Maj Rati Keteki, an author’s insight
22 May, 2017 , Guwahati
Dr Santwana Bardoloi
When she made a full-length Assamese movie in early Nineties, the film-goers responded positively as the director was already an
illustrious actor and everyone thought it as a natural transformation from a performer to a director. But even after receiving critical
appreciations for ‘Adajya’ (The Flight, 1996), the director, who is a practicing pediatrician, did not launch any movie for nearly two
decades giving space to her critics to term Dr Santwana Bardoloi as ‘one-film wonder’. However, disproving all criticisms the
distinguished film maker has readied her second movie in Assamese for commercial releases in theatre halls.
By now, the accomplished stage & radio artiste, who received national
award for ‘Adajya’, repeated her achievement with ‘Maj Rati Keteki’
(Midnight Keteki) at 64th National Film Awards (of India, 2016).
Conceived, produced and directed by Dr Bardoloi, the 116 minutes movie
won national award as the best Assamese feature film. Popular
Bollywood actor Adil Hussain, who hails from Assam, received national
award with jury’s special mention for his performances in ‘Maj Rati
Keteki’ (shared with Hindi movie ‘Mukti Bhawan’, directed by
Shubhashish Bhutiani).
Produced under the banner of Dr Bardoloi’s newly launched production
house named Udara Films, the movie has other casts including Kulada
Kumar Bhattacharya, Sulakshana Barua, Mala Goswami, Shakil Imtiaz,
Mahendra Rabha, Rahul G Sarma, Pranami Bora, Indu Mohan Das, Ashim K
Baruah, Ponkhi Kashyap, Kasvi Songkorison etc. ‘Maj Rati Keteki’ has
cinematography by Gnana Shekar VS and music by Anurag Saikia. Its
sound design & mixing was done by Debajit Changmai and only song
played by Rupam Bhuyan’s voice. Ms Ushma Bardoloi edited the movie
and also worked as the associate director.
Waiting for release on 27 October next, the feature film was recently
screened in two international film festivals of Kerala and Bengaluru
(Karnataka), where it attracted rave reviews from the audience as well
critics. ‘Maj Rati Keteki’ also receives invitations from a number of
prestigious film festivals across the country and waiting for more
screenings.
A scene from 'Maj Rati Keteki'
The story of the movie, scripted by the director herself, revolves
around a sensitive author who returned to his native place after many
years and thus encounters a series of events involving different
personalities to redefine his old experience and realizations.
The title of the movie literary means midnight hawk-cuckoo, which gets
reflection in the long whistling cry of a small Keteki bird.
A physician by profession at Assam’s well-known Dispur Hospital and a
cultural entity by choice, Dr Bardoloi ventured into the world of
celluloid with ‘Adajya’, which was based on a much-admired Assamese
novel tilted Dontal Haatir Uiye Khowa Haoda, authored by Dr Indira
Goswami. Starring Tom Alter, Bishnu Kharghoria, Nilu Chakrabarty,
Trisha Saikia, Bhagirothi, Triveni Bora, Chetana Das, Indira Das,
Mintu Barua etc, the movie brought laurels at 44th National Film
Awards. ‘Adajya’ also was screened in various international film
festivals.
FTII-trained cinematographer Mrinal Kanti Das won the national award
for ‘Adajya’ (shared with ‘Raag Biraag’), which came for the first
time to Assamese film industry. A seasoned Assamese actor Bidyut
Chakraborty was awarded with Indira Gandhi director's best debut film
award for ‘Raag Biraag’ (Vacation of a Sanyasi, 1996), which was also
based on an Indira Goswami’s literary creation.
Sher Choudhury scored music for both ‘Adajya’ and ‘Raag Biraag’.
Sadly Jnanpith award-winning author, who was popularly known as Mamoni
Roichom Goswami, young cameraperson Das, national awardee music
director Choudhury and popular performer Chakraborty faced untimely
deaths in the recent past creating a major vacuum in the regional film
industry.
A scene from 'Maj Rati Keteki'
Addressing the media persons recently at Guwahati Press Club, Dr
Bardoloi highlighted the present crisis of Assamese film fraternity as
the number of movie-goers for regional cinemas was yet to be increased
substantially. She admitted that often the regional film makers fail
to understand the urge of audience towards their productions. However,
she remained hopeful that the general audience would come forward to
support the local film industry.
Pointing out that a good movie can be totally entertaining and another
one too serious, where the third one may be entertaining as well as
serious, but Dr Bardoloi claimed that all three productions can be
good movies. She urged the intellectual section of the society
including the media to encourage the common audience for enjoying such
movies.
Even though she admitted that a producer of Assamese movies hardly
gets back the invested amount of money for the production, but the
visible response from the audience in cinema halls encourages a
responsible film maker to start a new venture. The film societies as
well as the media too can promote the culture of appreciating honest
cinemas in the country, Dr Bardoloi commented.
* This Press Release was sent to e-pao.net by Nava Thakuria who can be contacted at navathakuria(AT)gmail(DOT)com
This Press Release was posted on May 23 2017
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