“Curating the package of the north-east films for the 44th International Film Festival of India has been very satisfying as the movies are not only the cultural documentation of the region but also a holistic expression of their times,” Utpal Borpujari, critic and curator of north-east focus at the ongoing festival, has said.
On Saturday, artists from the region — Seema Biswas, Manju Borah and Adil Hussain — interacted with journalists at the IFFI media centre, accompanied by Mr. Borpujari.
Presenting the filmmaker’s perspective, the award-winning director and short-story writer from Assam, Manju Borah, said that though the cinema in the region had not reached the stage where it wouldn’t need the Northeast tag, the films being made there were universal in language. The widely acclaimed actor, Adil Hussain, said: “Acting is a ritual for me. I get evolved through acting. It is empathy, compassion and passion which make good films and you don’t need good money to make good films.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Actor Seema Biswas, of the Bandit Queen fame, said she felt “committed to do every film from the Northeast if the script is competent.”
On Friday, Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma opened north-east focus, which contains 19 films. These include Matamgi Manipur (Manipuri), Rupkonwar Jyotiprasad Aru Joymoti (Assamese), Hangramayao Jinahari (Bodo) and Panoi Jongki (Mising).