Sequel spree in music video industry - Producers of Junbai start shooting third episode of bestselling series

The cover of the album

Jorhat, June 25: It?s raining sequels not just in Hollywood and Bollywood but in the nascent Assamese music video industry, too.

When shooting for the ?third episode? of the music video album Junbai began in Sivasagar last weekend, joint producer Pabitra Margherita knew he and his partner, Manas Robin, were making history thrice over.

Over a lakh units of their first two music videos, Junbai I and Junbai II, have been sold till date and the third instalment is expected to do even better business.

The Junbai series is different from the standard music video in both form and content. Each episode has a well-defined story around which the songs in the album are woven.

Margherita said Junbai III would be released on December 1, just a month-and-a-half before Magh Bihu.

?The tremendous success of the first two episodes encouraged us to think of a trilogy. We are going for it on public demand,? the young producer said.

Available only on compact discs, Junbai I and II have raised the stakes so much that it is not possible for any producer to make do with a shoestring budget anymore.

?Video albums once used to be made with very small budgets. But Junbai has both story and songs against the backdrop of Bihu, and we have not compromised on any aspect. This, I think, is the secret of Junbai?s success,? Margherita said.

Copies of the album have even been exported to Japan, the US and the UK, where the Assamese community is growing every year.

?The response from Assamese families in these countries has been encouraging. Many have congratulated us for portraying Bihu in a nice manner with a strong story and good songs,? said actor Pabitra Baruah.

He attributed the boom in the ?CD business? to the death of big-screen cinema in many areas.

Margherita gave his partner the credit for the success of Junbai. ?Manas has written the songs for Junbai as well the story. Without him, it would not have been possible for us to go where we have.?