ONE FILM I LIKE AND WHY

There are so many films to talk about, yet, if it boils down to choosing just one, then it has to be Satyajit Ray's?Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne.

Why? Well, because it is for everyone. Anyone of any age, who watches films, who do not watch films; anyone who is blind or mute or even deaf - this film is for every one of us. It is a true celebration of humanity and the goodness that is within it. The story, the visuals, the songs, the music, the narrative - everything has so much to talk about it. Words fall short as music fills the heart and the story moves our minds.

The film celebrates friendship - like Goopy and Bagha both as misfortunate as it can be, meet in a hostile situation in a spooky bamboo forest, gets through a narrow escape from a fearsome tiger, gets surrounded by ghosts from all realms, then meets the king of Ghosts, who gets pleased with them because even though being banished from their own villages, both Goopy and Bagha are genuine human beings, and has a lot of goodness inside. Among which is their passion for music and to please everyone with their mastery.

The King of ghosts granted them 3 boons - first, of being able to summon any and every food or travel to any place on earth. Second, be able to wear whatever dressing they wish for. Third, to sing and play the drum with such precision, that everyone becomes rock-solid and immobile in mesmerisation. They go on to do great things ahead, to an extent of even stopping an impending war with their power of music. They sang a very simple song "Ooo re Halla Rajar sena, tora juddo kore korbi ki ta bol!" It translates as "Hey, the army of King Halla. Why do you want to go for this war?"

The army who were hungry for days under the tyrant King of Halla found solace in this divine tune as Goopy Bagha redeemed them by giving free food for all. Wish they were here on today's earth and could stop the Russian forces too. However, in the story, Goopy Bagha after stopping the marching army managed to reunite their benevolent friend, King of Shundi with his brother, the actual King of Halla, who till the end, was kept trapped under the spell of evil magician Barfi who was working with the sly Mantri Moshai, the Chief Minister, whom the actual King of Halla trusted with his life. It is the Minister who resumed throne there onwards by betraying his unsuspecting King and decided to wage war on the neighbouring kingdom of Shundi. Because it was the easiest kingdom to invade.

Shundi didn't have an army, elephants, horses, camels, weapons, and no expertise to face an attack. They only had peace among the people, food and happiness for all. It is at Sundi, where Goopy Bagha arrived after they got the 3 boons and got selected to be court musicians of the king, who was a connoisseur of music. But because of a pandemic, all the people in his kingdom lost their voices, barring the royal family. Upon receiving the notice for war, King of Shundi had no option but to surrender, unless Goopy Bagha can stop it, as they promised. And they did too, without shedding a drop of blood, but by singing for the marching army and treating them with a grand feast, which even the sly and veil Mantri Moshai turned king couldn't refuse. He hung onto the food even while being trampled over.

Because he was so greedy, who gorged upon all food all by himself and gave nothing to his people, not even the ones who worked for him. He was cruel, who beheaded anyone whom he pleased. He was shrewd, who locked up the real king under the wicked sorcerer’s spell because the real king was innocent as a child, knew nothing much about kingship and chose to trust the Mantri Moshai, whom he thought to be his loyal advisor, while he himself stayed indulged in creating art and craft.?

This film holds a mirror to everything we see around us in the world. The relations, the emotions, the drama, everything resonates with us, even while being a fantasy tale and popularly regarded as a children's film. Goopy Byne Bagha Byne has transcended in a timeless classic because of its vast depth of thought which we rediscover as we grow and age. Undoubtedly, this one work of Ray, stands out on its own, as the greatest film ever, in my opinion, and I would pick this as the best film every single time.