There are some movies that we can watch hundred times, again and again. Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne is one of them to me. I grew up watching this movie, watched several times and each time was none the less exciting...charming.
One of powerful aspect of Ray's movies is their music. Mostly he composed himself. He did for this movie too. One more fact keeps you wondering is how such a fairy tale movie can be made with so less special affects and low cost. The sets were adorned with crafts and symbols that accentuate the ambiance, like the Magician's room in the palace of Shundi.
The film is simply superb .... a real masterpiece. The film is so rich in every respect - Nothing new to say. It had all sort of spices, ghost, a good king, an abnormal king, palaces, evil prime minister, evil magician, the lyrics, the background music, the comedy within the songs... all are amazing. It was a new landmark not only in the Indian film also in the world cinema. This is an evergreen film for generations to come.
Hirak Rajar Deshe (Kingdom of Diamond) ...the sequel of Goopy-Bagha!
Jalshaghar [The Music Room] (1958)
Experience Ray's work somewhat like Bergman's manner!
In Ray's own words the film deals with "a music loving Zamindar (landlord) who refuses to change with the times and thereby meets his comeuppance."
It was this film that led to the French to pay attention to Ray and his films. It is tempting to draw parallels with his later film
Shantranj Ke Khilari (The Chess Players, 1977), Roy in Jalsaghar (The Music Room, 1958), and Wajid Ali Shah in
Shatranj Ke Khilari, both, share an obsessive and doomed love for music that leads to their destruction.
Parash Pathar (The Philosopher's Stone/The Touch Stone) [1958]
Story: Parash Pathar is one of early Ray movies which tells a story of an ordinary office clerk who comes across a magic stone which turns iron onto gold. Tulsi Chakraborty, who plays a role of a lifetime in this classic piece, is the clerk whose life changes after he discovers that the small simple stone is the "Parash Pathar", the stone which can give him infinite riches as long as he can find enough scrap iron. The comical flair of Tulsi Chakraborty is a treat to watch. It would not be an exaggeration to say that he is possibly one of the finest actors to come out of India who can play a comic role with such ease.
Ray was ahead of his time, cause the class of movie making he was capable of, nobody after him here in this continent can even dare to think of making. Believe me...this type of fantasy based fun loving movie none even tried to do after him here.
He'll be always remain as the most honored, admired and beloved personality in both Bengali literature and Bengali films who gifted us with his wonderful lines of creation that a nation can live & grow with time to time in great pride and love.