Big Screen: “The Kingdom of Diamonds”

The Kingdom of Diamonds (Hirak Rajar Deshe) is Satyajit Ray’s 1980 follow-up to his acclaimed musical comedy The Adventures of Goopy and Bagha. The film continues the fantasy adventures of Goopy Gyne and Bagha Byne as they travel to Hirak after receiving an invitation to the court of the Diamond King. They soon learn that the king is actually an evil tyrant who hoards wealth while his subjects starve. Anyone who protests becomes victim to a sinister brainwashing plot that rewrites their thoughts with mindless rhyming slogans. With their magical abilities, Goopy and Bagha join virtuous schoolteacher Udayan to put an end to the Diamond King’s tyranny. Critics and audiences have celebrated the film’s dystopian themes and political commentary alongside its lighthearted laughs and richly poetic screenplay.

Moinak Biswas (Film Studies, Jadavpur University), Supriya Chaudhuri (English, Jadavpur University), and graphic illustrator-designer Pinaki De will join moderator Bhaskar Sarkar (Film and Media Studies, UCSB) for a post-screening discussion of The Adventures of Goopy and Bagha and The Kingdom of Diamonds.

The Adventures of Goopy and Bagha will be screened on Tuesday, October 11.