Kolkata film festival to screen Assamese movie

Guwahati: ‘Khob’, an Assamese film by the national award-winning director, Hiren Bora, has been selected for screening at the prestigious Kolkata International Film Festival, providing a much-needed breather to the Assamese film industry. The local industry is passing its days in obscurity with commercial profit margins decreasing by the day.
Though the industry is fast losing its popularity, aspiring directors are striving to achieve critical acclaim for their films and ‘Khob’ is one such venture.It is yet to released in theatres across the state.
“It is quite inspiring to know that the film has been selected for the prestigious Kolkata film festival, especially when the industry is going through a tough time. Assamese films are being neglected and we need to do something about it,” said Bora.
“More new directors are coming up with such ventures with little expectation of good returns,” added Bora.
Made on a budget of Rs 55 lakh, ‘Khob’ brings out the alienation of two young siblings who are brought into an urban space, away from the sylvan and rural realm of their childhood. The film has been produced by Shankar Lal Goenka whose last film was the award-wining ‘Ajeyo’.
Nostalgia for nature is Bora’s forte. His last venture, ‘Basundhara —The Earth’, which released in 2009, depicted the man-elephant conflict in Assam. The film won the Rajat Kamal for direction.
‘Basundhara’ was screened as an official entry at festival circuits in London, Nottingham, Canada and in Mumbai, Pune, New Delhi and Goa.