Skip to content Skip to navigation

Assam’s Kaju wins IDPA award

“It’s a proud moment. It’s the outcome of my hard work. Tremendous feelings I can not make you understand,” Shahidul Majjid exclaimed who is popularly known as Kaju.


Kaju, a noted film editor from Assam has been conferred the silver award in sound designing for his non-feature film “…..and the Friends of Kaziranga” by Indian Documentary Producers Association (IDPA) for the year 2009.


IDPA is a non-profit organisation that came into being in 1956. It is registered as a public trust under the Bombay Public Trust Act 1950. Today IDPA is India’s single largest association of producers of documentaries, animation films, advertisement films and TV programmes. Noted filmmaker Jahnu Barua is the President of IDPA at present.


The film, directed by Kaju himself, portrays the struggle of the forest officials and their commitments to the conservation and protection of the wildlife.



Shahidul Majjid (Kaju)

“I always wanted to do something for them within my limitations. They are the real heroes. You can not imagine the way how the forest guards dedicate their lives for the protection of the forest. During the rainy days it’s really tough. So it’s for them,” said Kaju.


“They (forest employees) toil hard and unsung with minimum bare facilities to protect the endangered rhino along with other animals and it is their conservation efforts that have brought fame and glory to Assam's Kaziranga National Park,” he added.


“These forest guards, who stay away from their families in anti-poaching camps located deep inside the forests of the Park, face many hazards. Till a few years ago they had to deal with these situations with outdated equipment and little monetary benefits,” Kaju further said.


The film, produced by Biswajit Borkakoti, begins with beautiful shots highlighting the exotic flora and fauna of the Park and it soon launches into the basic theme of the trials and tribulations of the forest guard.


The filmmaker poignantly captures the scenes where the animals suffer during floods and the untiring efforts of the guards in protecting them from both inundation and poachers.


“My film was screened at Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF) in Mumbai early this year. I was humbled at the gestures of the jury members. The jury members hugged me and congratulated me after the screening of my film,” said the filmmaker proudly.


Kaju who is the second son of Abdul Majid, a prominent filmmaker of the state, has been involved with filmmaking for more than two decades. He said these achievements have encouraged him to go ahead with his job. Though he laments at the lack of knowledge of the technical side of the filmmaking in the region but he is hopeful that the scenario would be changed.


Remembering the days of making the film “….and the Friends of Kaziranga”, he said, “I used to wade through waist-deep water in the fields taking camera and other equipments in hand along with the forest guards who accompanied me. It was tough but I’m feeling great now.”


The background narration by popular Assamese actor Kapil Bora also adds to the quality of the film with vital information about the guards and the Park as the story unfolds.


“This is great news and I’m extremely happy. He (Kaju) has done a tremendous job especially in the sound department. To deal with such a topic and winning an award in sound design is terrific. I have done several narrations for films but this has been so satisfactory,” said Kapil Bora.


“Nero’s Guests” by Deepa Bhatia about government apathy to farmers’ suicides has won the best non-fiction award for films about thirty minutes, ‘Vitthal’ by Vinoo Choliparambil and ‘The Spell’ by Umesh Kulkarni share the best short fiction film award in the IDPA Film Awards of Excellence for 2009.


Gold, Silver, Certificates of Merit and Special Mention awards have been announced in as many as 46 categories for which juries met in Mumbai and Delhi.


Another film, ‘The Wild Meat Trail’ by Assam girl Rita Banerji and Shilpi Sharma has been named for four awards (best film on environment, non-fiction sound design, editing and cinematography).

Author info

Abdul Gani's picture

Add new comment

Assamese Translator

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

Random Stories

Flood toll mounts to 14

24 Sep 2014 - 6:28am | AT News
The flood toll has gone up to 14 during the last three days. The toll in Goalpara alone stands at 8 after cloudburst wreaked havoc in the Assam-Meghalaya border on Monday. Of them, 4 were women....

Mountaineering team to scale Mt Everest

25 Mar 2015 - 9:28pm | Abdul Gani
In yet another attempt to scale the world’s highest peak – Mount Everest from northeast India, a group of 11 mountaineers would be leaving Guwahati on April 3 for the expedition. The team is...

Gogoi vents ire before Modi

16 Dec 2015 - 4:56pm | AT New Delhi
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi alleged before prime minister Narendra Modi gross injustice hours after he staged dharna in front of Parliament striking nationwide attention of his charges.  ...

Steps to end man-elephant conflict

24 Mar 2015 - 7:37pm | Jayanta Kumar Das
Elephants on the Line, a programme organized last year to mitigate man-elephant conflict in the villages bordering India-Bhutan launched in association with Udalguri administration and Dhansiri...

Other Contents by Author

The First Zamira Begum Rahman Memorial Lecture on the topic “Women Empowerment and Society” was delivered by Sarmistha Das, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, Tezpur University at a rural school, Kabilabad HE School in Tezpur recently. The lecture was attended by over 250 students of classes eight to ten including the teachers of the school. Sarmistha Das, who has been teaching Sociology at Tezpur University for the past six years delved into different aspects of women empowerment with vivid experiences from her own life. She recalled her mother’s advice, “Whatever you do in life, you should always have a choice in hand. And that is possible only if you educate yourself and know...
Assam businessman Habib Chowdhury who has been made the chairman of ASEAN India Business Council for Lao PDR said that he is planning to organize developmental works in his home state.  “I feel honored and proud on receiving the chairmanship of ASEAN India Business Council for Lao PDR. My sincere thanks to the ASEAN India Business Council for giving me this honour. Now, I can plan something related to investment and business in my home state Assam. If we can arrange an AIBC meeting in Assam, it will be a great help for the region,” Habib Chowdhury said.  He said that they had series of meetings in New Delhi and Kuala Lumpur in the last several days regarding the business deals...
Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal extended gratitude to lakhs of pilgrims for coming to Kamakhya Peeth from all over the country and abroad and making the Ambubachi Mela, ‘one of the greatest religious congregations’ a success.  Paying obeisance to the Shakti Shrine after the temple was opened on Sunday, Sonowal also extended his accolade to all organisations, agencies and personalities directly and indirectly involved in making the Ambubachi Mela a smooth affair. In a statement here this morning Chief Minister Sonowal said, “Assam is known for its hospitality and rich tradition of according highest respect to pilgrims and visitors since ages and this year’s Ambubachi Mela was not an...
Laos PDR Ambassador to India Southam Sakonhninhorm and Indian Ambassador to Laso Ravi Shankar Aisola who met Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal during their visit to Assam, have expressed hope of a bright future between Laos and India especially Assam. “We have a very fruitful meeting with chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal. He was very kind to listen to us,” said Sakonhninhorm. He said that it was the people to people connectivity which will eventually have a better relation between the two countries. Sakonhninhorm also advocated for enhance of cultural exchange and tourism and business. “We need to go ahead step by step with very concrete developments,” Sakonhinhrm added. Terming...
The Combined Competitive (Preliminary) Examination 2015 conducted by Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) will be held on January 3, 2016 (Sunday), said a press release. The status of the applications has already been uploaded in the official website www.apsc.nic.in. Candidates should check it before downloading the ‘e-Admission Certificate’. The ‘e-Admission Certificate’ are available in the APSC website www.apsc.nic.in and www.apsconline.gov.in. In order to download the ‘e-Admission Certificate’, candidates need to visit the aforesaid website and click ‘Download Admit’. After clicking the link, the system will ask for the ‘Registration Number’ and ‘Date of Birth’. After answering...
The Assam State Election Commission vide a Notification issued on Wednesday has imposed model code of conduct in connection with the second election to the Tiwa Autonomous Council which is going to be held on August 19, 2015. The Commission has notified schedule for preparation and publication of constituency wise Electoral Roll to the Tiwa Autonomous Council.As per the schedule, the last date of filing nominations is July 29, 2015 between 11 am to 3 pm. The nomination papers will be scrutinized on July 30, 2015 up to 3 pm and on the same day the list of validly nominated candidates will be declared. Last date for withdrawal of candidature is August 1, 2015 up to 3 pm. On the same day...
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi impressed upon the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to restore 90:10 fund pattern for the North Eastern States and put the Region into Special Category Status.   Delivering at the meeting of the Union Home Minister with the Chief Ministers of North Eastern States, Chief Minister Gogoi said that the development of the Region will be expedited if the Centre restores the Special Category Status for the North Eastern States. Gogoi said peace of the region is intrinsically associated with the development and without the Special Category Status and restoration of 90:10 fund pattern for the centrally sponsored schemes development of the Region is not possible...
Amnesty International India came down heavily on Union home minister for failing to take up AFSPA issue during his two days visit to Guwahati.In a statement on Sunday, the human rights body said that despite scope Singh never took up the issue that rattles the entire region at regular intervals.Worryingly, there was no discussion on the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, which is in force in several north-eastern states, and continues to enable violations of constitutional rights and freedoms, the statement reads.The organization further urged the government to urgently address concerns of impunity for alleged human rights violations by removing the requirement under the AFSPA for...
 Assam Governor PB Acharya has summoned a session of the Assam Assembly from August 10, 2015, Monday, from 9 am at the Assembly Chamber at Dispur. 
Manipur filmmaker Haobam Paban Kumar’s ‘Phum shang’ (Floating Life) has been adjudged as ‘Best Long Documentary Award’ during the eighth edition of the International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala which concluded recently. The festival, organized by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy for the Department of Cultural Affairs of Kerala government is regarded as one of the most serious festivals for documentaries in India. Irom Maipak, the cinematographer of the film was selected for the ‘Navroz Contractor Award for the Best Cinematographer’ in the festival. The documentary narrates the tale of the displaced fishermen at Loktak lake in Manipur.  “This is one of...