Bengali comic heroes

Real Names: Gupi and Bagha

Class: Bards with magical powers

Occupation: As the sons-in-law of two kings and princes of the kingdoms, they perform administrative duties in the king’s court. From time to time they sing and play the drum to entertain people. When they hear of any injustice happening in any part of India, they go there and solve the problems with their intelligence and magical powers.

Affiliations: King of the ghosts.

Enemies: Barphi, the chief minister of Halla, King of Hirak, etc.

Relatives: Gupi – Monimala (princess of Shundi, only daughter of the king of Shundi); Kanu Kayen (a villager); unnamed father-in-law (the King of Shundi); unnamed child.

Bagha – Muktamala (princess of Halla, only daughter of the king of Halla); unnamed father-in-law (the King of Halla); unnamed child.

Aliases: Gupi Gayen and Bagha Bayen; meaning Gupi the singer & Bagha the drummer.

Place: India and Bengal

Appearance: “Gupi Gayen Bagha Bayen” Story in Magazine Sandesh written by famous novelist Upendra Kishore Ray, around 90 years ago.

Powers/Abilities: The King of the ghosts gave them 3 boons – With a clap at each other’s hands, they can ask and get any sort or quantity of food and clothing.

• With a clap at each other’s hands, they can name and go to any place on universe within no time.

• When they sing or drum, every mortal listening to it – people and even animals – will be spellbound and will not be able to move until it is over.

• Infinite supply of food , if they wish anykind of food and clap their hands together , the food will appear in no time .

Apart from them, they are very intelligent and lots of problems they solve by their intelligence only.

History: This is a story in ancient India. Gupi and Bagha were two village boys, living in two different villages in a remote corner of eastern India. Gupi was from village “Amlaki”, and Bagha from “Hartuki”. They were considered dumb and of no use by the villagers because of their simplicity, belief in others and their passion for music. They were really a very bad singer and drummer but they never refrained from their pursuit for music, even though that annoyed the village people a lot. Agitated, the village people drove them out of their villages.

These two villages were separated by a very dense forest inhabited by dangerous wild animals and ghosts. The two exiles reached there and for the first time met each other. Music became their natural medium of friendship, and they started to sing and drum in the forest. The king of the ghosts liked their performance very much (a saying goes, men and ghosts have exactly opposite likings), and gave them three boons. Confident with these boons, they reached a kingdom of western India named “Shundi” to take part in a music competition. There they solved the problem between the two neighboring kingdoms and the kings appointed them as heirs of their kingdoms, as well as marrying them to their daughters.

Comments: Created by Upendra Kishore Ray. His grandson, the famous filmmaker Satyajit Ray (who won an Oscar for Lifetime Achievements, and Bharatratna, the highest civilian award in India) created 3 films on their stories; which are-

• Gupi Gayen Bagha Bayen

• Hirak Rajar Deshe (“In the land of the diamond king”)

• Gupi Bagha Phire Elo (Gupi Bagha returns)

Real Name: Bantul

Class: Mighty Champ

Occupation: Various odd jobs when money is short

Affiliations: ‘Lambakarna’. (a small boy, who has a special power of hearing from a great distance.); an ostrich (by manipulating his wings Bantul flies)

Enemies: Terrorists, outlaws, smugglers in general.

Bachchu, Bichchu – two small boys who are criminally-minded; Bantul always try to prevent them from doing mischief, so they try to harm Bantul.

Known Relatives: One very old aunt. Bantul is brought up by her, and he still stays in her house, looking after her.

Aliases: Bantul the Great

Place: A small township near Kolkata, sometimes other parts of India also.

Appearance: ‘Bantul The Great’ Comic Strip in Magazine Shuktara, started 40 years ago.

Powers/Abilities: He has physical power beyond imagination. He can move big things by blowing air from his mouth; his body is so tough that bombs, bullets or knives cannot penetrate. In a few instances terrorists fired missiles at him, and he used them as football. Even his tiny hairs (he usually has a shaven head) are so tough that they act like thorns or nails, so if he touches a ball with his head, the ball bursts. He can fly by manipulating the wings of his favorite ostrich.

History: Bantul is a superhuman who tries to enjoy a leisurely life , who comes to the rescue of good people and to enforce the law and punish criminals. He helped Indian Military and Police a few times to catch terrorists and smugglers. The rest of the time he spends reading books, cooking, fishing, roaming in jungles and mountains, or try to earn some money when he runs short of it. Most of the times he land up in a mess when trying to earn money, as he is never conscious of his great powers, so he does normal things abnormally and destroy everything! (For example, if he takes a job of lawn mowing, he will definitely break the lawn mower!). Despite all his abilities, he’s by heart a small boy, and most of the time he forgets his powers and try to act like a normal man. This way he brings miseries to his friends also.

If you come across more bengali heroes , let me know