Jorhat, July 22: Filmmaker Buddhadeb Dasgupta today said Assam has a very rich culture and traditions but their "closed" nature needs to be explored.

Addressing the inaugural session of a short course on film appreciation at JB College here, he said Assam, Odisha and Kerala, apart from West Bengal, were the only places in India with very rich cultures.

"While Odisha and Kerala, especially Kerala, have exposed their culture to the world, Assam is a closed culture. If you can come out of this, if you can show to the outside world what you have, unparalleled cinema can emerge from this region," he said in Bengali.

Dasgupta said he liked Jorhat so much that he would visit once again. "I will come here and write the script for a film. I love the people of Assam. They are simple and good. Remain like this always," he said to thunderous applause.

He praised documentary filmmaker Gautam Bora of Wosibipo fame and said he had watched the film during a festival in Calcutta without subtitles and it won him over for life. He also referred to Jahnu Barua, Santwana Bordoloi and Bhaben Saikia as among the best filmmakers from Assam.

The five-time National Award winner said miracles could not be expected if the government framed or changed its film policies.

He also screened his 2013 film, Anwar Ka Ajab Kissa, during the session. The film, about a detective, stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui, and is awaiting release in India.

Asked whether a good budget guaranteed a good film, Dasgupta said a good budget was important but it did not necessarily translate into good films. Talent and creativity were the prerequisites of a good film, he added.

"One cannot go on making movies of the type made 20 years ago. There are many new and young filmmakers in Assam and there is potential for making good films," he said.

He also praised JB College for offering the course on introduction to film studies.

Film critic and writer Premendra Mazumdar said the course was one of a kind being offered by an educational institute.

The Federation of Film Societies of India general secretary said he would ensure that this information percolated to other states so that they too could do something in this line.

Principal Bimal Bara said it was a proud moment for the college when its students won a national award in their first attempt at making a short film last year.

The meet was organised by Assam Film Society, in collaboration with JB College Campus Film Society and Federation of Film Societies of India.