FEATURE FILSM
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| A still from Local Kung Fu |
Local Kung Fu
Director Kenny Basumatary promises to break new ground in Assamese cinema with his next film: Local Kung Fu.
No prizes for guessing that the action comedy film is based on martial arts. But, the word “local” has been added because the movie has been shot in and around the director’s hometown.
So, why did Basumatary choose to make a martial arts movie?
“I chose Kung Fu because I have an unfair advantage in this department. My maternal uncle is a Kung Fu master and two of my closest friends are black belts who have trained under my uncle.”
He himself learnt the art for about two years, when he was in Class X.
The 92-minute film has around eight action scenes in it. “The film was featured at Osian’s Film Festival on July 28,” Basumatary said.
Instead of hoping for a miracle and waiting for a producer to shell out crores for his film, Basumatary decided to invest his own money and make the film with just Rs 95,000.
“The first time is always different, but to shoot this film was a different experience for me, as I had to cut down on a lot of extravagances,” he said.
The cast of the movie includes Sangeeta Nair, Utkal Hazowary and Basumatary himself. “Unlike many action films that only cater to a limited audience my movie is going to be a full family entertainer with fragments of comedy,” he said.
When asked if he always wanted to be a director, Basumatary promptly replied with a “Yes!”
“I am very excited about my upcoming feature film, as direction has been my childhood dream,” he said.
The movie does not feature any songs. “Music being an integral part of Indian movies will be a part of Local Kung Fu too, but only in the backdrop. In this 92-minute picture, some songs will be shown only in fragments like Delhi Belly,” said Basumatary.
Othello
The Assamese film isn’t a pure adaptation of William Shakespeare’s play but it does draw a parallel. The film talks about characters that don’t fit into modern society, owing to their adventurist left-wing ideologies.
“They are socially disadvantaged characters that suffer from a sense of insecurity in their minds, like Othello,” said Ranjit Sarma, who wrote the film’s screenplay. The movie will be produced and directed by Hemanta Kumar Das.
“Like the play, we have Othellos in our society too. Meaning, there are characters who do not conform with our times,” said Sarma.
The story revolves around a septuagenarian, whose past is linked with the present and the insecurities he faces while moving forward into the future. Das said shooting would begin in October and go on for about a month. He expects the film to be released around next spring.
Since the story is based in the city, it will be shot in Guwahati. There are no songs in the movie.
“The script does not demand any songs, so we ruled out the idea of adding any. In the film, we are trying to cut down on the melodrama,” said Das.
In the past, some Assamese movies dealing with different aspects of Ulfa’s armed struggle were made.
But, the subject of left-wing adventurism has remained untouched, Das claimed.
“I think this movie will add a new flavour to Assamese cinema and will help the fraternity move up a notch to the next level,” said Das.
Serial
Aakakh Eti Mitha NaaM
A family soap, Aakakh Eti Mitha Naam, will be aired on prime time from August 6.
The serial, to be beamed five days a week on a local satellite TV channel, is produced by Pride East Entertainment.
Directed by Simple Gogoi, it is about three children and their families.
“It is a family drama mainly focusing on the lives of three children,” the director said.
The star cast includes Geetawali Rajkumari, Bibhuti Hazarika, Naba Buragohain, Joly Laskar, Kasturi Phukan and Bhagabat Pritam.
The three child artistes are Anurag Sharma, Kuhishree Das and Ragini.
Gogoi said the shooting of the serial began in mid-June, and so far, it has completed two schedules. “We have completed 20 episodes of the 80-episode serial,” she said.
Though the shooting, so far, has been done in Guwahati, Gogoi said a few scenes might be shot in Shillong too.
Dikshu Sharma has composed and sang the title song and the lyrics are by Bijiyeta Patgiri.
Audio album
XFIVE CLAN
XFIVE CLAN, which plays all genres of music, is ready with its latest album by the same name.
Formed in 2009, the band made its debut with the album featuring six tracks and with each of these tracks, the six-member group aimed at rendering a social message.
The band comprises vocalist and lead guitarist Shekhar Baruah, vocalist Dolly Baruah, lead guitarist Simanta Raj Medhi, bass player Nayan Jyoti Goswami and drummer Subhashu Saikia.
The number Hridoir Majot calls for peace and features Siddharth Barooah in guest solo.
Another track, Roikha Kora, is an appeal to humanity to believe in work over worship. Dhormo Kormo tells of self-belief and inspiring people to follow their dreams. Confusion is a love song, which would be a treat for GenX.
Moreover, the two remixes have added a different flavour to the album. XFIVE CLAN has performed on many regional and national stages.
SHILLONG CHAMBER CHOIR PERFORMANCE
They always do it wholeheartedly and with full passion, whether they perform for one person or for thousands. With this conviction, the Shillong Chamber Choir outperforms every time they are on stage, both on home turf and abroad. The winner of the 2010 India’s Got Talent, the 18-member Shillong Chamber Choir team was on a visit to the US to perform at the finale of the 7th World Choir Games at Cincinnati on July 14. Director Ike Sinha and founder Neil Nongkynrih led the team. The recipient of triple gold medals at the Shanghai World Choir Games also performed for President Barack Obama during his official state visit at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The Friends of Assam and Seven Sisters international (USA) co-sponsored a goodwill concert of the Shillong Chamber Choir in Silver Spring, Maryland, on July 20, which was inaugurated by Indian ambassador to the US, Nirupama Rao.
The Shillong singers’ performance was a great success and nearly 250 people attended it.
