GUWAHATI: Filmmaker Bidyut Kotoky believes that the acceptance and recognition of his creation, Xhoixobote Dhemalite (Rainbow Fields) among a global audience could be a game changer for the Assamese film industry.
Rainbow Fields was last week screened at the Cine Grand, Fremont (California), which is arguably the first time that an Assamese film has been commercially released in the United States.
The film also bagged three top awards – best film, best actress (Dipannita Sharma) and best music (Anurag Saikia) – at the 3rd Love International Film Festival on Saturday.
“This is the time to go beyond the horizon and break barriers. It is almost a surreal feeling to enjoy the film, Xhoixobote Dhemalite, with the audience at the Cine Grand Fremont 7, who paid a fairly steep weekend ticket fee for the first ever Assamese film to be released commercially,” Kotoky told The Shillong Times.
“Yes, it is a small step for us, but could potentially be a giant leap for the Assamese film industry,” he said.
The film, which is a depiction of childhood in a conflict-ridden land during the turbulent days of the Assam Agitation in the 1980s, was also honoured as the Best Foreign Film award at the Hollywood CineFest earlier.
“We always believe that we are making world cinema in Assamese language. We don’t need a language to laugh or to cry. Thank you Love International Film Festival for re-affirming our faith,” Kotoky had said after receiving the awards.
The filmmaker from Assam but currently based in Mumbai said that he has more films line up in future. “My future plans include films and more films…they will be set in Assam and Northeast but not sure whether they will be in Assamese,” Kotoky said.
