SHILLONG, June 1: Regional films especially from India’s North East get short shrift in mainstream cinema which has been dominated by Bollywood movies for the longest time; then came South Indian movies and now with the release of Bhaimon Da — an Assamese film on May 23. The film narrates the gruelling journey of noted Assamese filmmaker Munin Barua to ensure that Assamese films get their due and that ordinary people have access to his films. He fought against the piracy mafia and revived a cinema hall in Golaghat, Assam, that had earlier been abandoned. The film shows Barua fighting his way with arrogant film distributors who refused to give space to Assamese cinema for their prime time shows.
Bhaimon Da, currently showing at Galleria, is a profoundly emotional drama and a cinematic tribute to the legendary Assamese filmmaker, Munin Barua, who was fondly known as “Bhaimon Da”.
Barua was a filmmaker/director with a vision and his creative genius redefined and elevated mainstream Assamese cinema for decades, leaving an indelible mark on the industry.
On Sunday, where this extraordinary film made its debut in Shillong, the auditorium was filled to capacity with the Assamese residents of Shillong.
Part of the enthusiasm that gripped the cinegoers on Sunday was the powerful performance of the cast. Loud claps erupted for Partha Pratim Hazarika, who played the scintillating role of the quintessential Assamese singer Zubin Garg, and acted out his peccadillos to boot.
Zubin Garg’s wife Garima is the costume designer for the film
Bhaimon Da is also a film that deals with ambitions that often get throttled by parents who think they know best about their children’s future. Bhaimon had a love for the mandolin and could not care much about his studies. His father packed him up to join a college in Delhi but he never made much progress there because his heart was in the arts – film directing in particular and how he succeeded in his heart’s desire.
It was a heart-rending moment for the audience to witness how Bhaimon’s son Riju, who worked hand in hand with his father albeit in his own way, finally working to reopen a cinema hall in Golaghat and get it working once again. That moment when the father understood his son’s contribution to his journey was a poignant one. Bhaimon Da takes viewers on a an intimate journey into the evolution of the Assamese film industry and celebrates a dedicated filmmaker who took his art form to the level of a religion. The film celebrates the cultural renaissance of Assamese films. It has to be said that the cast and crew includes Assam’s most cherished stars, some of them first-timers. They include Biju Phukan, Mridula Barua, Pranjal Saikia, Jayanta Hazarika, Zubeen Garg, Jatin Bora, and Ravi Sharma, among others. The movie takes viewers behind the scenes, revealing fascinating stories and untold moments from the making of milestone films that have become the heritage of Assamese cinema.
Bhaimon Da has opened to an overwhelming response across Assam and major metropolitan cities in India within the first week of its opening and is running to packed houses, both in Assam and elsewhere. Shyamantak Gautam, the young producer of the film under the banner of Zeal Creations, told this reporter that the film would be screened internationally too in Canada, the US, Australia etc.
The film is written and directed by the talented yet unassuming Sasanka Samir Gogoi, who was felicitated by the Assamese community in Shillong along with his team. The distribution has been handled by Goenka Enterprise, a prominent distribution house in Northeast India. Bhaimon Da is not just a film — it is a movement, a tribute, and a proud moment for Assamese culture and cinema.
