Discovering the Cinema of Another Burkina Faso

The cinema of the Indian Northeast has been said to be a cinema of underdevelopment. Since the economy of this region is not going anywhere, it is natural to expect that cinema, which is basically an industrial-scientific activity, would be in a similar state of atrophy. It comes as a surprise, therefore, that this region produces some of the best documentaries and feature films in the country.

The record proves it. Only 10 feature films were produced in the Northeast in 1995 and 1996, yet seven of them were selected for the prestigious Indian Panorama Section of the International Film Festival of India of those two years. The range and depth of Northeastern cinema was proved once again at "Unveiling the Northeast", a festival held at New Delhi's India International Centre (IIC) from 15 to 22 April.

Unpretentious presentation seems to be the underlying characteristic of these Northeast films. The story-lines, while typically regional ("local"), tend to have universal appeal, which is probably why they have been appreciated at international venues. Some connoisseurs have even compared the Northeast's output with the fine cinema that emerges from the unlikely Sub-Saharan state of Burkina Faso.

The realism that is the true hallmark of films from this part of India is primarily the legacy of one person Jyotiprasad Agarwalla. In the late 1920s, Mr Agarwalla was trained in the famous UFA studio in Germany, and his cinematic approach belonged to the Soviet and German schools of realism. So, when in 1935 he made Joymoti, the first Assamese film, he did not follow the theatrical style of acting, painted faces, and glossy costumes, which were the common features of Indian cinema of the day. "Though the work ended as a failure, both technically and financially, it helped lay a different path for our Northeast films," says the elderly director today. The directors who followed Mr Agarwalla to this day prove him right.

Some films

Jahnu Barua's Hkhagoroloi Bahu Door (It's a Long Way to the Sea, 1995) and Aribam Syam Sharma's Sanabi (The Grey Horse, 1995) showcase what the Northeast is capable of. The first is the tale of a boatman from a nondescript Assamese village who clings to tradition, yet has a yearning to see the wider world through the eyes of his little grandson. Sanabi, on the other hand, is a Manipuri film which seeks to keep culture and tradition intact, and revolves around a grey pony that is the central character.

We see further manifestation of this philosophy in Mr Sharma's other feature, Ishanou (The Chosen One, 1995), and in the documentary, Orchids of Manipur (1994). In the former, the director depicts mystery and occult experience as a part of contemporary reality, while in the latter, he delves into the spiritual meaning of orchids to inhabitants of the Manipur hills.

Sanjeev Hazarika's Meemanxa (The Verdict, 1994) and Santwana Bordoloi's Adajya (The Flight, 1996) deal with the plight of young widows. In Meemanxa, a very daring production, a young widow fights a legal battle against an attempted rape by a dominating landlord. In order to teach her tormentor a lesson, she goes to extremes, even to the extent of using her body.

On a different plane, Adajya narrates the difficult and different lives of three high-caste widows belonging to a single family. In her directorial debut, Ms Bordoloi shows sure command of the celluloid medium and sensitive treatment of the subject.

The title of the Bodo-language Hagramayo Jinahari (Rape in the Virgin Forest, 1995) has dual significance. Director Jwngdao Bodos draws parallels between a molestation and the deforestation of Assam's rainforests. Itihas (The Exploration, 1995), directed by one of the seniormost Assamese directors, Bhabendra Nath Saikia, examines the life of a woman who is prey of circumstances and yet tries to maintain a dignified appearance.

Bidyut Chakraborty's altogether unusual Raag Birag (Vocation of a Sanyasi, 1996) emphasises the essence of duty in human life with an ironical twist at the end. A sanyasi is urgently called from a distant hermitage to persuade a would-be sanyasi from following the vocation. Before he leaves the scene, the guru finds himself attracted to his young friend's lady-love. Raag Birag was chosen the inaugural film of the Indian Panorama Section of the IFFI held at Thiruvananthapuram earlier this year.

Among the documentaries, the most remarkable work is Prabin Hazarika's Hastir Kanya (Daughter of the Elephant, 1996). Here, the director attempts to capture the life of Pratima Barua Pandey, a celebrated folk artist of Assam. Ms Barua's haunting melodies were in themselves enough to keep viewers riveted to their seats at the India International Centre.

All Alone If Need Be (1994) is about Sarat Chandra Sinha, an outstanding politician and statesman of Assam. Ranjit Das succeeds in his portrayal of this ex-chief minister, whose austere lifestyle has made him a legendary figure. The film was a dream come true for the producer-and-script writer Amulya Kakoty, who lives in the same neighbourhood as this great personality.

Dipak Bhattacharjee from Tripura establishes the links between the erstwhile Tripuri king and Rabindranath Tagore in In Search of Relations. The fact that the king supplied material for Tagore's much-acclaimed work Bisarjan is not known to many.