Loss of a friend...

Part of childhood's gone... with the demise of Goopi Gyne (Tapen Chatterjee, in the real world), an episode comes to an end. Perhaps he is happier where he is now, far from this world which never gave him credit enough. And with his best friend Bagha. In an interview Goopi had remarked that a school student had asked him inside a tram "Apni tram'e keno? Apni to haat'e tali dilei pouche jaben?" (Why do you use the tram? You could go anywhere with a clap) And he had answered, "Se to thik'i, kintu Bagha'ke chara to haat'e tali diye labh nei" (That's so true, but without Bagha, the clap's of no use). This was after the death of Robi Ghosh.

Don't mind all you Satyajit Ray fans, I am one of the same brethren! But its true that Goopi and Bagha (on celluloid) deserve the same honor as their creator (Upendrakishore Roychoudhary as well as Satyajit Ray). It was Ray's genius that transformed the book into a feature film but how could he have accomplished the task without the perfect Goopi and Bagha.

Remember Goopi's expression when Bagha said that they could marry a princess with the help of the three boons? Or the way he reacted when he heard himself singing 'in tune' for the first time? These small details went to form a big part of my childhood, and I'm sure many others' childhoods' too.

I would pray for my dear friend Goopi today! He was one of my 'bestest' (plz do forgive my English) buddies assuring me throughout my childhood about how good always wins at the end, how happiness is not about riches but about what you love, what goodness means. And I would know what to ask 'Bhooter Raja', thanks to these friends of mine!