NSD joins hands with Sankardeva group for social harmony cause

Abdul Gani

Guwahati: The teachings of 15th-century saint-philosopher Sankardeva — espousing religious tolerance and social harmony —could just be the answer to the paranoia gripping the nation.

A Guwahati-based nongovernmental organisation (NGO) in association with Assam Association and support from Assam government and Union ministry of culture is organising an awareness event on the message of the saint-reformer at the Kamini Auditorium in New Delhi on September 13.

Srimanta Sankaradeva Movement Delhi Initiative, the title of the event, is being organised by Trend MMS, a socio-cultural group based in Guwahati. The programme will comprise a presentation on Sankaradeva followed by an hour-long thematic performance of a dance-drama, “Chordhora Jhumura”.

The National School of Drama (NSD) is providing technical input for the programme. “The event has been conceptualised to highlight the teachings of Sankardeva and the inherent universal brotherhood as well as displaying the rich cultural movement during his age that still is the soul of Assamese culture,” said Shyam Kanu Mahanta, a member of the organising panel.

National celebrities too have involved themselves in this noble mission. Noted act or Victor Banerjee will be a part of the event. He will be seen anchoring the whole event.

“We are happy to have Banerjee in our mission. He will also be our ambassador in the event. He spent his entire childhood in Moran in Assam, studied at Kanoi College, Dibrugarh and made it big in Tollywood, 

Bollywood and acted in international movies,” Mahanta said.

Besides, acclaimed filmmaker Jahnu Barua too would be involved in spreadi ng the movement to popularise Sankaradeva at the national level.

“Our aim is to make people aware of the great teachings and rich cultural heritage of Assam initiated way back in the 15th century. We are also looking to build a bridge in terms of cultural integration with the people from other parts of the country,” he said.

“Jhumura”, a unique style of drama was introduced by Madhavdeva, the most prominent and devoted disciple of Sankardeva in order to preach and popularise the tenets of Vaishnavism among the masses.

“His literary and artistic contributions are living traditions in Assam today. The religion he preached is practiced by a large population, and Sattras (monasteries) that he and his followers established continue to flourish and sustain his legacy. In reference to his personality, teachings and oeuvre, he is a Mahapurusha, or ‘Great Man’. 

He propagated a casteless society and bringing people from different castes and religions as a part of his team. We hope this initiative will help us in spreading his message to wider section of people,” Mahanta further said. (Seven Sisters Post)

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Assam youth unveils movie venture: Kaafiron Ki Namaaz

Abdul Gani

Guwahati: For a state that has always taken its cinema seriously, Assam youth Bhargav Saikia’s full-length Hindi feature film, Kaafiron Ki Namaaz, is all set to create ripples on the national map.

A still from the film.

Having just completed his shooting at the Jyoti Chitraban film studio in Guwahati, Saikia is now ready to unveil his maiden creation to the movie-lovers of the country and beyond. “We are relieved to a great extent as we have successfully finished the whole shooting process. After the post-production procedure, we will be able to offer the film to our viewers,” Saikia told Seven Sisters Post. Kaafiron Ki Namaaz is an independent feature film in Hindi written and directed by Ram Ramesh Sharma.

The story is set in Kashmir and it takes place over the course of one night when a writer from West Bengal comes to interview an army man somewhere on the outskirts of Srinagar. There, they are joined by a bandwala (a musician).

The unit after their shooting at Jyoti Chitraban

“The central theme of the film is ‘confession’ and, keeping this in mind, the three characters pour their hearts out, including some dark secrets, and become pacified in their own spaces as the film moves forward,” said the movie’s director, Ram Ramesh Sharma, who hails from Faridabad in Haryana.

Saikia was born and brought up in Assam before he moved to Mumbai to pursue film studies at the Whistling Woods International Institute, a film, television and media arts school located in Mumbai and promoted by well-known filmmaker Subhash Ghai. Kaafiron Ki Namaaz happens to be the first project of Saikia’s production company, Lorien Motion Pictures. “We are quite positive about the movie’s success, as all of us are young and energetic, and are hungry to do something creative,” he said.

Renowned theatre personalities from Bhopal, Chandrahas Tiwari, Megh Varn Pant and Alok Chaturvedi, play pivotal roles in the film. Tiwari and Pant were last seen in films like Shanghai, Dum Maaro Dum and My Friend Pinto.

Producer Bhargav Saikia (extreme right) and director Ram Ramesh Sharma (extreme left) with Sukhwinder Singh 

The music of the two-hour film has been scored by Advait Nemlekar, with popular singers like Sukhwinder Singh, Usha Uthup, Javed Ali, Najim Arshad and Kshitij Tarey having lent their voices to the movie.

“We are thankful to these artistes for their cooperation. Sukhwinder Singh has been very kind enough as he did not charge a single penny from us. We are planning to release the music album later this year,” Saikia added.

Besides Jyoti Chitraban, several scenes have been shot at the beautiful locales of Jammu & Kashmir during March this year.

“Art director Jyoti Sankar Bhattacharyya from Assam has designed and created the set brilliantly here at Jyoti Chitraban. Outdoor sequences o f the film were shot widely across Kashmir,” he said.

Saikia and his team are now eyeing major international film festivals before releasing the movie in India sometime later this year. (Seven Sisters Post)

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Saint and Sensibility: Animation on Sankardeva

Abdul Gani

Guwahati: In order to showcase Assam’s great 15th-century saint, Sankardeva, in a lively and spirited way, filmmaker Sanjeev Narain and his company have launched a project Sarbagunakara Srimanta Shankardeva, an animation film on the saint’s life and teachings.

The 90-minute feature will be the first-ever Assamese animated film since Jyotiprasad Agarwala came with his path-breaking ‘Joymati’ in 1935. “I always want to do something new in my life. This project came to my mind some five years back, but today I’m the happiest man to be able to declare that we are making the first-ever animated Assamese feature film, and that too, on Sankardeva,” said Sanjeev Narain, producer of the film.

A portrait of Shankardeva. Photo:  indianetzone.com

The film is being made to market it internationally with the latest technology. “Kolkata-based Kaleidoscope is looking after the technical aspects. We will dub the film in English, Hindi and Bengali for the global market,” he added. Around 140 people have already started working round the clock to finish the film in next six months.

National award-winning filmmaker Manju Bora is directing the film. “I congratulate Sanjeev for his initiative to make such a film. When he proposed the idea, I straightway said yes, and since then that thought kept knocking my mind,” said Bora, whose Akashitarar Kathare won the best regional film award in 2003. 

She is enthusiastic with the plot, and has vowed to do justice to the theme. “I really like the idea and feel proud to be a part of the project. It’s not possible to cover the complete life of the saint in just 90 minutes, but I have tried my best to do justice to the subject,” she added. 

The music of the film is being looked after by talented Tarali Sharma. 

The history of animation is almost a century old. El Apóstol (The Apostle), an Argentine animated film utilising cut-out animation in 1917, is regarded as the world’s first animated feature film. It was written and directed by Quirino Cristiani. It consisted of a total of 58,000 frames played over the course of 70 minutes at 14 frames per second.

In India, animation came much later in 1974 when the Films Division of India released Ek Anek Aur Ekta (one, many, and unity). It is a traditionally-animated short educational film which was telecast on the Doordarshan.

Of late, this genre of film has gained much popularity across the globe with films like Ice Age, Finding Nemo, Lion King, Shrek, Happy Feet, Kungfu Panda, Hercules, Madagascar etc, have posed a tough challenge to other films. This has fancied the imagination of kids and adults alike. Indian viewers also have their own versions of animation films like Hanuman, Krishna, Return of Hanuman, Roadside Romeo, Bal Ganesh, Arjuna: The Warrior Prince, Delhi Safari, etc, to name a few.

However, critics feel that India has still miles to go to compete with their Hollywood counterparts in so far as the quality of such films is concerned. “Animation as a genre of films is yet to be evolved fully in India, though we have had stray hits like Hanuman. 

The problem with animation filmmaking is that it’s highly expensive if one wants to do it visually appealing up to the level of what we see in international films, be it in Hollywood or in Japan,” New Delhibased film critic Utpal Borpujari told Seven Sisters Post. But there is a positive atmosphere to bring a change in this regard.

“And the audiences have access to superb animation films like Madagascar. Indian films are also evolving in quality, and the recent Arjuna: The Warrior Prince is a good example. Nikhil Advani’s Delhi Safari also seems to have quality animation going by its promo, and so does Govind Nihalani’s Kamlu,” the national award winning film critic added.

However, Borpujari, who was a jury member in several international film festivals, is hopeful of the project. “Srimanta Sankardev is definitely a great subject for animation. What’s important is that this subject has to be treated with high-quality animation and interesting treatment to woo the international market. I hope this project has the required budget to scale that height,” he said. (Seven Sisters Post)

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As the River Flows premieres at Osian Cinefan

Abdul Gani

Guwahati: After being at the centre of debates and discussions, Ekhon Nedekha Nadir Xipare (Assamese version of the film As the River Flows) premiered at Siri Fort Auditorium in New Delhi during the ongoing Osian’s Cinefan Film Festival on Sunday evening.

Before the film was screened, Bidyut Kotoky, the director of the film went through some anxious moments. “Really can’t say if I was nervous. Yes, definitely it was an anxious moment. Anxious with the prospect of experiencing my film for the first time with you… the audience for whom it is meant,” Kotoky told Seven Sisters Post.

A scene from the film As the River Flows.

The film revolves around the story of a journalist named Abhijit Shandilya who is caught in a multi-layered world of intriguing happenings in the largest inhabited river island in the world, Majuli, in Assam. “I hope everybody loved ‘her’. I would be heartbroken if they don’t. But not shattered. I will try to make a better film next time which can win your heart and soul. But I do believe this is a film straight from the heart,” he added.

The film which features Sanjay Suri, Victor Banerjee, Bidita Bag, Raj Zutshi, Nakul Vaid and several others was in the news after some jury members of the National Film Awards rejected it from the best regional film award citing the reason that it ‘was not an Assamese film’. The censor certificate, however, clearly mentioned it as an Assamese film. Sanjay Suri and Victor Banerjee were also present during the screening.

The 59th National Film Awards 2011 is governed by the National Film Awards Regulations. The Clause 7.3 of the regulations makes it mandatory that every film seeking nomination should be certified by Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

To obtain the mandatory certification, the film Ekhon Nedekha Nadir Xipare was sent for certification by Central Board of Film Certification. Accordingly the Central Board of Film Certification certified Ekhon Nedekha Nadir Xipare to be an Assamese movie in the U/A category.

Meanwhile, Enajori.com, took up the issue seriously and filed a PIL before the Delhi High Court, although the same was dismissed, on filing of a report by the Directorate of Film Festivals to the effect that the film was not rejected on the ground of it not being an Assamese film but it was actually rejected on the basis of merit. But several questions remained unanswered.

The jury of the 59th National Film Award flouted guidelines issued by Directorate of Film Festivals. Clause 1.3 of the guidelines issued by the Directorate of Film Festivals reads as follows: “The jury members shall maintain strict confidentiality regarding the deliberations/ recommendations in respect of awards to various categories.

In case of any violation by jury members, he/ she would be debarred for life from becoming a jury member in National Film Awards/ Indian Panorama/ International Film Festival of India.” 

But so far nothing has been done even after two jury members breached the norms and spoke to media about the rejection. Besides, another Assamese film Local Kung Fu — a comic martial arts film directed by Kenny Deori Basumatary was also screened during the film festival on Saturday. The film was made with a budget of just Rs 95,000.

According to the director and writer Kenny Basumatary, Local Kung Fu is possibly the cheapest martial arts comedy ever made. Kenny Basumatary also stars in the movie. The people liked it so much that the film was screened again on Sunday morning. (Seven Sisters Post)

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Elephant Killed on Railways

Abdul Gani

Guwahati: A speeding inter-city train going to Tinsukia killed a 7year-old elephant at Kurkuria under Sonapur range in Kamrup district on Wednesday night. The female elephant, which was separated from its herd, after being hit was dragged along the track for quite a distance. Forest officials said that the post-mortem of the elephant was conducted on Thursday.

The killed elephant. pic: UB photos

Elephant accidents like this have of late become a regular affair in the state. Trains account for 37 per cent of elephant deaths in the country. With this killing, the total death toll of elephants due to collision with speeding train has increased to four s o far this year.

Last month, an elephant was killed by a speeding train at Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary in Jorhat district. Two more elephants were knocked down to death in Karbi Anglong area in February and June respectively. Another elephant was injured by a moving train at Deepor Beel area in May this year. Elephants continue to come under the trains at various locations in spite of marking the areas as danger zones.

The three major danger zones are Deepor Beel, Daldali Reserve Area of Karbi Anglong and Hoollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary. Wildlife activists allege that due to lack of cooperation from the railway department such accidents take place. “On an average, 8 to 10 elephants die each year in train accidents. And the same number of elephants die when poachers of people hunt or poison them,” said MK Gogoi, the founder director of Friends of Nature, an NGO.

He also said that on several occasions the incidents go unrecorded as the injured elephants simply vanish into the jungle after being hit by a train. “They later die and thus it is recorded as natural death,” he added. In most of the cases, it is the female and calves who become the victims.

According to rule, a train has to lower its speed to 30 kilometre or lesser in the elephant corridors. “The railway rule book says that a train can be stopped even at the speed of 45 kilometre per hour on certain conditions. But train drivers never obey such rules and regulations and continue hitting the elephants,” he said.

The elephants follow the same route according to their behaviour and if they are barred or if they find resistance they tend to go wayward and disturb the neighbouring areas.

In Hoollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary, three elephants have lost their lives in the past nine months. Seven elephants were killed by a speeding train in a single accident in Bogapani area in 2007.

In Dibru-Saikhowa at least five elephants were killed in the past five years. “In the past five years, more than 35 elephants have been killed by the poachers or villagers. Villagers often poison them to get rid of their menace,” he added.

He also said that on several occasions the forest department hide such cases and instead show them as cases of natural death. The elephant census this year recorded a total of 5,620 elephants in Assam compared to 5,246 elephants in the 2009 census. In 2008 the elephant population was pegged at 5, 281. (Seven Sisters Post)

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