The year 2018 will be forever remembered for its contribution to Assamese cinema. The year has brought not only some positive moments but has also confirmed that a healthy environment for cinema is finally taking shape in Assam. Among the Oscar buzz and various year end film festivals another important development was the publication of a first of its kind quarterly film journal in Assamese, Bixoy Cinema. The year also witnessed Rima Das’s Bulbul Can Sing winning the top prize at the 20thJio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival.
With a new year ahead of us and some interesting titles awaiting their release, it is hoped that the winning streak of Assamese cinema will continue far and wide in 2019. The first release of 2019, Biswajit Kalita’s Bhaworiya has already hit the screens. This will be followed by Dhruva J Bordoloi’s Kokaideu Bindaas which is scheduled for a March release. The movie focuses on the story of two brothers and their aspirations and views on love, life
Another Assamese film lined up for release is Astitwa by debutant director Mirza Arif Hazarika. Produced by Nazim Ahmed, Astitwa tells the story of a common Assamese man and his struggles for existence. The multi-star cast film is led by Bibhuti Bhusan Hazarika, Dinesh Das, Brojen Bora, Siddhartha Mukherjee, Rajib Kro, etc. The month of March will see the release of the much-awaited film – Bornodi Bhotiyai (In Love, By the River) by debutant director Anupam Kaushik Borah. Dealing with the hopes, aspirations
The month of March will also witness the release of Monjul Baruah’s second feature film Kaaneen -A Secret Search. The movie is based on a novel by Dr. Rita Choudhury which follows the story of a high profile police officer’s wife and the search for her abandoned son. The winner of the Silver Camera Award at the 2nd Guwahati International Film Festival, Kaaneen features Jahanara Begum in the lead role and is accompanied by Baharul Islam, Partha Hazarika, Kasvi Sharma, Rahul Gautam Sharma, Purnima Saikia, etc. Two big budget mass entertainers, Jatin Bora’s Ratnakar and Zubeen Garg’s Kanchenjunga are also gearing up for release probably in the middle of 2019. Starring Barsha Rani Bishaya, Jatin Bora, Nishita Goswami, Bishnu Khargariya, Ratnakar is the depiction of three different stages of a man’s life and the endearing relationship he shares with his little daughter. On the other hand, Kanchenjunga focuses on an ambitious young guy’s fight against the system. Both the films are dream projects of their respective makers and are expected to take the box office by storm upon release.
Another film awaiting its theatrical release is national award winner Jahnu Barua’s Bhoga
Among other adaptations of dramas and novels, two of distinguished littérateur Yeshe Dorjee
After the national award winning Kothanodi, Bhaskar Hazarika is all set to return with an uncanny story of a relationship between a married woman and a young college student. Aamis received the Facebook Award in the Film Bazaar Recommends section at the 12th National Film Development Corporation Film Bazaar event of the 49th International Film Festival of India. Produced by Poonam Deol and Shyam Bora Aamis features new talents Lima Das and Arghadeep Barua. After offering two commercial entertainers, Biswajeet Bora’s upcoming Phehujali (Early Dawn) deals with a real life story which depicts the travails of an elderly woman stricken with Alzheimer’s disease. Suren Mahanta, Moni Borah, and Baharul Islam have acted as the leads in this dark tragedy. National award winner for Basundhara (The Earth), Hiren Bora’s next feature Seema – The Story Untold is based on the Chinese aggression of 1962 and deals with the agony of evacuation in Tezpur. The ensemble cast includes George Baker, Nipon Goswami , Jahanara Begam , Arun Nath,etc.
Some other releases of 2019 and works in progress are – Ranjit Hazarika’s Artonad, Arunjit Borah’s Midnight Song, Baharul Islam’s The Seventh String, Rhituraj Dutta’s Mayabini, Pranab Vivek’s Ulka, Mani Sinha’s Rhino Express, Bhashkar Kiran Bora’s Shrutaxwini which is an adaptation of Syed Abdul Malik’s novel, Shankar Baruah’s Rongeen where a small guy with the help of a rapper takes on a big guy in a by-election, Suvrat Kakoti’s Raghupati which is written by Ravi Sarma and has Amrita Gogoi, Arun Nath and Ravi Sarma in the lead, Dalim Pathak’s Mahapurush Sri Sri Madhabdeb, which is the second full-fledged Assamese animation movie, Nayan Nilim
Read: List of Assamese Movies 2019