Seeking to capitalise on the popularity of Satyajit Ray’s famous characters Goopy Gyne and Bagha Byne, the Election Commission (EC) has recently launched a music video featuring the two to increase awareness among the youth in Bengal on enrolling their names in the voters’ list. The campaign has been undertaken by the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal. The EC started the enrolment and correction drive on August 22 and it will conclude on September 13. The movie Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne was released in 1969 and was followed by two sequels.
The characters, a duo of poor musicians who went on to become kings by the boons of a ghost king, appear in the 30-second music video in their trademark motley attire. “For us the challenge was to communicate the message in such a way which will immediately connect with the electorate. We finally decided on Goopy Gyne and Bagha Byne as their appeal cuts across generations,” Amitjyoti Bhattacharji, Deputy Chief Electoral Officer, told The Hindu.
Set in a rural background, the video shows Goopy Gyne and Bagha Byne urging voters through a song not to forget to enrol in the voters’ list. The tune of the song has been kept similar to the songs in the films so it immediately strikes a chord with the audience.
However, there is a pleasant surprise in the middle of the video when they clap their hands saying “vote grahon kendro” [polling booth] and disappear. “ One of the key attractions of the movies was the boon awarded to them by the ghost king who provided them with magic shoes with which they can reach any place instantly just by clapping and uttering its name. Along with the message we wanted to revive some pleasant memories of the viewers,” Drono Acharya, director of the campaign video, said.
Keeping in mind “the challenge” of combining contrasting elements like the “comic characters” and the “serious subject”, the makers of the video has given attention to minute details of the characters’ appearance in the films. “Even their magical shoes with eyes printed on them can be seen in the video,” said Mr. Acharya.