A delightful fantasy-fiction film, “Gupi Gayen,” reviews Ruchira, delivers music, family drama, and a ghostly mentor, and entertains all ages for Different Truths.
It’s a delightful fantasy-fiction movie indeed! Both oldsters and youngsters are bound to be entertained. I’m talking about a recent film titled “Gupi Gayen,” directed by Rajdeep Ghosh. This should not be confused with the iconic 1969 blockbuster “Gupi Gayen Bagha Bayen,” which was the brainchild of the legendary Satyajit Ray. Instead, this film has a more homely feeling, with strong touches of our everyday lives.
The story revolves around a high school teenager named Saptak Sen (also known as Gupi), who has a deep passion for vocal music. He hails from a nondescript, remote village somewhere in Bengal. His late grandfather and father were both established singers. Having lost her loved ones prematurely, Gupi’s distraught mother (played by the chubby, bubbly, vivacious Aparajita Adhya) is still struggling to recover from the trauma. Quite naturally, she hates her son’s devotion to music and does everything in her power to thwart his efforts.
At this stage, the ghost of Gupi’s grandfather (effortlessly portrayed by the baritone Sabyasachi Chakraborty, who had a similar role in an earlier Bengali film called “Chhayamoy”) enters the scene. (An uncanny resemblance to the appearance of his father’s ghost in Hamlet?) The grandfather’s apparition reassures and encourages his young grandson Gupi to pursue his singing career with greater zeal.
Initially sceptical, Gupi (played by Ritobrata Mukherjee), receives solid support throughout the narrative from several individuals, including his corpulent yet kind-hearted music teacher Bhooteshwar, his guitar-playing classmate the doe-eyed Ria, and Raju, another classmate with a conspicuous candyfloss hairstyle.
Before long, Grandpa’s ghost appears before his daughter-in-law and commands her to grant permission for her son to sing. This leads to a lengthy, acrimonious battle between Gupi and his rival Kedar, who resents being overshadowed by Gupi. Kedar’s father, the school secretary and patron, wades into the conflict in support of his beloved son. He further complicates matters by threatening to evict Gupi and his mother from their dilapidated house, which had been mortgaged to him (by Gupi’s now deceased father) years ago.
Meanwhile, a reputed television channel launches a talent hunt contest in the local school, where Gupi wins hands down, while Kedar is rejected. This further infuriates Kedar’s father, who renews his threat of eviction. Once more, Grandpa Sen appears before his daughter-in-law, pleading with her to sell his gold medal collection, hidden in a rusty trunk, to urgently raise funds and redeem their house from the greedy secretary.
However, when they approach the secretary with the funds, he brusquely informs them that the amount owed is far more than what they are ready to pay. Dejected, the mother and son duo return home.
While all this chaos ensues, Kedar begins to realise Gupi’s true talent and his own singing flaws. To make amends, he steals the relevant documents from his father and returns them to Gupi and his mother. All is forgiven and forgotten; the two boys join forces to hone their musical skills.
Having guided and monitored his grandson thus far, the ghostly grandfather bids an emotional farewell to his family, showering abundant blessings upon Gupi. The film concludes with a scintillating performance by a confident and elated Gupi. His heretofore doubting mother, too, is overjoyed!
Feature picture from Plex.tv
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