Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne

I rate 10 to the movies I can watch hundred times, time and again. Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne is one of them. I grew up watching this movie, watched several times and each time was none the less exciting...charming.

One of Ray's great directorial acumen was to select perfect casts for the movie. If you just see the actors he chose to perform various characters in the movie, you will think that the story was actually written keeping them in mind. And the actors impeccably perform their parts.

This is the story about two simpleton musicians who were respectively banished by their village for their cacophonous music and coincidentally teamed up in a forest lived by ghosts. Furtunately the king of ghosts liked their music and gave them three magical boons. There started the adventure of Goopy and Bagha.

Another powerful aspect of Ray's movies is their music. Mostly he composed himself. He did for this movie too. One more fact keeps you wondering is how such a fairy tale movie can be made with so less special affects and low cost. The sets were adorned with crafts and symbols that accentuate the ambiance, like the Magician's room in the palace of Shundi.

This is the first of the movies about adventures of Goopy Bagha. There are two more of them - Heerak Rajar Deshe (In the land of Diamond King) and Goopy Bagha Phire Elo (Goopy Bagha Return) - each worth watching, the third movie is directed by Ray's son, Sandip Ray.

Still not available on DVD? This film (and it's sequel) are unique for Satyajit Ray, who (except for some tongue-in-cheek detective films)spent his cinematic career portraying the conflicts and contradictions of modern Indian society in films that are both realistic and poetic (like the films of his mentor, Jean Renoir). Many of them feature characters trying to make the transition from traditional, village-based life to modern urban life (e.g. the Apu trilogy, Mahanaghar), or trying to preserve traditions in a world that no longer has a place for them (e.g. Jalsaghar). This is one of the main themes of African literature and cinema as well.

Many of Ray's films also show women trapped by tradition (Devi, Charulata) or using their education and ingenuity to escape from it (Mahanagar). But in the fairy tale world of Goopy and Bagha, both talent and opportunity are given them by divine intervention, because their desire to make music attracts the deity's attention. And when one of them is betrothed to a princess (leaving the other empty-handed) a local king obligingly asks if they need another princess. Contrast this with the plight of Apu in the real India, looking for a job after graduating from college. A prospective employer shows him a large room full of people who spend all day, every day, sorting old buttons into trays.

As other reviewers have mentioned, Ray's fantasy is beautifully photographed, and full of realistic psychological detail (as well as sly humor) which draw us effortlessly into the story. How long will it be before this, and Ray's other films, are available on DVD?

It is one of the greatest as well as, one of the most under-rated masterpiece in the history of cinema (comparing its overseas success w.r.t other notable Ray films). Handling of characterizations, simplicity, political undertones, musical sensibility and the masterly crafted visual aspects not only makes it a special gift for child viewers but also becomes a coherent masterpiece for movie lovers.

It is the adventure of goopy the singer and bagha the drummer, both driven out from their kingdom because of their horrible musical cacophony, got three boons from the king of ghost and froze everyone by their music. The rest is their terrific story that tells the the music of humanity and gracious peace. All the actors, Tapen Chatterjee, Rabi Ghosh and specially Santosh Dutta gave astounding performances. And then it is Satyajit Ray, the god of cinema, has shown how beautifully a musical which is so much Indian, can be made ....all the song are so pure,freshening and lastly so deep to the roots. Many important social aspects are presented by simple and linear narratives. Even the visual stunts for ex. dancing shadows of demons (a masterly choreographed sequence), sequences when gopy and bagha moved to their desired places by clapping or the war song where sweets appear on the sky and fell on ground is starling and fresh even in Today"s intricate visual effect era.

Lastly handling of emotions, for instances the sequence where raja of Amloki drove goopy out leaving only his father in tears and despair whereas, the villagers were having fun, or fist song "dekho re" where goopy overjoyed in disbelief hearing his own voice, or the king of halla who ran in joy at the last scenes because of his freedom, will surely touch your heart. And if you see the movie carefully, u can always feel the influence of it in a deep subconscious level. Evil surrounds a major part of the human mind and beyond desire and greed all of us ultimately want to be free and happy!! Honestly speaking the movie is like a dream where the characters have become strong enough to go above bindings of anger and greed and say so simply the futility and stupidity of war.......three boons of king of ghost came out to be the boons that every human crave for......watch it not only for cinematic experience but also for its gracious humanism that is surely going to move you.....................

In today's age where most kids and family films are nothing more than mindless action or stupid humor, this was a breath of fresh air to more enchanting times back then when it was about adventure and wonder. Some kids may balk at the fact that this is black and white and from another country (including subtitles which for newcomers can get a little getting used to), but eventually they will discover this film's magic. I would like to travel to India sometime in my life for all its enchanted splendor and the adventures of the two lovable musicians captures it beautifully. The cinematography really deserves some accolades especially in the King of Ghost song and dance number that still looks a little freaky yet still delightful. I've seen Satyajit Ray's Apu trilogy which is just as magical and this movie is never boring in any frame. This one's hard to find but worth it all.

This is the story of two village idiots and the fantastic gifts they get and their further adventures, the film has 2 more sequels, one of the rare films that actually has sequels ! for 1968 the special effects are amazing, remember this is no Hollywood stuff, Indian film of a low-medium budget one of the best written and directed films, definitely a must see !

the sequels (name forgotten) are also instant classics, the comedy is hilarious, and i am 20 years old and just seen this film and it wasn't outdated at all !

i am glad satyajit ray got an Oscar as life time achievement, he truly deserved that