The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal on Sunday escalated its political attack on the ruling Trinamool Congress government by releasing a digitally crafted, AI-generated video that reimagines two of Bengali cinema’s most beloved characters — Goopy Gyne and Bagha Byne — from Satyajit Ray’s classic films. The video, uploaded on the party’s official X handle, uses these fictional protagonists to deliver a pointed critique of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s administration and the current condition of the state.
In the video, Goopy and Bagha embark on a fantastical journey in search of “Sonar Bangla,” a term long associated with the dream of a prosperous, thriving Bengal. However, instead of discovering the ideal version of the state they expect, they time-travel into modern-day Metiaburuz in Kolkata — and are immediately taken aback. The neighbourhood appears to be plastered with posters of Kolkata’s Mayor and senior Trinamool Congress leader Firhad Hakim. The area is mockingly labelled “Mini Pakistan,” a phrase Hakim was once accused of using, and the environment is shown as one where Urdu visibly dominates over Bengali, emphasising what the BJP portrays as cultural displacement under TMC rule.
As Goopy and Bagha wander through this altered Bengal, they encounter a local resident who becomes the narrative’s voice of dissent. The man laments that under Mamata Banerjee’s governance, the state has descended into fear, lawlessness, and political coercion. He accuses the Chief Minister of behaving like an autocratic ruler who interferes in people’s lives rather than ensuring democratic governance. The character alleges that anyone who dares to oppose the regime is harassed, silenced or made to “disappear,” echoing long-standing BJP criticisms about political violence and intimidation in the state.
The video goes further by accusing the Banerjee administration of allowing corruption to flourish unchecked. It refers particularly to “cut money,” a term that has become synonymous with allegations of widespread extortion and bribery linked to grassroots Trinamool workers. The narrative suggests that corruption has penetrated every level of governance and that ordinary citizens are the ones ultimately bearing the burden.
Employment and economic distress are also highlighted. The AI-driven animation shows factories shutting down, unemployment rising, and teachers protesting in the streets to demand their basic rights. These depictions reinforce the BJP’s argument that Bengal’s economy has deteriorated under Trinamool rule, leaving workers and young people without opportunities or hope. The video also portrays the state as unsafe for women, pointing to frequent criticisms of deteriorating law and order and the alleged involvement of ruling party cadres in acts of intimidation.
The depiction of Trinamool Congress workers in the video is scathing — they are shown as local musclemen who control neighbourhoods through fear rather than serving the public. Through this portrayal, the BJP attempts to link the TMC’s political structure to grassroots-level authoritarianism and unchecked violence.
Toward the end, the video takes a dramatic turn by drawing inspiration from Satyajit Ray’s renowned political satire “Hirak Rajar Deshe.” Just as Goopy and Bagha inspired the oppressed citizens of Hirak to resist their tyrannical king through music, the video concludes with the characters urging the people of Bengal to rise up and put an end to what it describes as misrule and decay under the current regime. The final message frames the state as having descended into a state of crisis, and calls for transformative political change.
Through its creative reinterpretation of Ray’s legendary characters and cultural symbolism, the BJP aims to strike a chord with Bengali audiences while intensifying its attack on the Trinamool Congress ahead of the next electoral cycle.
