Skip to content Skip to navigation

‘Veerangana’ Adjudged Best Documentary Film At Cochin International Short Film Awards, 2021

In a heartening news, the Assamese documentary film on the country’s first female commando unit ­– ‘Veerangana’, was adjudged the Best Documentary at the Cochin International Short Film Awards, 2021. The results of the festival were announced on 8.2.2021. Produced and directed by Kishore Kalita, an advocate of Gauhati High Court, the documentary portrays the all-encompassing role of Veerangana in effectively and efficiently dealing with crime against women in Guwahati.

The critically acclaimed ‘Veerangana’ has participated and bagged a number of awards at various prestigious film festivals in India and abroad, most notably the Cine Making International Film Award 2020, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Special Festival Mention at the Indian Cine Film Festival, declared as finalist by Lift-Off Global Network, London Film Festival, official selection to Jaipur International Film Festival, Tamil Nadu Independent Film Festival, etc.

The 21-minute documentary portrays various activities of the commando unit of Assam Police and their role in effectively dealing with crime against women in Guwahati.

For years, the police force has virtually been in a perpetual war against the rising crimes committed against women that urgently necessitated drastic measures. It was high time that criminal offences against women are very severely and seriously dealt with. With that view in mind, the present Director General of Police, Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, IPS, who was the then ADGP (Training and Armed Police) in the year 2012, discussed with the then DGP of Assam, Jayanto Narayan Choudhury, on the strategies of dealing with cases of crimes against women and for making the female police force strong in Assam. With that view, some women police personnel were send to Tamil Nadu to receive training in the silent arms drill, known only to US marines, and accordingly, the Assam Police launched Veerangana, the country’s first crack female commando unit in the year 2012. The young commandos were trained in martial arts, silent drill, weapon use, motorcycle riding, horse riding, etc., at the Batallion Training Camp in Dergaon, Assam.

The Veeranganas are characterised by their belief in a strong, aggressive pursuit of crime and disorder in the society. With their keen understanding of the environment that they work in and the challenges that go with it, the Veeranganas have provided women that much more confidence to go out anywhere and anytime they want. The Veerangana unit has become a huge role-model to women in Assam and the North-East.

The documentary film ‘Veerangana’ portrays various activities of the female commando unit, complemented by interviews, still photos and clips, which should serve as an eye-opener for the public. A city-based cultural activist, Kishore Kalita made this documentary film in the fond memory of his father S.C Kalita and has dedicated it to the Assam Police. ‘Veerangana’ is written by Utpal Datta, camerawork executed by Nagen Baishya, editing is by Diganta Borah, music and sound designing is by Abhijit Barman, while Ambarish Barkataky is its colourist and subtitles are written by Prantik Deka. The title song in the documentary is rendered by popular singer Zublee Baruah.

 

 

Add new comment

Random Stories

English translation of Gunamala

English translation of Gunamâlâ released

8 Apr 2013 - 9:40am | Sanjib Kumar Borkakoti
The English translation of Srimanta Sankaradeva’s famous scripture Gunamâlâ ' is now available to the readers. Subtitled as ‘Garland of Virtues’, the English version of Gunamâlâ was released by...

Assam sports journalist Kula Pradip appointed media convener

7 Nov 2010 - 4:49pm | editor
Assam based sports journalist Kula Pradip Bhagawati has been appointed as the media convener of the forthcoming World Power Lifting Championship which will be held in South Africa from November 7....

Tantric cheats woman at Boniabari, Sivasagar

17 Jan 2012 - 3:51pm | Anup Arandhara
Great sensation is created at Boniabari, Sivasagar when one tantric Md. Abdul Wahar in pretext of treatment came into the house of a woman and raped her. A case has been registered at the Sivasagar...

Photographers to capture cleanliness

1 Apr 2016 - 10:17pm | Steffi Soibam
A group of students from an Assam varsity has teamed up with Monolith Festival currently going on at Khasi Heritage Village Mawphang in Meghalaya with a novel idea to involve amateur...

Other Contents by Author

An undying orgy of violence in Manipur puts Chief Minister N Biren Singh in a tough time to continue his second consecutive term.  Highly placed sources have said the escalating tension in the BJP-ruled north eastern state is forcing the party leadership to consider a change in the state government leadership as an urgent measure to help the state bail out of the crisis that has left 53000 people homeless so far. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who is on a four-day visit to the restive state, is learnt to have been considering all  possible aspects to quell the situation.  The symbolic anthem “We Shall Overcome” reverberated the air filled with tears and fears. All...
Guwahati: Expressing profound grief at the demise of seven brilliant students of Assam Engineering College (AEC) in a tragic late-night accident on 29 May 2023, All Assam Engineer’s Association (AAEA) urges the college authority to impose some basic disciplinary measures urgently. The forum of graduate engineers (many of them AECians) also wishes an early recovery to all the injured students and others in the fatal road mishap.  The AEC Hostel 7 boarders were returning to the residential college campus from western part of the city and faced the accident near the Jalukbari overbridge. The luxury car carrying ten students hit the divider first and then a goods carrier on the other...
In Manipur, tensions have reached a critical point as demands for the removal of Chief Minister Biren Singh or the appointment of a Kuki MLA as Deputy Chief Minister have escalated. The situation took a turn for the worse a day before the scheduled visit of Home Minister Amit Shah, as sporadic gunshots were reported throughout the region. Chief Minister Biren Singh, amidst the growing unrest, has made a bold claim, stating that security forces have successfully eliminated 40 militants since the conflict began. However, these assertions have not been independently verified, leaving room for skepticism and further fueling the already volatile atmosphere. A surge in violence was...
In a tragic road accident that occurred in the Jalukbari area of Guwahati seven engineering students died at spot last night. According to reports, a group of 10 Assam Engineering College (AEC) students traveled in a scorpio car. Seven of the students died after their vehicle colliding with a bolero pick-up van.  Besides, five others including the driver and handyman of the pick-up van were seriously injured in the accident. The deceased students hailed from different parts of the state including Guwahati. They were identified as Kaushik Barua (Mangaldoi), Kaushik Mohan (Sivasagar), Raj Kiran Bhuyan (Majuli), Imon Barua (Dibrugah), Arindam Bhowal (Guwahati), Upanshu Sarma (Nagaon), and...
In a show of solidarity, Manipur fire service personnel commenced an indefinite cease-work strike on Tuesday to protest against the assault on their colleagues by personnel belonging to the 16 Jat Regiment. Firefighters are demanding immediate action against the individuals responsible for the incident, which involved a lathi charge on the firemen. Salam Jiban, the Sub-Officer of Manipur Fire Service Headquarters, stated that the strike was initiated in response to the assault on five firemen near the City Convention Centre, located just a few meters from the new check post in Imphal East. He emphasized that the fire personnel were simply carrying out their duty to extinguish a fire in the...
Guwahati: WWF-India Assam State Office marked the International Day for Biological Diversity on 22nd May with an engaging awareness program held at the Aquaculture and Biodiversity Centre, supported by the Zoology Department of Gauhati University. The event aimed to educate students from various colleges and universities about the significance of biodiversity conservation. Mrs. Archita Baruah Bhattacharyya, the State Coordinator of WWF-India Assam State Office, delivered a warm welcome address to the participants, which included students from esteemed institutions such as the Department of Environment Science, Gauhati University, National Law University & Judicial Academy, Assam...
The North-East Forum for International Solidarity (NEFIS) has strongly criticized the Manipur state government for its inability to maintain peace and normalcy in the region. NEFIS demands the immediate resignation of the Chief Minister of Manipur on moral grounds, holding the government accountable for its failure to ensure peace in the state. The organization has called upon all communities in Manipur to prioritize communal harmony amidst the current atmosphere of communal rift, urging them to engage in dialogue to resolve their differences. NEFIS expressed concern over the role of the state government in sowing animosity among different communities for cheap political gains. The...
The National Federation for New States (NFNS) has expressed deep anguish and concern regarding the ongoing violence in Manipur. The organization has called for an immediate end to the mindless acts of violence which have caused immense suffering to vulnerable sections of society, including the elderly, women, and children. Additionally, the NFNS strongly condemns the destruction of homes, properties, and places of worship. While acknowledging its longstanding relationship with the Kuki State Demand Committee (KSDC), the NFNS appeals to all people groups involved to abandon violence and instead seek peaceful and democratic means to find a lasting solution. The organization believes...
NEHU Campus, 20th April, 2023 - The National Science & Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB), Department of Science and Technology (DST), GoI, has kicked off the Entrepreneurship Awareness Camp (EAC) at the North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) campus. The three-day program, organized by the Department of Biomedical Engineering, NEHU and sponsored by the Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI), Ahmedabad, aims to equip over 75 students from diverse backgrounds with the knowledge and skills required for entrepreneurship. Esteemed experts from both industry and academia have gathered to interact with the participants, shedding light on crucial topics such as...
Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty, a veteran journalist, will receive the Parag Kumar Das Journalism Award 2023. The award includes a cash prize of Rs 25,000, a citation, and a memento. The award ceremony will take place on May 17. Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty currently serves as the National Affairs Editor for the digital news publication 'The Wire.' The Parag Kumar Das Journalism Award was established to honor the courageous journalist Parag Kumar Das, who lost his life while fighting for the truth. The award recognizes and encourages journalists who tirelessly uncover the truth and bring it to the public.