Skip to content Skip to navigation

Honour for Assamese film

By Prantik Deka |

Assamese feature film Kothanodi (The River of Fables) has been selected by the Asian Cinema Fund, South Korea, for its Post Production Grant 2015. This is the first time that an Assamese film has been selected for the prestigious grant, and Kothanodi is only the second film from India to receive this honour in the history of the Grant. The Asian Cinema Fund offers the film with the opportunity to complete its post-production in Korea, and then have its world premiere in Asia’s biggest film festival - the Busan International Film Festival, in October 2015.

Speaking to journalists, Kothanodi director Bhaskar Hazarika said – “Kothanodi has been a testing project, considering the scale of the film. The ACF grant validates the hard work and dedication of the crew over the past three years, and ensures the film’s final look will meet international benchmarks.”

Kothanodi has been written by Hazarika, with dialogues by Assamese novelist and Sahitya Akademi-awardee Arupa Patangia-Kalita. The film stars Seema Biswas in her first major role in an Assamese film, along with Adil Hussain, Zerifa Wahid, Kopil Bora, Urmila Mahanta and Asha Bordoloi. Speaking about the film’s Assam release, Hazarika said – “After the world premiere in Busan in October, we plan to seek an India premiere at the International Film Festival of India in November, after which we shall aim for a nationwide release.” Based on events and characters in Rasaraj Laxminath Bezbarua’s Buri Ai’r Xadhu, Kothanodi has been produced by Dergaon-based Anurupa Hazarika, and was in the news last year for successfully running one of Indian cinema’s biggest crowdfunding campaigns.

Add new comment

Assamese Translator

Assam Times seeks English to Assamese translators!
Join our volunteer team.
Email editor@assamtimes.org.

Random Stories

KMSS hunger strike enters second day

19 Dec 2014 - 7:28am | AT News
Several Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti activists have been staging hunger strike in Dispur demanding settlement rights to those living in the government land and forest etc. The two days hunger strike...

Award to Assam Horticulture

10 Jan 2011 - 2:50pm | Mowsam Hazarika
Best Display Award given to Horticulture Directorate of Assam in the 6th International Flora Expo , held at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi , which was commenced from 7th January, 2011 to 9th January, 2011...

HSLC/ AHM results on Friday

16 May 2013 - 9:54am | AT News
Decks are clear for Board of Secondary Education, Assam to announce the results of the High School Leaving Certificate and the Assam High Madrassa Examinations on Friday.The results will be available...

Bihu festivity gathers momentum

15 Apr 2014 - 7:10am | AT News
Festivity seems to have gathered momentum when the Ronagli Bihu entered second day on Tuesday. The entire state is throbbing with the sounds of Bihu Huchoris a day after the people observed the Goru...

Other Contents by Author

Priceless volume ‘Xuaroni Bhaibhav’ released

A true and sincere devotee of the great saints – Srimanta Sankardeva and Sri Sri Madhabdev, the renowned Vaishnavite preserver of Sattriya culture and a philanthropist, the late Dalim Pathak’s charitable nature is manifest in the establishment of a number of social-cultural organisations in the State. On the occasion of his first death anniversary, a co-memorial book – Xuaroni Baibhav – was released by noted cultural activist, writer, dramatist and actor Ratna Ojha in a function held at the Bhabendra Alay in Beltola, Guwahati, recently. The book’s remarkable collections of essays, in addition to memoirs and speeches, in both Assamese and English, complemented by photographs, is a...

Audio Album ‘Jiya Anubhuti’ Released

In a tribute function, coinciding with a day-long programme, held to mark the 8th death anniversary of Bharat Ratna Dr Bhupen Hazarika as well as the birth anniversary of noted litterateur, lyricist, dramatist and musician Sushil Kumar Rai, an audio album containing nine lilting modern tunes entitled ‘Jiya Anubhuti’ was released by noted musician Anupam Choudhury in Dudhnoi recently. Produced under the banner of PKD Production, the compassionate album, conceptualised by Kripamoy Das, contains the wonderful lyrics of Sushil Kumar Rai, including Swagatam Samagata he Shudhigon, Jiri Jiri Nijarai, Lajuki Lata mur kotha kuwa, Mur Mondirot tumar arati, among others, which were rendered to...

‘An Inspector Calls’ to be staged on Nov 27

After a long gap, the Assam chapter of Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA) will present a new Assamese play in the form of ‘An Inspector Calls’ on November 27, 2019, at the Kumar Bhaskar Natya Mandir, Uzanbazar, Guwahati, for the theatre lovers of the State. IPTA, which has worked for the development of humanity through culture since 1947, has produced a number of famous plays like ‘Xunali Dhanani’, ‘Seujia Kuhipaat’, ‘Tofaan’, ‘Navaprabhat’, ‘Sapasalor Seka’, etc, and many shadow plays like ‘Poharaloi’, ‘Amar Jatra’, ‘15 Augustor Ahbaan’ and ‘Tirut Singh’, which were unanimously praised by the masses. Hemango Biswas, the founder secretary of the Assam chapter, worked with some of...

Nature’s Melody

With its roots firmly planted in tradition, the unique Bongeets created by Bonkonwar Anandiram Das have been seeing a cultural revival of sorts in the State. These heartfelt songs, which spring from a beautiful blend of Bihu tunes with other native songs, resonated with the people, irrespective of age or musical preference. Among those handful of artistes who have been playing an important role in preserving and promoting these gems, is the State’s eminent singer Munindra Kumar Saikia, who is also an important member of Jubatirtha – a cultural organisation which has been organising workshops and seminars on Bongeets for a number of years now. His deep eagerness to learn and imbibe the...

Art, Beyond Borders

A prolific novelist, short story writer, poet, playwright, screenplay writer, documentary filmmaker, columnist, TV actor, river engineer, eco-technocrat all rolled into one, Arnab Jan Deka’s wide-ranging literary interests led him to start writing fiction just at the end of the twentieth century, and two leading Assamese literary journals – Prantik and Goriyoshi, firmly established his reputation as a serious story-writer in Assam. “My first Assamese short story collection in addition to my first novel got published in 1999, and both saw unprecedented success and were runaway hits among readers,” the celebrated author recalls.   And within the next two decades, his short stories and...

Jatin Bora's 'ratnakar' to release in October

Making his comeback after 13 years as a filmmaker, actor Jatin Bora is gearing up to present his new film ‘Ratnakar’. The much anticipated big-budgeted film, produced under the banner of JB Films, will hit the screens on October 11, soon after the conclusion of Durga Puja. The need of the hour is to provide meaningful entertainment so that the audiences in Assam go back to the theatres. Jatin Bora has assured that his venture is not a run-of-the-mill Assamese film but promises something more. Depicting three different stages of a man’s life, the film is built around a father-daughter relationship, which has not been adequately explored in Assamese cinema. The film boasts of a number of...

Bongeet album ‘suwadi xuriya subakh’ released

The unique Bongeets, created by Bonkonwar Anandiram Das, are a beautiful blend of Bihu tunes with other native songs, and they resonated with the people of Assam, irrespective of age or musical preference. It was through these exquisite songs and lyrics that Bonkonwar interpreted his experiences, which also reflected much of the feelings of common people, while also depicting Nature in all its bounty. He breathed new life into Assamese music and the fresh appeal of the songs made them hugely popular among the masses. Bonkonwar employed the pastoral convention to talk about the hopes and aspirations of the rural folk, and through it, connected to larger humanity as well, in the hallowed...

Kaya, first online serial from Assam

The web series genre, though still at its nascent stage, is creating a space for young, independent filmmakers to present their work in the digital medium. Now, Assam is all set to witness its first-ever web-series, which could well set a new trend. Titled ‘Kaya’, the serial, planned as a 100-episode series, will be shown on the popular video-sharing site – YouTube, in the last week of July. A tale of mystery and horror, ‘Kaya’s story, script, dialogue and direction is by Surajit Hatimuria, who hails from Nazira in Sivasagar district. A number of episodes have already been shot in different locations of Nazira and Guwahati. If this web-series somehow hits it off with the viewers, it will...

Ajit Singha : an ode to an artiste

The Tezpur chapter of the Asam Sahitya Sabha, the apex literary body of Assam, paid glowing tributes to the eminent music director, lyricist and actor – Ajit Singha by observing his 16th death anniversary at the Tezpur Sahitya Sabha Bhawan, recently. The commemoration programme, christened as ‘Xuoroni-Nidibi Amoni, Geetey-Matey Ati Bohagi Abeli’, began with the lighting of the traditional lamp by the well-known singer-lyricist and wife of the late artiste, Ruby Singha, followed by the release of the audio album ‘Tumar Xuror Smritit’ – a compilation of chorus tracks, composed by Ajit Singha, by the Deputy Commissioner of Sonitpur, Narshing Powar, in the presence of several noted guests,...

Kulada Bhattacharjee’s maiden movie launched

With an exceptional body of work in cinema and theatre behind him, veteran actor-director Kulada Kumar Bhattacharjee, a powerhouse of talent, even at the age of 85, is making his maiden feature film, which was launched at the premises of the Kamakhya Devalaya recently. A man who helped usher a new era with his innovative approaches and methods in almost every genre of theatre, Bhattacharjee, whose films include ‘Sakuntala’, ‘Latighati’, ‘Chikmik Bijulee’, ‘Bhagya’, ‘Prabhati Pakhir Gaan’, ‘Ramdhenu’, ‘Surjyasta’, ‘Cactus’, ‘Dikchow Banat Palaax’, ‘Maj Rati Keteki’, ‘Village Rockstars’, among others, has been closely engaged with the theatre world of Assam. He was deeply involved in making...