Recipient of multiple national and international awards, Assamese filmmaker Jahnu Barua’s body of work resonates with thought-provoking social realism and compassionate interpersonal interfaces. His women are strong and plots riveting. A product of Pune’s Film and Television Institute of India, he began his career in1982 with his film Aparoopa (Expectation). Over the decades his films have constructed an opus of human trials and triumphs. Currently based in Mumbai, he speaks to Ananya Borgohain. Excerpts:
How did your passion for cinema beginIJ
I come from a rural area called Bokota in Sibsagar district of upper Assam, where my father worked at a tea estate. The tea estates in Assam arrange for weekly film screenings in the evenings for the labourers. The first film I watched was Guru Dutt’s CID. I must have been seven or eight years old then and vividly remember being fascinated by the film projector. In my final year of college, I learned that the Guwahati Cine Club screened international classics. Until now I was only attracted by cinema but had not planned to pursue it professionally. But when I saw these classics, I realised what a powerful medium cinema is.
The Northeast is a multi-ethnic society with multiple aesthetic senses and practices. How distinctive are the cinemas of all the Northeastern States from each otherIJ
The cultures are different but their films share many similarities. For instance, cinemas from the Northeastern States are emotional in tone and tenor and their tales are also rooted in the native cultures and histories. I personally see the diversity as a huge asset for us to be more productive. Our geopolitical standing in the country is such that the Northeast needs to be united and celebrate both the similarities and dissimilarities.
Northeastern films are socially engaging as well as sentimental in nature. The projection of inter-personal relationships and gender depictions is very well pronounced and much emphasised. Dowry system does not exist in the region and the women are strong and confident, all this manifest on the screen too. Also, there is no marketing gimmick in the plot, no item numbers. We subscribe to social realism and progressive approaches.
Your film Baandhon is the first Assamese (or Northeastern film) to have released outside its State. Given that Assamese cinema began in 1935, why did it take so long to attain the attention of its national and international counterpartsIJ
It’s actually a pity that it took so long. But then that is because of a demand-supply nexus. For instance, Malayalam cinema has no demand in Assam. likewise, Gujarati audiences would not be interested in Assamese films. So considering that there are so many cultures in the country, Northeastern cinema’s national counterparts have not been too receptive and curious towards them. However, in the international forum, films from the Northeast have been screened and responded to. My Halodhiya Choraye Baodhan Khai (The Catastrophe, 1987) not only won the National Award for the Best feature film but also won multiple awards at the locarno International film festival way back in 1988 itself.
How active are the State Governments of the Northeast in producing cinemaIJ
The Assam State Film Development Corporation provides loans for the production of Assamese films. The State Government, however, has not been much encouraging until recently. The State structure is such that the film market is small and so huge investments could be dicey. The market in, say, Bengal is huge, so its film industry does not struggle for survival. In our case, unless there is the support of big studios, good cinema will die. The Government should come ahead in a big way to promote its cinema. We can make a good film in Rs3-4 crore and we can also make four to five films a year. If we strategise it well, then not only will we ensure cash returns but also configure a positive image of the region. It will fetch us acclaim and attention.
What are the problems that the ‘mainstream’ filmmakers face while shooting in the NortheastIJ
The fundamental problems are that of infrastructure, transportation and lack of proper studios. The Government tries to help but then the people have the habit of complaining as well. They could bring in the technology with themselves to the Northeast but they behave as if the region is in remote Antarctica! My colleagues in Mumbai, well-known filmmakers themselves, keep asking me if it is safe to shoot in Assam. The fact is that crowd management in Assam is not at all a problem. People are friendly and helpful.
What do you think disconnects the ‘mainland’ India from the sensibilities of Northeastern cinemaIJ Is it because the latter romanticises its own cultures and practices and that becomes too unfamiliar to the restIJ
Cinema is an expression of an area, culture and community. Through it, one can learn what lifestyle or cultural practices a certain region indulges in. So if Northeastern cinema projects its own culture, history, language and lifestyle, then people will have to see, understand and believe it. Honestly, in the mainstream society, people are intentionally ignorant of the Northeast. They simply do not want to enhance their boundaries of knowledge regarding the region. They hang on to the prejudices about the region. Neither is the region too remote nor people will await them with knives here but then people do not want to explore the place.
What are your thoughts on Indian cinema in generalIJ
We make the largest number of films in the world every year, but the serious concern is that in terms of quality we lag behind. We are drifting away from realism and are uselessly being dependent on technology. It is making the experience of watching cinema unenjoyable. This gimmick of trying to garner the attention of the audience by hook or by crook is disturbing. But at the same time, there is a crop of young filmmakers who are generating good content. We can be hopeful of these young talents.