Satyajit Ray’s fantasy-adventure Goopy Gyne, Bagha Byne celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2019 and has been converted into a delightful animated movie. Lyricist Gulzar graced the trailer launch event of Goopi Gawaiya Bagha Bajaiyaan, an animation film inspired by Satyajit Ray’s Goopi Gyne Bagha Byne which ready to hit the big screen on 1st March.
Fifty years after Satyajit Ray’s fantasy-adventure Goopy Gyne, Bagha Byne, an animated version of the classic titled GGBB:Goopi Gawaiya Bagha Bajaiya, directed by Shilpa Ranade is all set to release this year. Watch the trailer here:
Produced by CFSI (Children’s Film Society India) in association with Karadi Tales (publishing house known for children’s books), GGBB has been nominated and awarded at many film festivals in India and abroad. The director, Shilpa Ranade is a well-known illustrator and designer who has illustrated almost all the children books written by Gulzar Sahab.
The director of the film, Shilpa said, “I had read the story and the beauty of the story is that you can re-interpret, re-visualize it in your own way without losing the essence. Hence, it is relevant even after so many years.”
On the film being a modern adaptation with today’s language, Shilpa says, “A film has to be relatable. The idea was to engage people of today’s generation. Hence, the language is contemporary.”
Satyajit Ray’s son Sandeep Ray saw the film recently in Kolkata and was all praise. “The story was written by my great grandfather Shri Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury in a children's magazine called 'Sandes' that he had started in 1912.” He said.
“When my father Satyajit Ray read that short story much later, he was mesmerized. My father later revived Sandesh (It was shut in 1930s) and Goopi and Bagha was the first story that he re-published in 1961. By then he was already a known filmmaker. I happened to complain to him that he should make something for us (Children). He said "let's see I may make one, one day for you. The film was planned in 1966 and it got made and released only in 1969. It was a big hit then. It is such a nice story that it has stood the test of time." Ray added.