In spite of being one of the hottest months of the year, May often brings many reasons to celebrate, with music, lyrics and stories paying homage to several literary and cultural greats through their birth anniversaries. Come May 9 (at times May 8, depending on the Indian traditional calendar), which corresponds to the 25th of Baisakh, various festivities and functions observe the birth anniversary of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. These occasions coincide closely with festivities that begin a few days earlier as May itself is ushered in with celebrations of the birth anniversary of raconteur-filmmaker Satyajit Ray on May 2. As retrospectives, seminars, functions and musical evenings organised to commemorate the anniversaries of these two luminaries illuminate galleries and auditoriums, little is known about some of the other occasions which deserve equal accolades and respect for having created an important space in the popular culture not only of Bengal, but of the world over for the genre they represent.

Here, the reference is to noted writer, publisher, poet, illustrator and folklorist Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury and his famous story, Goopi Gyne aar Bagha Byne. The month of May saw the release of Satyajit Ray’s film of the same name on May 8, 1969, while Upendrakishore’s birth anniversary falls on May 12. This article is an ode to an important storyline which connects two generations. In spite of existing through a transformed avatar, and even after nearly sixty years of the film’s release and more than 110 years since the publication of the story, the narrative remains an important and much-loved topic of discussion among people of all ages.

Legacy of Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury

Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury was born in Mymensingh on May 12, 1863. His erstwhile house still stands in a dilapidated condition in the village of Moshua in present-day Bangladesh. Upendrakishore wrote the story of Gupi Gyne and Bagha Byne, which was published in the children’s magazine Sandesh, brought out from his printing press, ‘U Ray & Sons’ in Kolkata. This story, along with many others, was later compiled into a book titled Golpomala, published sometime between 1910 and 1911.

However, Upendrakishore unfortunately passed away in 1915. Sandesh too went through a rough patch with brief stints under Upendrakishore’s two sons — Sukumar Ray, followed by Subinay Ray — after which it completely disappeared from the market in 1925. Years later, in 1961, it was revived by Upendrakishore’s grandson and Sukumar Ray’s son, Satyajit Ray, along with poet Subhas Mukhopadhyay.

A prolific visual narrator himself, Satyajit chose the story of Gupi Gyne and Bagha Byne to be adapted into a children’s film. The project required considerable financial investment, but after Ray convinced the producers to finance it, the film gave him an opportunity to explore many of his artistic interests through a cinematic work meant primarily for children.

Made with a stellar cast and unforgettable music which continues to be hummed even today, the movie received both critical and commercial acclaim. Apart from bagging numerous awards, it also created history by becoming the longest continuously running Bengali-language film in Bengal, running for 51 weeks straight. The film went on to win the Best Feature Film and Best Direction awards at the 16th National Film Awards, apart from receiving many international honours.

Story and Screenplay: Two Different Worlds

Hailed as a stunning example of musical cinema, little is known about how greatly the original storyline created by Upendrakishore differed from Satyajit Ray’s screenplay. Most interestingly, both reflect the respective creator’s concerns regarding contemporary socio-cultural, religious and political issues at both national and international levels.

The original storyline revolves around two simple young men from villages somewhere in erstwhile Bengal — Goopi Gyne and Bagha Byne. Goopi’s original name was Gupi Gayen. He knew only one song and loved singing it all the time, so villagers nicknamed him Gupi Gayen (gayen meaning one who sings). Bagha, on the other hand, loved playing the dholak all day long, much to the irritation of the villagers. He had a proper name, but no one remembered it. They only referred to him by his nickname “Bagha” because of the strange faces and tiger-like growls he made while playing the dholak.

Thrown out of their respective villages, the two musicians met in a forest and decided to stay together. They planned to travel to a king’s palace to perform at the royal court and earn fame and money. On the way, they encountered a band of ghosts who were delighted by their strange music. Their king, Goda, rewarded them with three magical boons — whenever they sang, people would stand transfixed and unable to move; they could travel anywhere wearing magical shoes gifted by the ghost king; and they could summon any food they desired from a magical cloth bag.

The duo eventually reached the kingdom of Shundi, whose king was cruel and war-loving. Arrested immediately upon arrival, they somehow escaped and made their way to the kingdom of Halla, where the kind ruler welcomed them as royal musicians and companions. Soon they learnt that the king of Shundi planned to attack Halla. In order to prevent the war, Gupi and Bagha travelled to Shundi and cleverly captured the king during a grand puja ceremony by disguising themselves as deities amidst the smoke and confusion of the ritual. The king was taken prisoner to Halla, and eventually Gupi and Bagha married two princesses and were entrusted with half the kingdom.

Folklore, Politics and the Shadow of War

An important message glows throughout Upendrakishore’s narrative. At one point Bagha remarks, “I am off to a place where people will accept me as I am.” Throughout the storyline, the musician duo searches for a space where they can preserve their passion and identity against all odds.

Being a folklorist himself, Upendrakishore collected numerous stories from the Mymensingh region, now in Bangladesh, where he grew up. These later found place in books such as Tuntunir Boi and Golpomala. Naturally, Gupi and Bagha too followed the broader framework of a regional folktale, complete with kings, wars, ghosts, magic, boons and rewards.

The political atmosphere of the period also left its imprint on the story. India was passing through the turbulence of the anti-Partition movement following the partition of Bengal, which was annulled only in 1911. Globally too, the early twentieth century witnessed mounting tensions that culminated in World War I. It is therefore not surprising that wars and battles formed an important layer within the story of Gupi and Bagha.

Upendrakishore’s scientific temperament and curiosity also influenced his writings. Deeply religious yet rational in outlook, he experimented extensively with printing technology and established ‘U Ray & Sons’ in 1895. The printing press at 100 Garpar Road, set up in 1914, is still regarded as one of the finest printing establishments in South Asia of its time. His interest in mythology from across the world also found expression through translations of Norse and Japanese myths for Sandesh. Elements of ritual, mythology and dramatic illusion thus naturally entered the concluding portions of the original Gupi and Bagha narrative.

Ray’s Cinematic Transformation

When Satyajit Ray adapted the story decades later, he wanted to create not merely a children’s film but a magical cinematic world rooted in folklore while resonating deeply with contemporary realities. The result was a phenomenal screenplay supported by a stellar cast and unforgettable music that not only advanced the storyline but paused to reflect upon each moment.

Ray’s adaptation carried many of his own convictions — his anti-war stance, his love for music and performative arts, his fascination with history and regional traditions, and his opposition to caste discrimination, class oppression and authoritarian rule. These concerns were reflected through the conduct of the kings, ministers and police officials in the film.

While the broader framework remained intact, Ray introduced several memorable transformations. In the original story, the good king belonged to Halla while the cruel king ruled Shundi; in the film, this arrangement was reversed. The film also portrayed the two kings as brothers, a detail absent in the original text. Likewise, Ray introduced manipulative ministers, sorcerers and elaborate political intrigue which were not part of Upendrakishore’s narrative.

Most significantly, Ray created the now legendary “Bhooter Nachh” or dance of ghosts sequence entirely for the film. Equally notable was the transformation of the climactic sequence. In the original story, Gupi and Bagha disrupted a grand puja ceremony by showering sweets from the sky, creating chaos among the crowd before capturing the king. In Ray’s version, this sequence shifted to the battlefield, where starving soldiers abandoned warfare to devour the magically conjured sweets. War ceased and peace prevailed — a deeply humanist statement against violence and conflict.

Timeless Legacy Across Generations

Across the decades, Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne has enjoyed immense popularity across countries and generations. The Academy Film Archive in Hollywood preserved the film in 2003. Ray’s work also inspired a Hindi animated adaptation titled Goopi Gawaiya Bagha Bajaiya, directed by Shilpa Ranade and released in 2013. The film went on to win the FICCI BAF Award for Best Indian Animated Feature Film (Theatrical Release).

Several children’s graphic novels too continue to pay homage to Satyajit Ray’s cinematic vision, carefully illustrating the beloved characters for younger generations. More than a century after Upendrakishore penned the story, and nearly six decades after Satyajit Ray immortalised it on screen, Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne continues to remain a timeless celebration of imagination, music, friendship and peace.

(The writer is a Kolkata-based visual anthropologist, culture specialist, writer, translator and columnist. She is also the translator of all 63 stories of ‘Tuntunir Boi’ and ‘Golpomala’ by Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury, published as ‘Collected Stories of Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury’. Views expressed are personal. She can be reached at lopamudramaitra@gmail.com)