Biopic on Assamese folk singer wins award at US fest

A biopic on legendary Assamese folk singer Pratima Barua Pandey has bagged the grand jury prize for the best feature film at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA).
"Sonar Baran Pakhi" by Bobby Sarma Baruah portrays the life of late Barua Pandey, who was an exponent of Goalpariya Lokogeet.
A Padma Shri and Sangeet Natak Akademi award winner, Barua Pandey, who came from the Gauripur royal family in Dhubri district, is best known for her soul-stirring songs 'Hastir kanya' and 'O mur mahut bandhu re'.
The film, produced by Assam State Film (Finance and Development) Corporation Ltd. And co- produced by BB Entertainment Pvt Ltd, depicts how shunning the royal comforts and a normal early marriage, Barua Pandey mingled with exponents of Goalpariya folk songs to master the art and perform at various platforms to ensure that the folk form flourishes till this day.

"The way Baruah skillfully weaves music into her narrative recalls the brilliant work of British director Terence Davies, where songs are used to express the deep emotional bonds of a community," the organisers said about the film.
The film had also won the best audience award at the recent Dhaka International Film Festival and was screened in a number of other festivals including MAMI, Third Eye Asian Film festival and IFFSA, Toronto.
"As a film lover I intended to capture the uncommon threads of life of this gifted artiste who, despite being a girl child and being born and brought up in a royal family braved all odds, mingled with 'mahouts', buffalo herders and river boatmen in a rural ambiance," says Baruah.

"From the folklorists' point of view, her renditions of those fascinating folk songs at national and international platforms with unbridled passion, keeping intact the indigenous flavor that made all the difference and this does indeed call for a feature-length portrayal of her life and works," she says.