Thursday throwback: When Satyajit Ray rejected Raj Kapoor’s offer to produce his film

Raj Kapoor’s admiration for Satyajit Ray is known to all. Interestingly, the Bollywood icon was once keen offered to produce Ray's historic film ‘Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne’. However, there was one condition that Ray didn’t like.
As the story goes Raj Kapoor wanted Satyajit Ray to direct his eldest son Randhir Kapoor's first movie in return. At that time, the legendary filmmaker was struggling to find a financer for his dream project.He had then gone to attend Raj Kapoor's daughter's wedding. There, Raj Kapoor assured him he will finance the film, provided Ray directs his son Randhir Kapoor's first film.
However, a young producer in Calcutta, Asim Dutta, managed to convince Styajit Ray there was no need to make the film in Bombay, as he was willing to produce it.

‘Goopi Gyne Bagha Byne’, released in 1969, is touted to be one of the most interesting decisions Ray took, considering his filmography dealing with serious humanistic movies with social message.
It’s a fantasy adventure involving the titular characters and inspired by a story written by Satyajit Ray’s grandfather Upendra Kishor Roychoudhary. With ‘Goopi Gyne Bagha Byne’ Ray, for the first time after ‘Parash Pathar’, worked with the comedy genre. He made this film following a request from his son, young Sandip Ray, who went on to become a national award winning director himself.