Malayalam films like Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam and Churuli have recently become an acquired taste for me. I have watched both these films more than a couple of times, and each subsequent viewing has left me more enriched from the experience. Whether it’s the storytelling, visual presentation, supernatural elements, or the culmination of both films, they grow on you with each viewing.
The subtle storytelling reveals something unique and important on every viewing, gradually making more sense in terms of the storytelling and presentation. By the time you’ve watched the films a few times, everything makes perfect sense, and you begin to wonder how brilliant the idea and craft behind the storytelling and presentation are.
This was how I felt about writer-director Chinmoy Sarmah’s Bhoot Jolokiya, a film that, in many ways, documented how films like Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam or Churuli would look and feel if they were set in Assam and had an Axomia story to tell. It carried all the elements that made films like Churuli and Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam an acquired taste for me, which I have come to enjoy much more than the so-called mainstream cinema. Bhoot Jolokiya makes you think and wonder, and in doing so, it envelops you with its storytelling, setting, gorgeous vistas, and performances.
While the story could have used a few more rewrites to leave no room for any shortcomings, and the climax could have been better thought out, one has to give credit to the writer-director and the entire crew for attempting to create something truly different and personal. This is a rare commodity in Axomia cinema, and this is what a step in the right direction for Axomia cinema should be like.
The story unfolds across two distinct timelines. In the present day, Jeebon (Mintu Baruah), a former militant who hasn’t set foot in Assam for 20 years and is living in seclusion, is visited by Mainu (Atanu Mahanta), the son of one of Jeebon’s comrades from his days of militancy. Mainu informs Jeebon that he needs his help in fulfilling his father’s last wish, which would require Jeebon to travel to Assam.
After some persuasion, Jeebon agrees to come back, and the two begin a journey that will change their lives forever.
While this portion of the story is unfolding, we are taken back in time to Jeebon’s days as a militant with two of his friends. Disillusioned and confused with the political developments and unable to find their place in a new and evolving world, they were just inching towards making a questionable decision that would go on to haunt them forever.
These two timelines intersect, offering a deeper understanding of the main plot as it unfolds in the present. By the time the film culminates, all questions seem to be answered—or are they?
A moody, intriguing screenplay makes for a compelling watch
I love watching films that don’t let me predict the plot and climax easily. With the vast amount of content and new releases in theatres, being surprised or hooked by a plot and its characters is becoming a rare experience. Thankfully, Bhoot Jolokiya’s screenplay grabbed my attention from the very beginning and kept me guessing to a certain extent.
This is achieved through the intelligent use of two timelines and by showing us things that seem real but may not be. The characters are also designed and portrayed in such a way that you’re unsure until the very end who is good and who is bad. The characters’ agendas are revealed gradually as the story progresses, and some of the revelations do come as surprises. The dialogues between the characters are also smartly written, ensuring that the surprises are kept intact and the drama is sustained throughout.
One must give due credit to the director for this aspect of the film, which also happens to be one of the biggest positives in the film.
The story relies heavily on a time that will forever remain etched in the memories of every Axomiya. The director needed to be respectful of those times and the people involved, while also using the emotions and elements unique to that period in his screenplay to extract emotions, drama, and thrills.
For someone like me, who was born in the late eighties and grew up in the nineties, there was an instant connection with many of these elements on display. Unfortunately, this might not be the case for the current generation, who haven’t seen or experienced those tumultuous times. Having said that, the backdrop of the story and how effectively it is used to create impact was a major quality of the film’s writing and execution.
Performances are consistently good
Apart from a few mishaps here and there, for which I would blame the director more than the actors involved, the performances remain strong throughout. Mintu Baruah, a veteran actor from our region, has consistently delivered great work, and in this film, he gives one of the strongest performances.
It would have been easy for him to go overboard with a character like Jeebon, but he strikes the perfect balance between being emotionally involved and purposefully aloof. As things start to change quickly around him, you can sense a shift in the tone of his performance. However, I did have an issue with a certain creative choice about the character and how this portion played out.
It felt strange, and I couldn’t fully connect with the creative decision. Still, Baruah is flawless in his portrayal of Jeebon and shares wonderful chemistry with Atanu Mahanta, who plays Mainu.
Atanu Mahanta had an interesting character to portray. The audience is not immediately aware of what he wants to achieve or whether his intentions are noble. His bottled-up expressions and long, intense looks, purposefully captured by the DOP, create an element of surprise around his character that works well within the plot. When the final reveal about his intentions comes, it’s not a shock but rather a pleasant surprise.
While the character is interestingly written, it wouldn’t have worked as well without Atanu Mahanta’s spot-on performance. He manages to make some of the more questionable aspects of his character believable, thanks to how realistic and organic his portrayal feels.
Chinmoy Sarmah as Bhodai has the most pronounced arc in the film. I can’t go into too much detail about what I liked in his performance, as it would amount to spoilers.
I will just say that he not only makes the most of the brief but important role that he entrusts himself with but also brings out the animalistic side of a desperate man—something key to a tale of this nature—that was otherwise missing in the other characters and performances of the film.
Adrita Parasha Mahanta as Antara gives the most natural performance in the film. She did well in the recently released Local Kung Fu 3, but here her character deals with numerous emotions, and there are moments that might have felt out of place had she not been so natural and refreshing in her delivery.
Although her role is brief, the audience will certainly notice her, thanks to her organic and charming performance.
Tribeni Gogoi as Hasina starts off as a character that I initially thought might be a figment of Jeebon’s imagination, but her role is handled very differently. Hasina is designed in a way that makes it feel as though the director wanted her to stick out in the scenery intentionally.
If that was the intention, it worked well. However, I was surprised by how her character evolved towards the end. While I didn’t agree with all the writing choices made for her character, Tribeni’s performance left no room for complaints.
It was evident that she gave it her all, and that’s probably why her character didn’t feel as jarring during the screening as it did later when I reflected on the film and its many aspects.
Violeena Bordoloi is a scene stealer
A unique and intriguing aspect of both Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam and Churuli was the subtle supernatural element that was ever-present in the story, shaping the proceedings in its own way. While not as pronounced, there is a similar element in Bhoot Jolokiya, and it rests on the shoulders of Violeena Bordoloi to portray this in a believable manner.
Credit must be given to Violeena for delivering a solid performance and convincingly portraying a character that, despite its limitations, played an important part in the narrative. As mentioned earlier, she is a scene-stealer, and every time she appears on screen, the audience’s attention is transfixed on her, underscoring the fact that she is far from just another character in the story.
This impact had to be achieved through her performance and the aura that she brought to the role, and Violeena successfully pulled that off.
That being said, I still felt that this aspect of the film needed better writing and more organic integration into the story to ensure its full impact.
Some rules for this supernatural element should have been established but weren’t, and the use of her character, along with another one in the climax, felt superficial and rushed.
Bhoot Jolokiya is a beautifully shot film. Some of the key moments are highlighted by stunning vistas and backgrounds, captured with efficiency by DOP Papu Deka. The background score and the songs are enamouring and perfectly suit the mood and pacing of the film.
My only other complaint is with the rushed climax and certain actions taken by characters that not only felt uncharacteristic but also seemed like an easy and convenient resolution to a story that deserved to be told with a bit more depth and intelligence.
That being said, Bhoot Jolokiya is still an important and brave film in the realm of Axomia cinema. It’s a step in the right direction, and with films like this, we might soon be able to proudly say that we are producing cinema that can go up against the best films made in the country.
I hope that in the coming years, we will see even better films from Chinmoy Sarmah, who has proven that he has what it takes to entertain, intrigue, and unsettle the audience through his craft.
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