‘Rongatapu 1982’: A turbulent tapestry of Assam’s history

• Release Date: 24/11/2023
• Cast:Aimee Baruah, Gunjan Bhardwaj, Rimpi Das, Kalpana Kalita, Alishmita Goswami
• Director:Adityam Saikia

A Raw Glimpse into the Turbulent Tapestry of Assam’s History with violence and outsiders

“Rongatapu 1982” chronicles the story of a group of characters who find themselves on a piece of land that is about to explode with religious disharmony and sociocultural and economic animosity. Most of these characters, who are predominantly women, find themselves grappling for safe ground and literally gasping for breath as all that they have learned and loved throughout their lives is on the verge of being taken away from them.

The Story:

Morom (Aimee Baruah), a dedicated housewife married to Jadab, is pregnant and days away from giving birth. She is reeling from the tragedy of the brutality that one of her most beloved family members has experienced. Her husband, Jadab (Gunjan Bhardwaj), is a responsible man of the house who has dedicated his life to the well-being of his household and takes good care of his wife. He is an orphan with no memory of his past life and has been brought up by the village and its people. As a rising conflict inches closer to his village and begins to impact some of the people he holds dear, he is forced to finally confront the ordeal and be a part of a conflict that he had so far avoided, keeping in mind his wife’s condition and his responsibilities towards her.

Rupali (Kalpana Kalita), a hardworking girl, is left alone to fend for her sister Mala (Alishmita Goswami), who seems to have endured some sort of horror that has left her scarred and unable to lead a normal life. Rupali ties up her sister’s feet and hands at night, as she has nightmares about Mala committing suicide. Mala is unable to watch sinister scenes from a popular film without losing control over her body and surrendering to her fears. What we are forced to ask is what was it that ravaged Mala’s life and made her so vulnerable? This is a question that we hope to get an answer to by the end of the film. Rupali is also in love with Madhab (Vivek Bora), the only properly educated and highly sought-after son of one of the most respectable families in the village. While she dreams of their lives intertwining and ending in marital bliss and peace, destiny has something else in store for them.

The film also takes a long and hard look at the women on the other end of the spectrum of the story. Rafiza (Rimpi Das) was evidently impregnated against her will and continues to live in a society where she witnesses the pathetic condition of women. As she tries to find solace by confiding her inhibitions with someone who has endured similar ordeals, she cannot escape the fear of giving birth to a boy who will end up becoming a monster like the other men in her society or a girl who will end up being a plaything for the men in her society. As she tries to make sense of the life she is living and bring another human being into the world, she is faced with a night that will not only determine which way her life is headed but also underline the future of the world that she was, for so long, been an integral part of.

Bold and Challenging Subject That Needed Fearless Handling:

“Rongatapu 1982” is an extremely bold and challenging film to make, especially in times like these when a significant portion of the outsiders (as referred to in the film) have become an integral part of our society, seamlessly integrated into our day-to-day existence. Even referring to them by their religion is challenging and almost impossible, as it could enrage and insult others belonging to the same religion who are in no way outsiders. It is also extremely difficult to highlight the societal evils among these outsiders and the pathetic state of women in their midst. Equally challenging is depicting instances where they were unafraid to lay their hands on the villagers, engaging in some of the vilest acts of violence imaginable that then went undocumented.

Adityam Saikia and his team may face criticism from a section of society that unnecessarily identifies with the outsiders solely based on the religious factor. They may be criticized about the one-sided and almost insulting portrayal of a certain community, which he didn’t even dare to name in the film. However, the details conveyed about them through dialogues between characters, underlining the prevalent beliefs and ideas about them in Assamese society, felt real and relatable & are enough to incite criticism and controversy.

Adityam Saikia had to fully capture the state of mind of the people during that time period. By being somewhat restrained in his portrayal of the facts and being cautious even about naming the community, he only partially draws attention to what he wants to show but fails to create the impactful resonance necessary for a story of this nature. It shows in the fractured narrative flow that he knew what to show but he couldn’t and hence the film feels choppy in many portions.

The Narrative Might Feel Fractured and Incoherent for Someone Who Has No Idea About the History of The Conflict:

For someone from the region who has insight into the time period and conflict, it will be easy to draw parallels and connect the dots in the film resulting in a fluid experience of watching the film. However, when the film is presented to someone with no idea about the conflict or the historical period, it is bound to create some amount of confusion and a lack of understanding. This is owing to the film’s shaky and restrained storytelling, as well as its approach to certain characters.

The Performances are Fantastic:

Adityam Saikia gets the performances right in the film. He has some of the best actors playing poignant characters, and he makes the best use of the acting prowess of these actors at his disposal. Aimee Baruah is getting eerily good at playing tortured housewives in films who are tasked to safeguard their children. She carries forward from where she left off in “Semkhor” and makes the necessary changes to suit the character, context, setting, and era. What remains constant is her ability to draw you into her character and keep you interested in her story. The physical acting, including movements and mannerisms, that she pulls off is as well-directed as it is well-executed by her. I was particularly impressed by her depiction of grief that felt real and haunting.

Gunjan Bhardwaj is a fascinating talent who has been underutilized in Assamese cinema. Once again, he proves his worth in a character that is not particularly well-written. He makes the character special with his performance. There is a huge secret about the character that is revealed in the end. It is not made clear if the character was aware of this aspect of himself. However, Gunjan’s performance leaves subtle clues about him being aware of this secret, even if this is never documented or confirmed through any scene or dialogue in the film. There is an awkwardness in his mannerisms and behaviour that makes his character special, and my doubt about his knowledge of his past more pronounced.

Rimpi Das, as Rafiza, is absolutely fantastic. She is someone who is in an inescapable hell and is about to bring another human being into that same hell. Her character spends most of her time not just ruminating about the world that she is bringing her child into but also watching helplessly in horror as the men of her society ravage other girls without a care in the world and boast about it during their chitchats. Das portrays the perfect emotions for a character thrust into desperate situations like that and makes the most of what her character has to offer. She does leave an impact with her performance.

Kalpana Kalita and Alishmita Goswami, as the sisters Rupali and Mala, are exceptional. Mala’s horrendous past sent shivers down my spine. It wasn’t just what had happened to her, but how it was depicted and performed by Alishmita Goswami that truly made the horrors of this incident real and impactful. Alishmita doesn’t have a single dialogue in the film, yet her character says more than some of the other characters who have ample dialogue throughout the film.

Kalpana Kalita is equally great, wonderfully depicting the torture of being the sole caretaker of her sister after not being able to save her from what had happened. She is evidently frustrated and conflicted about her duty towards her sister and her inability to let go of the normal life that she dreamt of with Madhab. What happens to her character in the end was truly heart-breaking.

Outstanding Cinematography and Sound Design:

“Rongatapu 1982” is a beautifully shot film that captures the essence of village life, depicting the characters amidst the organic elements of what it meant to be in one of the villages of Assam in the 1980s. The camera captures the panorama just as wonderfully as it does the minor details of the practices and daily routines of the village and its people. The visual splendour of the film is complemented just as efficiently by the proficient sound design that reminded me of being in a village and all that was bustling in the form of village life around me. If it were not for the sounds of village life, the visuals would have been incomplete and without any life. Sadly, the editing of the film did leave a lot to be desired. There are jerks that I felt in the transition of moments and scenes that should not have been there. This not only marred the impact of these sequences but also took me out of the experience and reminded me that I was watching a film and not a picture of real life.

Final Words:

“Rongatapu 1982” will be a difficult film for many to watch because of its raw depiction of the horrors and carnage that were thrust upon two dissimilar societies due to the impact of one on the socio-cultural and economic life of another. This could have been an even more hard-hitting film had the director shunned his inhibitions and gone ahead with his treatment of the subject fearlessly. It is also a fact that the writing of the film needed more conviction, and it does start to drag towards the middle of the second half. Some of the proceedings feel forced, and the organic suspension of disbelief for many of the sequences is threatened by some unnecessary theatrics and a poor envisioning and writing of the scenes that could have been easily avoided or rectified.

Having said that, the film still has enough merit in its performances, visuals, and the story at its core to make the audience go for it at least once. I feel that this will be a far better film to watch and experience a second time because there are visual cues about the many things that happen later in the film embedded in the initial scenes and exchanges between the characters. Interestingly, the nuances and mannerisms that some of the characters bring to their essays make sense at the end of the film. Once you have the knowledge of how the film ends, these elements become even more poignant, and the director’s attempt at something this interesting should be applauded. “Rongatapu 1982” might not be an entertaining potboiler to bask in the glory of this weekend, but it is an essential watch for many in our society who were born into a world devoid of conflicts and issues. They need to know and experience what generations before us endured just for their right to call this land their own.

Rating: 3/5 (3 out of 5 Stars)

The views expressed in this article are that of the reviewer and do not reflect EastMojo’s position.

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