlet to city and one country to another more prosperous country

perceived to have greater scope. Remember that long before they were able to realise their dreams of a king’s palace and princesses in real life, Goopy and Bagha dreamed of them. Of course,

there is no denying that there may also be a desire to succeed in one’s own creative field, in this case music. More than a century ago, in 1915, Upendrakishore published GoopyBagha’s story

in six instalments of the wildly popular children’s magazine Sandesh. It was comparable to a village boy migrating to a city at the time. Even though his father had expelled him, he always

goes back to his native village to find his roots and to see his parents whenever he has the chance. The story’s film adaptation was made by Upendrakishore’s grandson over fifty years later.

In the film, when his son was compelled to leave the village, the father sobs. But the son never goes back to his native village and eventually becomes the son-in-law of a king. Another

half-century plus has gone by. The realm of Halla and Shundi, where Goopy and Bagha travelled in the narrative, is now also international. What do the Goopys and Baghas of today do? After

relocating to a king’s palace and marrying a princess in a distant country, do they forget about the Kanu Kynes? Or, as in Upendrakishore’s century-old tale, do they occasionally travel home

for holidays to spend time with their parents and experience their affection and caress? And do they still vow to bring their parents along the next time they go back? What actually happens

the next time? And is it without their own interest if they do occasionally take them to the Shundi’s palace for a short while? Do the Kanu Kynes of today, during the remainder of their

lives, truly believe the promises of Goopys and take pride in their children’s accomplishments? The tragic figure Kanu Kyne and the social element of the Goopy and Bagha narrative are

ageless in this regard as well. (The writer is Professor of Statistics, Indian Statistical Institute.) Advertisement