Rightfully regarded as one of the leading proponents of Indian parallel cinema and an eminent filmmaker from Assam, Jahnu Barua’s movies have been widely acclaimed for their socio-realist perspectives, politically conscious narratives and artistic merit.
A treasure trove for cinephiles as well as for film researchers, the Assamese films of this 12-time National Award-winning filmmaker is the subject of deliberation in academician Dr Juhi P. Pathak’s new book Film Appreciation on Cinemas (1980 to 1990) of Jahnu Barua: Social, Economic, Political and Cultural Perspectives.
Released on January 18 at the 37th Day Session of Global Communication Education Conclave (GCEC) under the aegis of the Global Media Education Conclave (GMEC), the book explores the man and his message through an in-depth analysis of his films from 1982 to 2014.
Considering 32 years, the research-based book considers twelve Assamese feature films of Jahnu Barua and excludes the Hindi Language feature films and other short films. “Through the book, we would be able to assess and evaluate the macro factors of social, economic, political and cultural implications and representations of Assam and Assamese society through his films,” the author told EastMojo in an email interview.
Highlighting the paucity of available literature and analytical writings on the works of the internationally acclaimed filmmaker, she stated, “Despite the fact that Jahnu Barua is an iconic filmmaker of international repute from Assam, there is a scarcity of a body of knowledge which has documented the films of Jahnu Barua. And as an academician from the state, I decided to take on the daunting task of attempting to present an in-depth analysis of all of his Assamese films.”
“While films have been reviewed and decoded extensively. Few attempts have been made to decipher the socio-political message by juxtaposing the film’s setting with the realities of society. This book will be a humble attempt at understanding the inherent message behind the carefully chosen theme of the films of the filmmaker,” she added.
But the research resulted in a massive amount of data that was impossible to include in a single book. As a result, the recently released book only covers the 1980s and 1990s, and it is the first part of a planned trilogy. The entire series is divided into decades 1980-1990, 1990-2000 and 2000-2015.
With four major chapters, the book attempts to throw light on understanding Assamese society and culture through Aparoopa (1982). It analyses Papori (1986) to understand the socio-economic and geopolitics of Assam from 1962-to 1982. With Halodhia Choraye Baodhan Khai (1987), the author attempts a cinematic, semiotic and socio-cultural analysis. The fourth chapter is an analysis of Bonani (1990) which tries to understand the man-elephant conflict prevalent in Assam.
Speaking about the challenges of writing the book, author Dr Juhi P. Pathak, who is currently working as an Assistant Professor with Sharda University, Uttar Pradesh, said, “The first challenge was in reaching out to Jahnu Barua Sir and getting hold of his films. It was no less than a treasure hunt for me. After I eventually got in touch with Sir and had all of the films and began to analyse them, the time constraint in which I had to complete was once again a big challenge. It took two and a half years for this book to be published.”
“Second, after the project was completed, finding a research funding organisation to publish the project was a major hindrance for me. No organisation could understand the importance of documenting the filmmaker’s work and his messages. It was the Altruist Centre for Research, Training and Development (ACRTD), a wing of Capt. Ayush Purusartha Foundation (CAPF) that supported the work,” she added
“I appreciate Dr Juhi P. Pathak’s work in bringing out… a comprehensive analysis on my films. This book will also be a handbook for film students to understand how to appreciate films from multiple dimensions not only from the perspective of cinema but also the rubrics of politics, economics, culture and society apart from others that Dr Juhi has tried to highlight through her exhaustive work… This book will go a long way in celebrating the rich customs and diverse culture of Assam,” writes Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan Shri Jahnu Barua in the Introduction of the book.
Dr Pathak’s work is already winning laurels from both actors and her contemporaries. “The book series Film Appreciation on Cinemas of Jahnu Barua is very vital and significant documentation on filmmaker Jahnu Barua, the preservation and documentation of which we have missed and lacked as a nation. It is a fantastic initiative by Dr Juhi P.Pathak,” Gopi Desai, a veteran actor and director who worked with Jahnu Barua in’ Aparoopa and Papori, told EastMojo.
The objective and expected outcome of this book is to document and preserve Assamese culture and also help to understand the various facets of Assamese society in detail. It will also generate content on social and economic disparity and discrimination which will become a guiding tool for the policymakers to set the roadmap for change.
Kopil Bora, an Assamese actor and theatre personality who worked with Jahnu Barua in Ajeyo and That Gusty Morning, concurred with Desai. “Jahnu da masters the art of breaking stereotypes through his craft of cinema and that’s what sets him apart from all other filmmakers. The effort to document his works is like recording a very important phase in the history of contemporary Assamese cinema. The book would be of immense value in the world of cinema,” he told EastMojo.
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