Now Goopy Bagha in Halfghanistan?

RBN Web Desk: It seems everyone in the Bengali film industry is trying to return Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne on the big screen in its golden jubilee year. Directed by auteur Satyajit Ray, Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne released in 1969 and was the biggest hit in his career as a filmmaker.

Director Rangan Chakraborty, according to sources, is likely to revive his Goopy-Bagha project that was shelved in 2012. The film was backed by producer Rana Sarkar and was titled Goopy Bagha in Halfghanistan. Sarkar had formally announced the film back then. The final script was registered with Eastern India Motion Pictures Association (EIMPA), so that none else could make a film on the same concept, sources added.

Managing director of Priya Entertainments, Arijit Dutta, had then said he will be a co-producer to the project. Ray’s fantasy-musical film was produced by Arijit’s grandfather Nepal Dutta under the banner of Purnima Pictures. The company was named after Arjit’s mother Purnima Dutta. Arijit now owns the film rights of Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne.

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The first cast for Goopy Bagha in Halfghanistan had Dev as Goopy and Rahul Banerjee as Bagha. In fact, look tests were carried out for Dev and Rahul, and both of them were locked for the roles. Subhasree Ganguly and Priyanka Sarkar were supposed to appear as the female leads. But six years down the line it’s almost impossible to get the same cast for the film since the personal equations between them have worsened with time.

Now that directors Anindya Chatterjee and Pavel are well on their way to carry the franchise forward, Rana Sarkar is likely to revive the project, sources claimed.

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Speaking to the media, Rangan even warned of legal action, if there’s a resemblance with the script that he registered with EIMPA and the next film of the series not produced by him. He claimed to have worked on the Goopy Bagha in Halfghanistan script from 2010 to 2012 and even had talks with composer Debojyoti Mishra for the film’s music.