Skip to content Skip to navigation

Veerangana screened at Guwahati Book Fair

By Prantik Deka |

The much-acclaimed Assamese documentary film on the country’s first female commando unit ­– ‘Veerangana’, was screened to much praise and appreciation at the Gagan Chandra Adhikari auditorium of the 33rd Guwahati Book Fair on January 6, 2021. On the occasion, the film’s poster was unveiled by the prominent actress of Assamese cinema Mridula Baruah and Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, IPS, Director General of Assam Police.

Produced and directed by Kishore Kalita, ‘Veerangana’ has participated and bagged a number of awards at various prestigious film festivals in India and abroad, including 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 distribution of mementos in appreciation to the unit members of ‘Veerangana’ was followed by an intimate discourse with members of the Veerangana unit.

A significant impact has been made on having a unit that would be significantly aggressive, to deal with people that are committing crimes, especially crimes against women. The Veerangana squad of Assam Police will soon undergo a complete makeover. Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, in his key-note speech, spoke about making the unit more aggressive and mean by pushing through a number of progressive reforms. Mridula Baruah showered praises on the Veerangana members for their exemplary courage and service to the society, in her speech.   

The 21-minute documentary is based on the far-reaching role of the Veerangana team of Assam Police, which was formed as a special women force for protection of women working in the city. It portrays various activities of the female commando unit and their role in effectively dealing with crime against women in Guwahati.

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 projects the entire concept along with some personal details of the working Veeranganas.

A city-based cultural activist, Kishore Kalita, who made this documentary film under the banner of SK Production, and in the fond memory of his father S.C Kalita, has dedicated it to the Assam Police. ‘Veerangana’s screenplay 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. 

  • 15938 reads

Add new comment

Other Contents by Author

Raas leela celebration concludes

As with the previous years, this year too, the husband-wife duo of Basanta  Kumar Baruah and Bobby Sarma Baruah successfully organised Raas Leela from November 23 to 25, under the banner of BB Creation on a grand scale at the Srimanta Sankaradeva International Auditorium, of the Sankaradeva Kalakshetra, Guwahati. Besides entertaining, the cultural extravaganza, which has contributed immensely in building intercommunity bridges in Assam, celebrated its 10-year anniversary this year. It all started in the year 2011, with the participation of Bodo, Karbi, Deuri, Mising and tea tribe communities, performing Raas in their own dialects. This year, too, the artistes of the Asom Nepali Natya...

Puppet show performed in Port Blair

Puppet dance, popularly known as 'Potola Nach', was once the most popular form of entertainment, especially for children, but the tradition has struggled to survive against the onslaught of modern popular culture.  For some years now, people in the State have been able to enjoy the ancient art form of puppetry due to the tireless efforts of the artistic couple, master puppeteers Binita Devi and Simanta Sarma. This couple has invested a great deal in reviving this art form with their clever and refreshing approach by adopting new but simple techniques, enacting stories through glove puppetry that act as a bridge between the child’s world and that of the adult.  It has also...

New documentary ‘slaughtered dream’ released

‘Slaughtered Dream’ (Understanding Woman & Child Trafficking in Assam), a documentary film on women and child trafficking was screened to immense praise and appreciation at the Jyoti Chitraban in Guwahati recently.  In a clarion call that compel us to take a sharp look at one of the most striking human rights abuses which has been going on in our backyard, the documentary recounts the harrowing experiences of a number of women, children and the destitute in general.  A first-hand accounts and stories of survivors, victims' families and alleged traffickers, this documentary film is a clarion call. Sonapur-based Reema Teron, a survivor of human trafficking, describes the...

New short film Not My Thing released

Women’s participation in the work force has increased over the years, yet, a healthy percentage of the female employees have also had to constantly endure sexual harassment and abuse at the hands of their employers, leading to an oppressive environment in the workplace. Many women prefer to suffer silently over the injustices committed against them, out of fear of losing their jobs. At times, when they do speak up, they are often met by apathetic superiors and colleagues.  A healthy public awareness about the issue of sexual harassment may, perhaps, help prevent its recurrence, which prompted Partha Bharadwaj to produce an Assamese short film - ‘Not my Thing’, that celebrates the...

Natasurya Drama Fest Concludes Successfully

Without doubt, this year’s Natasurya Drama Festival has turned out to be the most outstanding one since its inception. The 23rd edition of the event, organised by Natasurya Memorial Celebration Committee in association with the Directorate of Cultural Affairs, Assam, from August 1 to 7, treated the audience to a weeklong theatre festival at the Sri Sri Madhab Dev International Auditorium and Srimanta Sankaradeva International Auditorium, Kalakshetra, Guwahati.  I was highly impressed with the quality of plays this year, distinguished by their singular artistry and aesthetics. One could notice a sea of change and obvious professionalism in the use of sound, make-up, costume and...

Short film: Kio Eman Humoniyah

A new short film 'Kio Eman Humoniyah', inspired by real life stories of people who have succumbed to drugs, depression and alcoholism, has been creating waves in social media. Directed by Prasant Saikia of ‘Rum Vodka Whisky’-fame, the musical takes a look at the epidemic of addiction in our society where a lot of young people are overwhelmed by drug and alcohol addiction, resulting in severe anxiety and panic attacks.  The film emphasises on the importance of compassion and fellow feeling. Many lives can be saved if we pay heed to the quiet whispers of those who are suffering and those struggling to liberate themselves from the grip of addiction. It is those very affected who...

Rebel filmmaker Shankar Borua

Shankar Borua is an independent filmmaker from Assam who has continued making cinema with a distinct sensibility and incorporates the voices of the many communities that make up the State. Even though you never went to film school, what inspired you to pursue this line of writing as well as directing indie films? My initial foray into the world of motion pictures began, I believe, when I was a little boy growing up in my hometown Duliajan in Upper Assam. My father, active with the Duliajan Film Society, back in the seventies, would have us kids watch wildlife movies playing off a 16mm projector at home. The cans, the screen, and the projector would occasionally be parked at our residence...

D Day for Piano Kids

GUWAHATI:            The State’s leading music institute Piano Kids celebrated its sixth anniversary with an evening of exhilarating piano music performed by a group of talented youngsters in chic costumes at the Pragjyoti Cultural Complex, Machkhowa, Guwahati, on April 6. The combined musical energy of these kids truly lived up to the expectations and interests among music aficionados. The musical programme, designed and directed by renowned piano maestro Kushal Krishna Dev Goswami, was titled ‘Night Of The Little Pianists 2018’.             After a welcome speech by Dr Pradip...

Sattriya rendering towards perfection

Recently, the audience at the Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra’s Sri Sri Madhabdev International Auditorium were treated to an evening of Sattriya Oja pali - 'Sampurna Apaal Poda Gowa', which was enacted for the first time by an all-female troupe, led by the versatile Sattriya exponent Kashmiri Hazarika Kakati, in the august presence of eminent scholars, gurus and danseuses, including renowned danseuse and Padma Vibhushan awardee Dr. Sonal Mansingh. Presented by Krishnam, the evening also saw the presentation of the Mahapurush Sri Sri Sankardeva-Sri Sri Madhavdeva Award 2017.             On the occasion, Dr Mansingh, highly impressed...

III Smoking Barrels set to premier at German Film Fest

After a very successful World Premiere at the 38th Durban International Film Festival in South Africa, Sanjib Dey’s debut feature film ‘III Smoking Barrels’ is all set to have its European Premiere in the International Competition section of the 66th International Film Festival Mannheim-Heidelberg, Germany, on November 12, 2017. It is one of the biggest and oldest film festivals in the World that screens the works of first time filmmakers. During its history, the debut feature films of legendary directors such as Satyajit Ray, Francois Truffaut, Krzysztof Kieslowski, Lars von Trier, Fateh Akin, Rainer Werner Fassbinder and Jim Jarmusch among others were showcased at this prestigious...