Baruar Xongxar or The House of Baruas, a 71-minute
documentary film on a Guwahati home that gave Assam many of its cinematic,
cultural, and sports icons, took a step toward its world premiere with the
release of its trailer and poster on November 11.
The documentary film is based on a landmark Assam-type
house near the Gauhati High Court at Latasil, one of the oldest localities of
Guwahati. The film has been included in the Indian Panorama section of the
forthcoming 54th International Film Festival of India or IFFI in Goa.
An Assam-type house is a cottage which has
wooden-framed walls made of a reed called ikora plastered on either side.
The poster and trailer were released on the verandah
of the legendary century-old house, parked on the eastern flank of the Latasil
Field area, by renowned musician Ramen Barua and popular singer Dwipen Barua,
along with other members of the extended Barua family.
The film is directed by national award-winning
filmmaker Utpal Borpujari and produced by Nayan Prasad, Jemini Phukan, and
Dibyajyoti Saharia under the banner of socio-cultural organisation Surjya and
Jemini Phukan Production.
“We are happy that this film has been made at a time
when our historic house has completed its centenary,” said Ramen Barua.
“The film is a tribute to this iconic family that has
given Assam so much happiness through cinema, music, sports, and much more,” stated
Prasad, also an eminent theatre personality.
“The Baruas are surely the only family in Assam, and
perhaps in entire India, that has produced so many noted personalities in
fields as diverse as cinema, music, sports, and politics. The idea behind the
film is to showcase the family’s contributions before the world,” commented Delhi-based
Borpujari.
Hallowed house
Constructed by engineer Chandranath Barua of Bihdiya
village about 30 km north of Guwahati, the Baruas’ house has been home to
filmmaker-actor-musician Brajen Barua, filmmaker-footballer-flautist-painter
Nip Barua, filmmaker Dibon Barua, cricketer-pilot-entrepreneur-politician Girin
Barua, and radio broadcaster Niren Barua, apart from singer-turned-composer
Ramen Barua and cricketer-turned-singer Dwipen Barua.
The house was built in 1923 with a mix of materials
imported from UK and sourced locally.
Starting with Smritir Parax (1955) directed by Nip
Barua, members of the family made 30 feature films in Assamese, Bengali, and
Hindi, including Ronga Police, Dr. Bezbarua, Lalita, Mukuta, Ajoli Nabow,
Kokadeuta Nati Aru Hati, Shakuntala Aru Shankar Joseph Ali, Jog Biyog, Toramai
and Ajala Kokai.
In the sporting arena, Girin Barua shone as a
cricketer and represented Assam in the Ranji Trophy for 15 years, including as
captain, while Dwipen Barua played in the Ranji Trophy and captained the junior
East Zone team before the songs of Dr Bezbarua made him an overnight sensation
in 1969, leading to a shift to a singing career.
On the other hand, Nip Barua played football and
captained Assam in the Santosh Trophy while making films.
Bhaskar Jyoti Das is the chief assistant director of
the film, Rituraj Shivam is the cinematographer, Jhulan Krishna Mahanta is the
editor, Debajit Gayan is the sound designer and mixing engineer, Manaswinee
Mahanta is the researcher and assistant director, and Nayan Jyoti Bhuyan and
Manjit Nath are the production sound mixers.
Renowned musician Rupam Talukdar recreated some of the
immortal compositions of Ramen Barua on accordion specially for the film.
NE Watch Desk
