As observed from his previous works, filmmaker Maharshi Tuhin Kashyap has a penchant for abstract storytelling set within familiar and relatable situations of human life. His films often carry an element of surprise that emerges from a subtle blend of realism with a treatment that is mildly surreal in nature.
In his Oscar-qualifying short, The Horse from Heaven, a man becomes convinced that a donkey he mysteriously finds one night is actually a horse and claims that it has descended from heaven.
In Kasiyolit Uka Xopunbur, he explores the psyche of a child who dreams of losing his father, only for that dream to become a reality. In Xexkhor Bexh, he personifies death as a character who comes to take away a child’s grandmother.
In the non-fiction film Flowers in a Hailstorm, he focuses on a personal journey about his own fears and vulnerability, exploring themes of abandonment and emotional isolation.
The treatment is unique because it uses the poetry of broken objects to explore deeper emotions and feelings that are often overlooked or forgotten with time. Therefore, each of his films carries a notion of the abstract, but in its own unique way. In fact, it has now become an integral part of his filmmaking style.
Speaking about his style, filmmaker Kashyap says that it is not a conscious decision but a creative evolution of the craft.
“For me, the form of a film always comes from the content. I don’t start out thinking I’ll make something abstract, or with regard to magical realism, or something bizarre. But as I keep working on the idea, it naturally starts to take that shape and transform.”
Kashyap’s debut feature Kok Kok Kokoook was recently screened at the 30th edition of the Busan International Film Festival in South Korea.
The film was officially selected under the festival’s ‘Vision Asia’ section, which focuses on emerging voices from across Asia.
This selection marks a significant step for the young filmmaker, who made the film as part of his final-year diploma project at the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI), Kolkata. It also adds to the growing presence of Assamese cinema on international platforms.
Walking the red carpet of the festival before the premiere, Kashyap took to social media to express his excitement and described it as “a really magical moment” of his life.
He also shared photos with the acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi and wrote, “Meeting the master like him so closely is the wildest dream a young new filmmaker like myself can even imagine.”
Set in Guwahati, Kok Kok Kokoook follows the perilous chronicles of a chicken seller as he unintentionally invites suspicion from the law over the possession of an ill-fated motorcycle.
Being a Muslim, the questions only grow stronger and spiral into a manhunt. Soon, the tension escalates as he is also pursued by a woman from South Sudan who wants to become the mother of his child.
Esther Jama Paulino Kenyi plays the role of Abebe, the woman from South Sudan who is an outsider seeking refuge and connection in the land.
Reflecting on the casting process, the filmmaker shares, “We looked for a lot of African women in Guwahati and Dibrugarh, and then expanded our search across India. We finally found Esther in Delhi. She was studying computer science there, and we’re lucky and happy to have her on our team.”
Exploring themes of loss, loneliness, and displacement, Kok Kok Kokoook focuses on the experiences of migrant lives navigating larger questions of identity and belonging in a city that is unforgiving but is also layered with a quiet beauty.
Produced by S M Nazmul Haque, the film is described as a drama with a touch of magic realism. So, as with his previous works, Kashyap again plays along the blurred lines between dreams, realities, and the abstract feelings of being human.
He shares that the film draws inspiration from his personal experiences while reflecting on broader social themes currently relevant for our times. It is dedicated to the people of Assam, who once embraced diversity.
“But I worry that, today, both the times and our ways of thinking have changed,” he adds. This changing nature of reality has shaped both Kashyap’s perspective and his art. “It affects me deeply, and hence it gets reflected in my work. And in a way, this is my way of trying to understand who I am, what I stand for, and how I relate to the times and the place I come from. It brings in many layers, and therefore I think it’s important we begin to understand these complexities,” he adds.
Clarence Tsui of The Film Verdict describes Kok Kok Kokoook as “social surrealism in action.” It is a film that combines “cutting commentary about the crooked mores in rural India.” He also observes that the film’s narrative is “wildly absurd,” adding that it’s something “David Lynch would readily approve.” This absurdist approach also reflects Kashyap’s personal philosophy of filmmaking.
He treats filmmaking as an exercise in self-reflection. As much as he makes films for the audience, he also makes them for himself. “In this film, as with most of my work, I tried to approach filmmaking as a kind of letter to myself that will stand as a reflection of the times and emotions that I’m experiencing currently. So, in a way, my films are my memories for my future self, something that I can look back on and remember what life felt like at that moment.”
Speaking more about Kok Kok Kokoook, Kashyap adds, “Stylistically, the film might feel a bit unrealistic, but emotionally, it’s very real. The story was born out of a very specific period in my life when I was struggling with hopelessness.”
However, he emphasizes that the film is also about hope. “It’s about discovering hope in the midst of despair. That moment when I realized hope isn’t something you go out searching for, but something that’s already within you. And that’s really what the film tries to convey,” he adds.
Made on a budget of ₹13 lakh, which is the standard allocation for diploma productions, the cast of the film includes Raju Roy, Esther Jama Paulino Kenyi, Rupjyoti Das, Manik Roy, Manoj Gogoi, Rupakjyoti Das, Siddhartha Mukherjee, Seemanta Choudhury, Suruj Kalita, and Dipika Nath.
Written by Maharshi Tuhin Kashyap, Kok Kok Kokoook is shot by Shingkhanu Marma and edited by Sadang Arangham, with sound design and mixing by Arnab Borah and music by Bhaskar. The production design of the film is credited to Jyoti Sankar Bhattacharyya and Harendranath Kalita.
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