'Bhaimon Da': How an Assamese film moved people to tears in UAE

Khaleej Times

13 hours ago

For a man who saw his mother move mountains to make ends meet following the death of his father when he was just five, Sasanka Samir is now moving people to tears — not with the painful story of his childhood, but through his achingly beautiful storytelling as a young filmmaker.
'Bhaimon Da,' Samir's directorial debut, a biopic on eminent Assamese filmmaker Munin Barua, is running houseful across Assam in India's northeast region for the fifth straight week.
In a rare sight for the 90-year-old industry, which is still battling for survival despite its rich history, the owners of a cinema hall in Nagaon, a small town in central Assam, were even forced to add a show at 8am to meet demand for tickets.
For Samir, it's heartwarming to see the overwhelming response to his movie which was also screened at Al Shaab Village in Sharjah last Sunday at a packed theatre after a few members of the Assamese community in the UAE got together to arrange a special show.
'The movie has generated tremendous interest among our people in Assam, and we're delighted to have arranged a special screening for the Assamese people living in the UAE,' Samir told City Times over the phone from Guwahati.
'The response in Sharjah was incredible. We've also held special shows in Australia, Canada, and the US, with more scheduled in Singapore and Europe. I believe this is the first time an Assamese film has been screened in so many countries across the world.'
A former RJ, Samir also wrote the script for the movie, hoping to pay a fitting tribute to the late Munin Barua, a man widely celebrated in Assam for injecting new life into the financially struggling industry of Assamese cinema with a string of timeless hits in the first decade of this century.
Now that people have showered his movie with love across continents, Samir hopes it will inspire other filmmakers in Assam to keep Barua's dream of seeing a strong Assamese industry alive.
'This (having special shows abroad) is not only deeply satisfying but also incredibly inspiring—it shows that Assamese cinema can reach major cities across the world,' Samir said.
'Organising special screenings is a great start, and I hope it inspires more filmmakers in Assam to dream big.'
Samir also hopes to see the day when Assamese films will move beyond special shows and earn theatrical releases across India and even abroad.
'Of course, this will take time — perhaps a lot of time — and many things will need to fall into place because the industry is still facing a lot of challenges,' he said matter-of-factly.
'But I remain hopeful. If we continue to produce quality cinema, then reaching audiences and building a sustainable market won't be impossible in the future.'
Theatrical releases across India for movies from a relatively secluded part of the vast country may have remained a long shot, but for the Assamese community in the UAE, it was a celebration of their cultural heritage to have a special show of an Assamese feature film.
'In my 23 years of living in the UAE, I never thought I would get to watch an Assamese film in a theatre here,' said Ratul Barkataki, a Sharjah resident.
'This is a historic occasion for us, and it's a commendable effort from the people here who organised this. I hope we can continue this because it gives us an opportunity to introduce our young generation to Assamese cinema.'
Echoing Barkataki's sentiments, Dubai resident Geetiika Khanikar Dutta revealed why it was an emotionally overwhelming moment for her.
'This is the first time my teenage daughter watched an Assamese film in a theatre. I cannot thank the organisers enough for this special show,' Dutta said.
It was Dubai resident Utpal Baruah, his wife Pratyashi Gogoi and their friends — Dipankar Sarmah, Monoshree Sharma, Partha Borthakur and Sanjeev Basnet —who took the initiative of bringing 'Bhaimon Da' to the UAE shores.
'The demand was so big that unfortunately, we had to stop the entry request on the second day,' Baruah said.
'I wish we had more shows, but it's a start that will inspire us for more in the future.'
For long-time UAE resident Arman Hazorika, the movie is a celebration of the undying spirit of an industry which produced its first film, 'Joymoti', in 1935 — 12 years before India's freedom from British rule.
'From the creative zeal, the sweat and the struggle of regional filmmakers like Munin Barua to the monopoly of Hindi film distributors and government apathy towards the local film industry, the movie beautifully captured everything,' Hazorika said.
''Bhaimon Da' not only represents the ups and downs of the Assamese film history but also represents the hopes, the tears and aspirations of Assamese as a community!'