Among many other things, “Mary Kom” reignited interest in the cinema of the North East and who is better equipped to talk about it than Jahnu Barua, the filmmaker who has been working tirelessly to sustain Assamese cinema in the face of Bollywood’s onslaught.
In a career spanning more than three decades, he has, through his films, salvaged hope for the marginalised in a society hit by despair and insurgency.
His cinematic gaze is as genial as his speech but when it comes to upholding human values, Barua doesn’t believe in soft focus.
He might not grapple with the politics of unrest head on but manages to say a lot between the lines.
Right from his much acclaimed “Halodhia Soraiye Baodhaan Khai” (The Catastrophe) and “Hkhagoroloi Bohu Door” (It’s a Long Way to the River), which captured the struggles of the rural poor, to his last film “Baadhon”, where he tackled the dehumanising impact of violence through an aging Assamese couple in search of their grandson in the aftermath of Mumbai terror attack without making a show of it, his films have often proved to be the balm in a politically charged atmosphere.
His latest film “Ajeyo” (Invincible), released last week in select theatres. He says, “Yes, it is dark but who has stopped you from lighting a lamp?”.
Hindi film viewers know him as the director who gave them the thought provoking “Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara” and Barua says at its core “Ajeyo” also talks about the fact that Gandhian values are missing from our society and nobody seems to care.
An adaptation of Arun Sharma’s Sahitya Akademi Award-winning novel “Ashirbador Rong” (“The Hues of Blessings”), “Ajeyo” follows a freedom fighter Gojen Koet, who is carrying the guilt of having let two of his colleagues die because of his misjudgement of a situation.
A complex narrative that goes back and forth in time captures the frustration of a freedom fighter who thought that India will get over its miseries after independence.
He supports a Muslim girl and ends up marrying her to save her life, ruffling many a feather. A landlord sees freedom from the colonial yoke as an opportunity to grab land holdings.
“Freedom from the socio-economic evils after independence is a thought that many of us carried but figured out that we were naïve. The protagonist wages a war against social stigmas in the pre-independence era but finds that the society could not get over the caste and religious divide even after the Colonial rule. He lives with the despair for decades and the ray of hope comes in the form of his granddaughter, a police officer who takes on crimes against women.”
Barua emphasises that in times of all round negativity, it is the job of creative people to give some hope to the society. “We have to salvage humanity in these difficult times. ‘Baandhon’ dealt with the impact of insurgency on common man and underlined the universality of the subject. What people liked about the film was the fact that I made a film on violence without showing a single scene of bloodshed. These days a number of filmmakers try to justify scenes of violence by saying that the undertone of the film is against cruelty against humanity. I don’t buy it. You don’t need the help of violence to make a statement against it.”
Talking about the state of affairs in Assam, Barua says the local film industry is in a bad shape — not just because of infrastructure but also because the audience wants to watch Bollywood or Korean films. “It is a national disease. Audience are aware of obscure names from Hollywood but they don’t know the works of titans of regional cinema. There is no urge to watch even the best films of different languages that are awarded every year at the National Film Awards. My films do better than others but when you compare them with Bollywood films they don’t match up. They are just a drop in the ocean.”
“But even if that drop,” he continues, “convinces somebody to know the State and its problems then my effort is worth it.”
Recently, some commentators accused the makers of the biopic on Mary Kom of racial bias and Barua finds the choice of the lead actor amusing. “We feel honoured that a film is made on Mary Kom and I have no issues with actors playing characters of different racial profiles. Danny Denzongpa has played many North Indian characters but when you are casting for an icon you better cast a person who looks the part. Like Farhan Akhtar playing Milkha Singh. It was like Gitanjali Thapa is cast to play Lata Mangeshkar in a biopic on the great singer. Also, the issues of the region, which played an important role in the life of Mary Kom, were largely glossed over. It is a film made for making money and little else. I have no problem with that but then don’t try to present it as if you are upholding the cause of the North East.”
On his films staying away from taking a stand on the political situation in the State, Barua says the situation is so complex that most filmmakers feel that if they delve into it they will end up taking sides which should not be the case. “Many groups and leaders showed the public the garden path and then betrayed them. I hope a young filmmaker will be able to take an objective view of the issues.”
With “Har Pal” almost shelved after Shiny Ahuja got entangled in a criminal case, Barua says he is open to making Hindi films. “I am not a chauvinist. The only thing is that while making Hindi films I don’t want to give up on Assamese cinema. I am not against setting a Hindi film in Assamese milieu. I have some ideas in mind.”
We are waiting!
