Saurav Bhadra, 27, became the first director from Siliguri to showcase a film at the prestigious Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF), where his documentary Faujdar premiered on Sunday.

Faujdar captures the unspoken anguish of Shital Faujdar, an artist from Bishnupur, who is the last of his family still painting “Dashavatar Tash” — a traditional art form of Bishnupur, which was once ruled by the Malla dynasty.

Also known as “Dashavatari Ganjifa,” this intricate card art dates back to the reign of King Bir Hambir Malla Dev of the Malla dynasty, who ascended the throne in 1592 and was a renowned art connoisseur.

In the 19-minute documentary, Shital Faujdar recounts the origin of the “Ganjifa” cards: “Bir Hambir, who shared a close friendship with Mughal emperor Akbar, first came across the emperor’s Ganjifa cards during a visit to the royal court. Captivated by their beauty, he returned to Bishnupur and commissioned local artists to create ‘Dashavatar’ cards depicting the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu. Kartik Faujdar is believed to have been the first to produce ‘Dashavatar Tash’ in Bishnupur.”

The young filmmaker discovered this nearly forgotten art form during a visit to Bishnupur.

“The story touched me,” said Bhadra. “It moved me to learn that Shital Faujdar, now 51, is the last of his family to continue painting “Dashavatar Tash” — a tradition they have upheld for years. He laments that the younger generation has lost interest, and with them, a distinct school of painting may vanish forever. Shital Babu continues to fight a lonely battle to keep this art alive.”

Bhadra acknowledged the challenges of finding support for a niche project like his but expressed gratitude to producer Hreek Mukherjee for believing in the film.

Born and raised in Siliguri, Saurav Bhadra is an alumnus of Jadavpur University. Bhadra has donned several hats. He has worked as a scriptwriter, lyricist and a jingle producer. Currently, he has devoted himself to filmmaking, keeping his other interests aside.

Speaking of the relevance of his project, Bhadra added: “I don’t know if my film will help the art survive, but I wanted at least to ensure it is recorded and not forgotten.”