The Assamese in the city have something to look forward to. After doing the rounds at several festivals and cities, Assamese film Xhoixobote Dhemalite (Rainbow Fields) has come to Bengaluru where it will have a single screening at INOX Garuda. Produced by Nitesh Batra and directed by Vidyut Kotaki, the children’s film deals with violence and is inspired by the latter’s first-hand experiences. The film features actors such as Victor Bannerjee, Naved Aslam, Dipannita Sharma, Nakul Vaid and two fresh child actors. The film was shot in Gerukhamukh in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh over a month. The film is 90 minutes long.
A yoga practitioner and a film producer, Nitesh is receiving lot of support from the Assamese organisations in the city. According to Nitesh, there are about 50-65,000 Assamese living in the city. “Through word of mouth, they are generating publicity for the film and there is a significant number of Assamese who live in Bengaluru,” states Nitesh. The film has already released in Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Kolkata and Assam. “It did particularly well in Kolkata where it released in Nandan theatre and it released across 39 theatres in Assam. The problem is that Assam doesn’t have too many theatres, which it needs.”
In Bengaluru too, it is releasing in one theatre and has one show. The young producer feels in case of a realistic film, it is a struggle to recover money. “More government support, more screens for such films and a change in mindset is required to give a boost. We are more open to see a film in a language from a different country than seeing a film in a different language from another State in India. That can change with exposure.”
Assamese films have reported a surge in interest of late. This year, Rima Das’ Village Rockstars won the National award for best feature film along with three other awards in various categories. Actor and producer Priyanka Chopra, who is also the brand ambassador of Assam Tourism, has announced her first Assamese production, Bhoga Khirikee (Broken Window). “I think it is because of the stories coming out from there which are real, relatable and of positivity. The stories are about local people. Even though Rainbow Fields deals with violence it is ultimately about hope. Another interesting thing to notice is how people who don’t speak the language are producing films in that language.”
The film is now travelling to the US where it will be released on July 27 in California and New Jersey.
(Rainbow Fields will be screened at 5:30 pm on June 24 at Inox Garuda, Magrath Road, Bengaluru)
