BUDGET:
Since most of the PRE-PRODUCTION tasks are being handled by me at a personal level, we can limit the initial budget to some extent. Me and some of my enthusiast friends, film-&-video students engaged in different institutions in the country, as well as young professionals are have been engaged in ‘RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT’ for a couple of years. In the stage of R&D and field-works there are some costly affaires. The field work contains: meeting people, site seeing, marketing study, building a production team etc…
In the PRODUCTION level, the cost is mostly dependent upon the technical team. With the technical team no compromise will be done for the sake of a better output. Rather we can limit the budget in scheduling the shooting. Again we are not going for any star-cast that also will help us in limiting the budget. The overall time duration expected for the product completion is of 3 months.
In POST PRODUCTION, including editing and VFX, the cost will be remarkable in comparison to conventional Assamese Film production. We are building a team from the nationwide, and most of the post-production task will be done in Mumbai based studios. The Post Production Stage is expected of around 30 days including editing and required visual effects.
So, let us assume the budget: 90 lakh (tentative)
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Associated Persons: Sharad Mittal
SHARAD MITTAL
118, Natraj Appartments, 67, I. P. Extension, New Delhi – 110092
sharad@kaf.co.in; mittal.sharad@yahoo.com
Res: 011-22231734 Mobile: 98105 41361, 0 - 99870 01319
Corporate Strategy & Development Specialist
Characterized as a visionary, strategist and tactician. Consistent record of delivering extraordinary results in growth, revenue, operational performance, and profitability. Heavy transaction background including startup financing, mergers and acquisition, and sale of company
Consistently deliver mission-critical results
driven by visceral “hard-wired” need to strategize, to innovate, and to disapprove the words “It can’t be done!” gifted with the vision, determination, and skills needed for higher-level position
Strong orientation in operations and finance
participate in high-level operational initiatives, including infrastructure design, process, turn around management and reorganization. As an innovative investor use instincts, insight, judgment, and timing to succeed no matter how tough the deal
2007 Certificate in Animation Film Making ,
IIT, Delhi.
Certified by IIT and managed SPICMACAY Digital Heritage lab IIT Delhi,
2006 Media Technologies from SAE (School of Audio Engineering) India, New Delhi.
Certified by MIDDLESEX UNIVERSITY LONDON,
2006 PGDCA from Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar.
Post Graduate Diploma in Computer Application
2005 M.Com CCS University, Meerut – First Class
2003 B.Com (Hons.) Delhi University – First Class
2000 Intermediate I.S.C.E. – Passed with Distinction
1998 High school I.S.C Board – Passed with Distinction
Kathputlee Animation Studio
a venture of Kathputlee Arts & Films (P) (Ltd) Oct 2007 to present
A 3D Animation Production House- C.E.O and shareholder in company incorporated in October 2007
• Managed team of 30 Artists, and 3D Leads, including scheduling and assigning tasks.
• Built team, established pipeline and working methods.
• Worked with Executive Producer, Directors and Writers to keep scripts within production parameters.
• Supervised all steps of the animation process
• Established Animation style and Maintain Quality.
• With studio recruiter formed highly successful CG Apprentice program.
Production Training and Research Wing, Kathputlee Animation Studio
a venture of Kathputlee Arts & Films (P) (Ltd) Aug 2009 to present
A Hi end Animation Training and Internship provider -
As CEO, Kathputlee Animation Studios managing Operations and Guiding Marketing, Technical and Administration for the Academic and Research Wing.
Produced Music Album for Kathputlee Arts and Films Private Limited along with Singer : Ronkini Gupta and Music Director : Sajjad Ali ( Music Arranger for Kisna 2005 , Devdas 2002)
• Client Projects Handled in Kathputlee Animation Studios :
Aryaman - a 2d Animation Feature Film. Role Played – VFX Director
About the Project – Trailer of the Video Duration of project – 2.5 Minutes
Project name – O Twins Role Played – Animation Producer
About the Project – Pilot Promo for Nigeria based Animation Production House
Duration of Project – 2 Mins
Project – XIX th Common Wealth Games Role Played – Animation Producer and Director
About the project – First Television Ad Promos for the upcoming Games and Other Promotional Videos
Duration of project – Misc. Duration – (4 x 30 sec , 1 x 50 sec , 1 x 2mins 45 sec)
Project name – Music Video (Do Dilo Ke Khel Mein) Role Played – Animation Producer
About the Project – Upcoming Bollywood Film due for release later this year.
Duration of project – 4 Minutes
Handled and supervised work on Architectural Animation, Medical and E - Learning Animation.
• Creatively Directed and Supervised Development of In House Productions :
- Boo - The Spirit of Dolls - A Television Series / A Feature Film
- Chote Motey – A television infomercial Project
- The Lane – A Promotional Film Trailer
- Who is the Boss ? – A Feature Film
- Co – Authored - Music Boy (working title) - A story for feature film
Story Teller Motion Pictures Pvt. Ltd. Dec 2006 to March 2007
A live Action Production House. Graphics and Post Production Lead
• Done Graphics and Post Production for Corporate Films of Airtel Punjab, Bharti
Done graphics and Post Production for Docu-fiction
Bijan Ads and Films, Mumbai
An Advertising Agency - Freelance Script Writer, VFX and Compositing Artist
• Co Scripted films who is the Boss? And “Aapki yatra Mangalmay ho !” .
• Worked as freelance VFX and Compositing Artist.
Sudhir Kumar and Company 2000 to 2002
A Management Consultancy and Chartered Accountants Firm. Trainee Accountant
• Working as computer operator
• Marinating records of accounts files
• Preparations of accounts and Tax Returns.
• Participate as delegate in
Wildscreen Festival Animation Film Festival organized by British Council, New Delhi.
Osians Cine Film Festival, Delhi 2005, 2006, 2007
International Film Festival of India, Goa 2006
Animation and Interactive Forum 2007, 2008
Nasscom Animation & Gaming : 2006, 2008
FICCI 2009
Chief Executive Officer, KATHPUTLEE ARTS & FILMS PRIVATE LIMITED
118, Natraj Appartments, 67, I. P. Extension, New Delhi – 110092
sharad@kaf.co.in; mittal.sharad@yahoo.com
Res: 011-22231734 Mobile: 98105 41361, 0 - 99870 01319
PROFILE & VALUE
Characterized as a visionary, strategist and tactician. Consistent record of delivering extraordinary results in growth, revenue, operational performance, and profitability. Heavy transaction background including startup financing, mergers and acquisition, and sale of company
Consistently deliver mission-critical results
driven by visceral “hard-wired” need to strategize, to innovate, and to disapprove the words “It can’t be done!” gifted with the vision, determination, and skills needed for higher-level position
Strong orientation in operations and finance
participate in high-level operational initiatives, including infrastructure design, process, turn around management and reorganization. As an innovative investor use instincts, insight, judgment, and timing to succeed no matter how tough the deal
ACADEMIC RECORD
IIT, Delhi.
Certified by IIT and managed SPICMACAY Digital Heritage lab IIT Delhi,
2006 Media Technologies from SAE (School of Audio Engineering) India, New Delhi.
Certified by MIDDLESEX UNIVERSITY LONDON,
2006 PGDCA from Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar.
Post Graduate Diploma in Computer Application
2005 M.Com CCS University, Meerut – First Class
2003 B.Com (Hons.) Delhi University – First Class
2000 Intermediate I.S.C.E. – Passed with Distinction
1998 High school I.S.C Board – Passed with Distinction
WORK EXPERIENCE AND POSITIONS HELD
a venture of Kathputlee Arts & Films (P) (Ltd) Oct 2007 to present
A 3D Animation Production House- C.E.O and shareholder in company incorporated in October 2007
• Managed team of 30 Artists, and 3D Leads, including scheduling and assigning tasks.
• Built team, established pipeline and working methods.
• Worked with Executive Producer, Directors and Writers to keep scripts within production parameters.
• Supervised all steps of the animation process
• Established Animation style and Maintain Quality.
• With studio recruiter formed highly successful CG Apprentice program.
Production Training and Research Wing, Kathputlee Animation Studio
a venture of Kathputlee Arts & Films (P) (Ltd) Aug 2009 to present
A Hi end Animation Training and Internship provider -
As CEO, Kathputlee Animation Studios managing Operations and Guiding Marketing, Technical and Administration for the Academic and Research Wing.
SELECTED ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• Client Projects Handled in Kathputlee Animation Studios :
Aryaman - a 2d Animation Feature Film. Role Played – VFX Director
About the Project – Trailer of the Video Duration of project – 2.5 Minutes
Project name – O Twins Role Played – Animation Producer
About the Project – Pilot Promo for Nigeria based Animation Production House
Duration of Project – 2 Mins
Project – XIX th Common Wealth Games Role Played – Animation Producer and Director
About the project – First Television Ad Promos for the upcoming Games and Other Promotional Videos
Duration of project – Misc. Duration – (4 x 30 sec , 1 x 50 sec , 1 x 2mins 45 sec)
Project name – Music Video (Do Dilo Ke Khel Mein) Role Played – Animation Producer
About the Project – Upcoming Bollywood Film due for release later this year.
Duration of project – 4 Minutes
Handled and supervised work on Architectural Animation, Medical and E - Learning Animation.
• Creatively Directed and Supervised Development of In House Productions :
- Boo - The Spirit of Dolls - A Television Series / A Feature Film
- Chote Motey – A television infomercial Project
- The Lane – A Promotional Film Trailer
- Who is the Boss ? – A Feature Film
- Co – Authored - Music Boy (working title) - A story for feature film
Story Teller Motion Pictures Pvt. Ltd. Dec 2006 to March 2007
A live Action Production House. Graphics and Post Production Lead
• Done Graphics and Post Production for Corporate Films of Airtel Punjab, Bharti
Done graphics and Post Production for Docu-fiction
Bijan Ads and Films, Mumbai
An Advertising Agency - Freelance Script Writer, VFX and Compositing Artist
• Co Scripted films who is the Boss? And “Aapki yatra Mangalmay ho !” .
• Worked as freelance VFX and Compositing Artist.
Sudhir Kumar and Company 2000 to 2002
A Management Consultancy and Chartered Accountants Firm. Trainee Accountant
• Working as computer operator
• Marinating records of accounts files
• Preparations of accounts and Tax Returns.
ASSORTED ACTIVITIES
Wildscreen Festival Animation Film Festival organized by British Council, New Delhi.
Osians Cine Film Festival, Delhi 2005, 2006, 2007
International Film Festival of India, Goa 2006
Animation and Interactive Forum 2007, 2008
Nasscom Animation & Gaming : 2006, 2008
FICCI 2009
Associated Persons: Mahan Jyoti Dutta
Mahan Jyoti Dutta
Paldi, Ahmadabad- 380007
Mobile Number: - 9974762280 Email:
mahanjdutta@gmail.com, mahan_jd@yahoo.com
1. Lullaby: A fiction film as a part of video project in N.I.D. December’09
2. The Ancient Stones: A documentary on roaming elephants in Ahmadabad city as a part of video project in N.I.D. April’10
3. Spots: PSA on Water recycle.
Commercial on Maggi Pichkoo.
As part of video project in N.I.D. 2009
4. A short film “The man who saw tomorrow” as a group project in N.I.D.
5. Project Varnamala. 2008
Worked as the story-board artist, character designer and animator in this project to teach Nepali language to the children through animation music-video album.
6. Animation Short Film “Cycle” April’2010.
7. Title Sequence Animation for Seeratt Dhillon’s film “Babbe Da Dhaba 12 Baje”
8. Art direction for the film “Death of a Story” by Rubais Muhammad.
• Presently persuing Post Graduate (4th Semester)
Film & Video Communication
National Institute of Design
Paldi, Ahmadabad.
• Graduate- June, 2008.
Kala Bhavana,
Visva- Bharati University
Santiniketan, West Bengal.
• HSSLC (10+2)– May 2003
J. B. College, Jorhat, Assam
Assam Higher Secondary Education Council
• HSLC (10)– 2001
J.S. Vidyalaya, Jorhat, Assam
Date of Birth : 31st May 1985
Gender: Male
Marital Status: Single
Father’s Name: Late Jogen Dutta
Mother’s Name: Mrs Runumi Dutta
Linguistic Ability: English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Nepali
Hobbies: Painting, Reading, Animation, Traveling, Photography, Computer games.
Permanent Address: Rongdoi-Daw Gaon, Bahona, Jorhat, Assam. PIN- 785101
Phone: (0376)2398487
National Institute of Design
Film & Video CommunicationPaldi, Ahmadabad- 380007
Mobile Number: - 9974762280 Email:
mahanjdutta@gmail.com, mahan_jd@yahoo.com
Working Experience
1. Lullaby: A fiction film as a part of video project in N.I.D. December’09
2. The Ancient Stones: A documentary on roaming elephants in Ahmadabad city as a part of video project in N.I.D. April’10
3. Spots: PSA on Water recycle.
Commercial on Maggi Pichkoo.
As part of video project in N.I.D. 2009
4. A short film “The man who saw tomorrow” as a group project in N.I.D.
5. Project Varnamala. 2008
Worked as the story-board artist, character designer and animator in this project to teach Nepali language to the children through animation music-video album.
6. Animation Short Film “Cycle” April’2010.
7. Title Sequence Animation for Seeratt Dhillon’s film “Babbe Da Dhaba 12 Baje”
8. Art direction for the film “Death of a Story” by Rubais Muhammad.
Academic Qualifications
• Presently persuing Post Graduate (4th Semester)
Film & Video Communication
National Institute of Design
Paldi, Ahmadabad.
• Graduate- June, 2008.
Kala Bhavana,
Visva- Bharati University
Santiniketan, West Bengal.
• HSSLC (10+2)– May 2003
J. B. College, Jorhat, Assam
Assam Higher Secondary Education Council
• HSLC (10)– 2001
J.S. Vidyalaya, Jorhat, Assam
Personal Profile
Date of Birth : 31st May 1985
Gender: Male
Marital Status: Single
Father’s Name: Late Jogen Dutta
Mother’s Name: Mrs Runumi Dutta
Linguistic Ability: English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Nepali
Hobbies: Painting, Reading, Animation, Traveling, Photography, Computer games.
Permanent Address: Rongdoi-Daw Gaon, Bahona, Jorhat, Assam. PIN- 785101
Phone: (0376)2398487
Details About Samudra Kajal Saikia
Samudra Kajal Saikia
Creative Director, Kathputlee Animation Studios
B239, West Vinod Nagar, Patparganj, New Delhi 110092
Mobile: 09811370754
Education:
Master of Visual Arts (Art History), Faculty of Fine Arts, M S University of Baroda, 2007
Bachelor of fine Arts (Art History), Kalabhavan, Viswabharati, Santiniketan, 2005
As the Founder Creative director, Nov 2007- till date
College of Art, Delhi
As visiting Faculty, Nov 2008- May 2009
National Institute of Design, Ahmadabad
As Image Researcher, Jul’ 07 – Nov’ 07
• Satphool Theatre: Reality and beyond, a search (75 min)
a video film on adolescents (Script, direction, lyrics, music scoring) on behalf of Kankhowa , Biswanath Chariali, (Assam) 2004.
• The Invisible Children of Love, (45 min)
Acting and crew, an experimental Film by Shubho in English, Santiniketan.
• Squares, (15 min)
a short film made in fine arts fair, faculty of fine arts, M S University of Baroda, Presented by F A F C, collaboration: Parvez Kabir.
• Ru-ba-ru, (16 min)
(Script, direction, lyrics, music scoring, acting). Videos captured in Kolkata and in Vadodara (2006), edited later in New delhi (2007).
• Lullaby (16 min)
Concept development and pre-production, a diploma film project for film and video, NID, by Mahan Jyoti Dutta, Ahmedabad
• Sabse Khatarnaak, The Most ominous, (7 min)
An experimental video rendering on the revolutionary poem by Punjabi Poet Pash, Guwahati-New delhi, 2009.
• Tiptych: Actor- Agony: Ecstasy
A self initiated project for a full-fledged feature with a compilation of three short-duration movies named as Children of Heaven, The Perssistance of Becoming, The Pursuit of Performance. Proposed date of completion: December 2010.
HOON (collection of Verses in Assamese), Published by Bornali Borgohain on behalf of Aakhar Prakash, Guwahati 3, Guwahati Bookfair Jan 2009
TABUO (verses in Bengali), a small scale publication by Syed Taufik Riaz, published at Birla Academy of Art and Culture, Kolkata, 2004
Topani E Tore Kolatolot Ghor, (under publication by Vatsalya, 2010), Gole (under publication by Vatsalya, 2010), Amar Bhagavan (under publication by Vatsalya, 2010), Satphool Puppet Theatre (under publication by Vatsalya, 2010), Bhootbor koloi Gole (under publication by Vatsalya, 2010), More Kokadeutar Chokikhon (under publication by Vatsalya, 2010)
Art &Deal, Issue No. 31 - Radical: Possibilities / Ruptures, April 2010
(Abstract: an attempt to conceptualize the mundane everyday activities inside the campus of Kalabhavan, Santiniketan under the light of performative circumstances. It criticizes the institutionalized tradition of Rabindra-Natya and raises questions for the performance-discourses in contemporaneity.)
CITY OF GOD IS FRAGILE: THE PERFORMER IN EXILE, THE SPECTATOR IN EXILE, Theatre in Bharat Rang Mahotsava, Ironies of Modernist Nationalism
The Searching Lines, Kalabhavan, Santiniketan, December 2008
(Abstract: it is a hardcore critique on the nationalistic modernist strategies of the so called ‘modern Indian theatre Practice. Through a case-study of the plays chosen and projected in the Bharat Ranga Mahotsava, NSD, New Delhi, it is examined that the contemporary ‘mainstream’ practices does not promote the direct communication of the performer and the spectators, rather foregrounding the nationalistic premises they alienate both the sides.)
“WHO” ARE YOU LOOKING AT, an essay on the spectatorial discourse
Artconcerns.com, Aug. 2008.
(Abstract: this essay tries to privilege the spectator over the performer. In all the modernist strategies the performer/artist/creator/giver’s side has been privileged over the spectator/viewer/receiver’s side. It also traces the growing ‘importance’ in the contemporary cultural discourses.)
Official reports, surveys, etc.
ANALYSING VISUAL CULTURE, “SEE-SAW: CONTEXT OF SPECTATORSHIP”, a Report on the Conference Held in Sarojini Naidu School of Arts and Communication, University of Hyderabad, artconcerns.com, April May 2010
Other professional/creative/pedagogical material (e.g., videos/films, learning aids such as workbooks, recordings, websites, etc.), performances or creative expressions, writing for non-academic audiences, etc.
• Presenting a paper with an installation-cum-performance project THE MISSING PAGES (compiling artisans from all over the India) for the international seminar on The Tourist Audience: Redefining the audience and Performers in Traditional Dance and Drama in Kathmandu, Nepal, 26-28th December 2008.
• Presenting a paper, PROPOSAL FOR A DISPOSABLE THEATRE, in the main panel of ISTR (Indian Society for Theatre Research) international conference on “Language(s) of Theatre” under IFTR (International Federation for Theatre Research) hosted by Jawaharlala Nehru University, New Delhi, 27 Jan 2009.
• Presenting a paper, SIX SPECTATORS, in the Visual Culture Conference on “See-Saw: Context of Spectatorship”, University of Hyderabad, Sarojini Naidu School of Arts and Communication, 25th – 27th February 2010.
• Participating and presenting a paper, THE SILENT MAJORITY, in the National Level Seminar on Cultural Practices and the Discourses on the “Minor”, held in the Department of Art History and Aesthetics, M S University of Baroda, Feb 2007. Scripting, directing and enacting a site specific theatrical performance named RAVANA-KATHA during the seminar.
• Participating and presenting a paper in the National level workshop on Gender and Sexuality in the Disciplinary Paradigms, organized by the Department of Art History and Aesthetics, M S University of Baroda, Jan 9-11, 2007 - an experimental theatrical performance named OPHELIA was also guided, contextualized and visualized along with a series of site specific installation.
• Presenting a paper “City of God: The Performer in Exile, the Spectator in Exile” in a national level seminar on Religion and the Visual Arts: Representations and Contestations, held on 2nd and 3rd March, 2008, Kalabhavana, organized by the Department of History of Art, Kalabhavan, Viswabharati. A performance “The Chairs: The Private and the Public” designed, directed and installed.
• One installation performance (LINE CROSSES NO BOUNDARIES) at Kaleidoscope Gallery in Baroda, 18th Aug, 2007, as a part of the Exhibition-Workshop-Performance program with the Bengal Pata-Painters named as Changing Paradigms of the Folk. Curator: Amitabha Adhikari.
• One site-specific architectural installation performance on Jyoti Prasad Agarwala's Birth centenary celebration in Rabindra Bhavana, Guwahati, 26th Oct 2003: KARENGAR LIGIRI: DEFINING SPACES INTO SPACES (subtext, deconstruction, concept, visualization, direction and workshop guidance) based on the mostly celebrated play by Agarwala.
• Guiding and designing of a workshop based site-specific theatre-venture (WORK IN PROGRESS and THE CLOTH NARRATIVE, 12th Aug 2007) with theatrical forms and installation programs at the campus of Faculty of Fine Arts, MSU, Baroda using various texts experienced by young artists of the Faculty. This project was a part of the student’s protest around the events after 9th May 2007. Before this, another series of performances were designed and experienced as a mark of protest named as FAFUNDI for several times in the campus and in Prof C C Mehta Auditorium.
• Participation in the Kala Mela at Birla Akademi of Art and Culture, Kolkata for several times with outdoor theatre-performances.
• Assisting and performing in the cite-specific installation performance project MY CITY BREATHES by Sanchayan Ghosh at the Birla Academy campus.
• Theatrical adaptation of VADKI, a short story by Bhhupen Khakar in Santiniketan (with Sanchayan Ghosh). 2004.
• Experiencing cite specific theatre-projects on Ramkinkar Baij’s Inteviews (MAHASHAY AMI CHAKKHIK RUPOKAR MATRO), Somnath Hore’s chronicle TEBHAGA’S DAIRY and Vinode Vihari Mukherjee’s autobiographical writings (KATTAMASHAI) in several places (including Nandan, Santiniketan; Gaganendra Pradarshashala & Birla Academy, Kolkata), 2003-2004.
• Participation in the National Level Theatre Festival, organized by Abhibyakti, in I.P College for women, New Delhi, 2nd-4th Feb 04.
• Winner of Best Playwright award by Sadau Asom Surya Bora Sowanrani Ekanka Nat Pratijogita Samiti (All Assam Surya Bora Memorial One-Act Competition Committee), October 1998.
• Several plays broadcasted by All India Radio, Guwahati.
• SPECT-ACTORS IN BARECHAHARIYA BHAONA: Reframing a ‘Tradition’ in the light of Contemporary Cultural Writings and the Proposal for a Disposal Theatre
(A project for documentation and research on the Barechahariya Bhaona tradition of Jamugurihat, that takes place in each five years)
• CREATING SPECTATORSHIP FOR BHRAMYAMAN (MOBILE) THEATRE: Problems around Defining an Acting School and the Questions of ‘Belonging’
(A project for documentation and research on the Assamese Mobile Theatre and its influences on the common folk)
• RESIDING IN THE SHIFTING SPACES: AN ATTEMPT TO CONCEPTUALIZE THE 'SPECTATOR'
Examining the performer-spectator power relationship under three diversified circumstances: grandiose professional theatre in the metropolitan city, amateurish “one act” in the suburbia to the performative circumstances in multicultural academic spheres.
(A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the Degree for the Masters of Visual Arts, Department of Art History and Aesthetics, Faculty of Fine Arts, M S University of Baroda, Vadodara, 390002)
• Writings on art and aesthetics, theater criticisms, writings on socio-cultural issues and creative writings are being published in all the leading periodicals and news papers in north-east India since 1995, along with some curatorial writings published in the exhibition catalogues in Santiniketan and in Vadodara.
Prantik, Satsori, Daamal, Natun Padatik, Sreemoyee, Pubali, Nandini, Abikal, Ajir Doot, Prabah, Nirbacita Kabikantha, Sutradhar, Rang-ghar, Samphura, Mouchak, Sugandhi Kantha, Shabdik, Sonit Prabha, Ushaloya
(Periodicals Published in Assamese)
Asomiya Pratidin, Sadin, Sambhar, Amar Asom, Dainik Asom, Natun Dainik, Aji, Ajir Batori, Ajir Asom, Asom Bani, Natun Samay, Purbachal, Mahajati, Chitra Sambad, Doinik Janambhumi, Ajir Dainik Batori, Dainik Janasadharan etc.
(Assamese News Papers)
Luitor Baa Halodhiya Gaa (Assamese-English, 1998-1999, Tezpur, assam)
Darangian (The Darrang College Students’ Journal, Tezpur, 1998)
Rheemil (Bengali-English, Kalabhavan, Santiniketana, 2001-2005)
The Searching Lines (English, Kalabhavan, Santiniketan, 2004)
• Founding and conducting “Kankhowa, working with the interfaces” a national level performer-cum-researcher’s group. The group initiates a multidisciplinary performative form termed as THE DISPOSABLE THEATRE. All the members here are mostly art-historians and artists interested in working with multidisciplinary paradigms.
• Cureting a solo show of paintings by Bashukinath Dasgupta at Kelaidoscope Gallery, Baroda, 2007.
• Participation in a national level junior artist’s exhibition in Srimanta Sankardsva Kala Kshetra, Guwhati, Aug. 2005.
• Participation in national students art workshop held at Kala Bhavana,Viswa Bharati (20-30.01.2005)
(Profile: concept development, script writing, storyboarding, creative supervision, supervision of production pipeline, direction)
Samajhdaar Ko Isaara Kaafi Hain (Releasing Date 14th May 2010).
choreographed and visualized A full-fledged Hindi song in 3D animation in the movie Do Dilon Ki Khel Mein, Written and Directed by Akash Pandey, featuring Nausheen, Rajesh Khanna & Anu Kapoor under Star Creation International banner, music by Daboo Malik, powered by the voice of Sunidhi Chauhan and Sandeep Acharya. Doing a 3D visualization for a mainstream live action Hindi film is first time in India. This is a video with Multiple Sets and Supporting Cast and Variety of Dance themes for a song that compiles almost all the generic treatments familiar to the Bollywood film industry from kawali, pop-stars of the 80s, the family celebrations of the 90s to the contemporary DJ culture under one musical extravaganza.
XIX Commonwealth Games 2010, New Delhi
1. Advertisement Promos marking the “One year to Go” for the Games.
2. The auspicious launch of “Queen’s Baton Relay2010” in London. Both of these projects included designing the 3d Animated version of “Shera” to promote Commonwealth Games 2010. It gave a new dimension and identity to the mascot, which has been telecasted over various news channels and also exclusively used by the official site of Commonwealth Games Organizing Committee.
BhootPreat.Com
Two Minutes Pilot Promo Completed and Film Production Starting Soon for Mumbai Based Live Action Production Company, Celluloid Dreams, a Film about a team of Ghostbusters.
“Tatva”
A short 2-D documentary on water pollution, air pollution, deforestation stating its cause and prevention as well.
Public Service Announcements
AIDS Awareness and Prevention
A public service message talking about AIDS awareness and prevention for youth, an in-house production of Kathputlee Animation Studios.
Public Hygiene and Environmental Concern
A public service message talking about public hygiene and environmental concern among youngsters.
In House Productions in Progress
BOO
A teleseries and a film concept built around the life and dreams of toys left behind in an abandoned house in the room of a young boy. A purely inter cultural concept expressing diversity, unity and freedom through toys.
Type: Animation Feature Film & Tele Series
The lane
The video experiments the genre of mystery, horror and thriller in the framework of animation. It highlights the tense frame of mind of John sitting in bizarre pub. He had already gone inside the lane and holds the secret within him. This secret is the theme of the entire promo, edited in the form of a trailer. How Karan goes into the lane and what happens forms the theme for the film.
Type: Animation Feature Film
Who is the boss?
It is a story about a lost tiger cub separated from his family and saved by some other kids. Other animals were against the cub and all this lead to a series of competition to select the right leader. The story moves forward with how a leader is selected and then cub is thrown out of the jungle. Later on, the journey compiles and elucidates the presence of the cub in the jungle and emerges him as a winner.
Type : Animation Feature Film
Chote Motey
Comic infomercial spots for television channels sharing the “choti - moti baatein” of our lives.
Type: Animation for News Channels, Infomercial
Creative Director, Kathputlee Animation Studios
B239, West Vinod Nagar, Patparganj, New Delhi 110092
Permanent address:
Kamar Gaon, Biswanath Chariali, Sonitpur (Assam), 784176Mobile: 09811370754
E-mail: kankhowa@gmail.com
Education:
Master of Visual Arts (Art History), Faculty of Fine Arts, M S University of Baroda, 2007
Bachelor of fine Arts (Art History), Kalabhavan, Viswabharati, Santiniketan, 2005
Work experience:
Kathputlee Animation studios, New DelhiAs the Founder Creative director, Nov 2007- till date
College of Art, Delhi
As visiting Faculty, Nov 2008- May 2009
National Institute of Design, Ahmadabad
As Image Researcher, Jul’ 07 – Nov’ 07
Filmography:
• Satphool Theatre: Reality and beyond, a search (75 min)
a video film on adolescents (Script, direction, lyrics, music scoring) on behalf of Kankhowa , Biswanath Chariali, (Assam) 2004.
• The Invisible Children of Love, (45 min)
Acting and crew, an experimental Film by Shubho in English, Santiniketan.
• Squares, (15 min)
a short film made in fine arts fair, faculty of fine arts, M S University of Baroda, Presented by F A F C, collaboration: Parvez Kabir.
• Ru-ba-ru, (16 min)
(Script, direction, lyrics, music scoring, acting). Videos captured in Kolkata and in Vadodara (2006), edited later in New delhi (2007).
• Lullaby (16 min)
Concept development and pre-production, a diploma film project for film and video, NID, by Mahan Jyoti Dutta, Ahmedabad
• Sabse Khatarnaak, The Most ominous, (7 min)
An experimental video rendering on the revolutionary poem by Punjabi Poet Pash, Guwahati-New delhi, 2009.
• Tiptych: Actor- Agony: Ecstasy
A self initiated project for a full-fledged feature with a compilation of three short-duration movies named as Children of Heaven, The Perssistance of Becoming, The Pursuit of Performance. Proposed date of completion: December 2010.
Books:
KANKHOWAR GHAR (ABODE OF KANKHOWA, collection of Verses in Assamese), published by Samaswar Prakashan, Guwahati-3, North East Bookfair, Dec. 2009 HOON (collection of Verses in Assamese), Published by Bornali Borgohain on behalf of Aakhar Prakash, Guwahati 3, Guwahati Bookfair Jan 2009
TABUO (verses in Bengali), a small scale publication by Syed Taufik Riaz, published at Birla Academy of Art and Culture, Kolkata, 2004
Topani E Tore Kolatolot Ghor, (under publication by Vatsalya, 2010), Gole (under publication by Vatsalya, 2010), Amar Bhagavan (under publication by Vatsalya, 2010), Satphool Puppet Theatre (under publication by Vatsalya, 2010), Bhootbor koloi Gole (under publication by Vatsalya, 2010), More Kokadeutar Chokikhon (under publication by Vatsalya, 2010)
Important Articles/Papers:
JUST LIKE THAT: PERFORMATIVE CIRCUMSTANCES IN KALABHAVAN, Art &Deal, Issue No. 31 - Radical: Possibilities / Ruptures, April 2010
(Abstract: an attempt to conceptualize the mundane everyday activities inside the campus of Kalabhavan, Santiniketan under the light of performative circumstances. It criticizes the institutionalized tradition of Rabindra-Natya and raises questions for the performance-discourses in contemporaneity.)
CITY OF GOD IS FRAGILE: THE PERFORMER IN EXILE, THE SPECTATOR IN EXILE, Theatre in Bharat Rang Mahotsava, Ironies of Modernist Nationalism
The Searching Lines, Kalabhavan, Santiniketan, December 2008
(Abstract: it is a hardcore critique on the nationalistic modernist strategies of the so called ‘modern Indian theatre Practice. Through a case-study of the plays chosen and projected in the Bharat Ranga Mahotsava, NSD, New Delhi, it is examined that the contemporary ‘mainstream’ practices does not promote the direct communication of the performer and the spectators, rather foregrounding the nationalistic premises they alienate both the sides.)
“WHO” ARE YOU LOOKING AT, an essay on the spectatorial discourse
Artconcerns.com, Aug. 2008.
(Abstract: this essay tries to privilege the spectator over the performer. In all the modernist strategies the performer/artist/creator/giver’s side has been privileged over the spectator/viewer/receiver’s side. It also traces the growing ‘importance’ in the contemporary cultural discourses.)
Official reports, surveys, etc.
ANALYSING VISUAL CULTURE, “SEE-SAW: CONTEXT OF SPECTATORSHIP”, a Report on the Conference Held in Sarojini Naidu School of Arts and Communication, University of Hyderabad, artconcerns.com, April May 2010
Other professional/creative/pedagogical material (e.g., videos/films, learning aids such as workbooks, recordings, websites, etc.), performances or creative expressions, writing for non-academic audiences, etc.
Academic presentations, theatrical performances within and outside the academic premises
• Presenting a paper, PROPOSAL FOR A DISPOSABLE THEATRE, in the main panel of ISTR (Indian Society for Theatre Research) international conference on “Language(s) of Theatre” under IFTR (International Federation for Theatre Research) hosted by Jawaharlala Nehru University, New Delhi, 27 Jan 2009.
• Presenting a paper, SIX SPECTATORS, in the Visual Culture Conference on “See-Saw: Context of Spectatorship”, University of Hyderabad, Sarojini Naidu School of Arts and Communication, 25th – 27th February 2010.
• Participating and presenting a paper, THE SILENT MAJORITY, in the National Level Seminar on Cultural Practices and the Discourses on the “Minor”, held in the Department of Art History and Aesthetics, M S University of Baroda, Feb 2007. Scripting, directing and enacting a site specific theatrical performance named RAVANA-KATHA during the seminar.
• Participating and presenting a paper in the National level workshop on Gender and Sexuality in the Disciplinary Paradigms, organized by the Department of Art History and Aesthetics, M S University of Baroda, Jan 9-11, 2007 - an experimental theatrical performance named OPHELIA was also guided, contextualized and visualized along with a series of site specific installation.
• Presenting a paper “City of God: The Performer in Exile, the Spectator in Exile” in a national level seminar on Religion and the Visual Arts: Representations and Contestations, held on 2nd and 3rd March, 2008, Kalabhavana, organized by the Department of History of Art, Kalabhavan, Viswabharati. A performance “The Chairs: The Private and the Public” designed, directed and installed.
• One installation performance (LINE CROSSES NO BOUNDARIES) at Kaleidoscope Gallery in Baroda, 18th Aug, 2007, as a part of the Exhibition-Workshop-Performance program with the Bengal Pata-Painters named as Changing Paradigms of the Folk. Curator: Amitabha Adhikari.
• One site-specific architectural installation performance on Jyoti Prasad Agarwala's Birth centenary celebration in Rabindra Bhavana, Guwahati, 26th Oct 2003: KARENGAR LIGIRI: DEFINING SPACES INTO SPACES (subtext, deconstruction, concept, visualization, direction and workshop guidance) based on the mostly celebrated play by Agarwala.
• Guiding and designing of a workshop based site-specific theatre-venture (WORK IN PROGRESS and THE CLOTH NARRATIVE, 12th Aug 2007) with theatrical forms and installation programs at the campus of Faculty of Fine Arts, MSU, Baroda using various texts experienced by young artists of the Faculty. This project was a part of the student’s protest around the events after 9th May 2007. Before this, another series of performances were designed and experienced as a mark of protest named as FAFUNDI for several times in the campus and in Prof C C Mehta Auditorium.
• Participation in the Kala Mela at Birla Akademi of Art and Culture, Kolkata for several times with outdoor theatre-performances.
• Assisting and performing in the cite-specific installation performance project MY CITY BREATHES by Sanchayan Ghosh at the Birla Academy campus.
• Theatrical adaptation of VADKI, a short story by Bhhupen Khakar in Santiniketan (with Sanchayan Ghosh). 2004.
• Experiencing cite specific theatre-projects on Ramkinkar Baij’s Inteviews (MAHASHAY AMI CHAKKHIK RUPOKAR MATRO), Somnath Hore’s chronicle TEBHAGA’S DAIRY and Vinode Vihari Mukherjee’s autobiographical writings (KATTAMASHAI) in several places (including Nandan, Santiniketan; Gaganendra Pradarshashala & Birla Academy, Kolkata), 2003-2004.
• Participation in the National Level Theatre Festival, organized by Abhibyakti, in I.P College for women, New Delhi, 2nd-4th Feb 04.
• Winner of Best Playwright award by Sadau Asom Surya Bora Sowanrani Ekanka Nat Pratijogita Samiti (All Assam Surya Bora Memorial One-Act Competition Committee), October 1998.
• Several plays broadcasted by All India Radio, Guwahati.
Self Initiated Academic Projects:
(A project for documentation and research on the Barechahariya Bhaona tradition of Jamugurihat, that takes place in each five years)
• CREATING SPECTATORSHIP FOR BHRAMYAMAN (MOBILE) THEATRE: Problems around Defining an Acting School and the Questions of ‘Belonging’
(A project for documentation and research on the Assamese Mobile Theatre and its influences on the common folk)
• RESIDING IN THE SHIFTING SPACES: AN ATTEMPT TO CONCEPTUALIZE THE 'SPECTATOR'
Examining the performer-spectator power relationship under three diversified circumstances: grandiose professional theatre in the metropolitan city, amateurish “one act” in the suburbia to the performative circumstances in multicultural academic spheres.
(A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the Degree for the Masters of Visual Arts, Department of Art History and Aesthetics, Faculty of Fine Arts, M S University of Baroda, Vadodara, 390002)
Writing for non-academic audiences:
• Writings on art and aesthetics, theater criticisms, writings on socio-cultural issues and creative writings are being published in all the leading periodicals and news papers in north-east India since 1995, along with some curatorial writings published in the exhibition catalogues in Santiniketan and in Vadodara.
Some of the News Papers and Periodicals where writings frequently published/being published:
Prantik, Satsori, Daamal, Natun Padatik, Sreemoyee, Pubali, Nandini, Abikal, Ajir Doot, Prabah, Nirbacita Kabikantha, Sutradhar, Rang-ghar, Samphura, Mouchak, Sugandhi Kantha, Shabdik, Sonit Prabha, Ushaloya
(Periodicals Published in Assamese)
Asomiya Pratidin, Sadin, Sambhar, Amar Asom, Dainik Asom, Natun Dainik, Aji, Ajir Batori, Ajir Asom, Asom Bani, Natun Samay, Purbachal, Mahajati, Chitra Sambad, Doinik Janambhumi, Ajir Dainik Batori, Dainik Janasadharan etc.
(Assamese News Papers)
Little Magazines Edited:
Darangian (The Darrang College Students’ Journal, Tezpur, 1998)
Rheemil (Bengali-English, Kalabhavan, Santiniketana, 2001-2005)
The Searching Lines (English, Kalabhavan, Santiniketan, 2004)
Others:
• Cureting a solo show of paintings by Bashukinath Dasgupta at Kelaidoscope Gallery, Baroda, 2007.
• Participation in a national level junior artist’s exhibition in Srimanta Sankardsva Kala Kshetra, Guwhati, Aug. 2005.
• Participation in national students art workshop held at Kala Bhavana,Viswa Bharati (20-30.01.2005)
Some of the projects
Undertaken as the Creative Director of
Kathputlee Animation Studios, New Delhi
(Profile: concept development, script writing, storyboarding, creative supervision, supervision of production pipeline, direction)
Samajhdaar Ko Isaara Kaafi Hain (Releasing Date 14th May 2010).
choreographed and visualized A full-fledged Hindi song in 3D animation in the movie Do Dilon Ki Khel Mein, Written and Directed by Akash Pandey, featuring Nausheen, Rajesh Khanna & Anu Kapoor under Star Creation International banner, music by Daboo Malik, powered by the voice of Sunidhi Chauhan and Sandeep Acharya. Doing a 3D visualization for a mainstream live action Hindi film is first time in India. This is a video with Multiple Sets and Supporting Cast and Variety of Dance themes for a song that compiles almost all the generic treatments familiar to the Bollywood film industry from kawali, pop-stars of the 80s, the family celebrations of the 90s to the contemporary DJ culture under one musical extravaganza.
XIX Commonwealth Games 2010, New Delhi
1. Advertisement Promos marking the “One year to Go” for the Games.
2. The auspicious launch of “Queen’s Baton Relay2010” in London. Both of these projects included designing the 3d Animated version of “Shera” to promote Commonwealth Games 2010. It gave a new dimension and identity to the mascot, which has been telecasted over various news channels and also exclusively used by the official site of Commonwealth Games Organizing Committee.
BhootPreat.Com
Two Minutes Pilot Promo Completed and Film Production Starting Soon for Mumbai Based Live Action Production Company, Celluloid Dreams, a Film about a team of Ghostbusters.
“Tatva”
A short 2-D documentary on water pollution, air pollution, deforestation stating its cause and prevention as well.
Public Service Announcements
AIDS Awareness and Prevention
A public service message talking about AIDS awareness and prevention for youth, an in-house production of Kathputlee Animation Studios.
Public Hygiene and Environmental Concern
A public service message talking about public hygiene and environmental concern among youngsters.
In House Productions in Progress
BOO
A teleseries and a film concept built around the life and dreams of toys left behind in an abandoned house in the room of a young boy. A purely inter cultural concept expressing diversity, unity and freedom through toys.
Type: Animation Feature Film & Tele Series
The lane
The video experiments the genre of mystery, horror and thriller in the framework of animation. It highlights the tense frame of mind of John sitting in bizarre pub. He had already gone inside the lane and holds the secret within him. This secret is the theme of the entire promo, edited in the form of a trailer. How Karan goes into the lane and what happens forms the theme for the film.
Type: Animation Feature Film
Who is the boss?
It is a story about a lost tiger cub separated from his family and saved by some other kids. Other animals were against the cub and all this lead to a series of competition to select the right leader. The story moves forward with how a leader is selected and then cub is thrown out of the jungle. Later on, the journey compiles and elucidates the presence of the cub in the jungle and emerges him as a winner.
Type : Animation Feature Film
Chote Motey
Comic infomercial spots for television channels sharing the “choti - moti baatein” of our lives.
Type: Animation for News Channels, Infomercial
Some of the Major Concerns
Some of the Major Concerns
that the film will be dealing with
or
The relevance of the film/USP
Combination of three different stories into one film is not a new idea. Mohsen Makhmalbaf Iranian Movie Dastforoush (Paddler) is an all-time favorite movie of mine, where three different stories are being depicted. Satyajit Ray’s Teen Kanya also contains three different stories from Rabindranath Tagore. Ram Gopal Verma’s Darna Mana Hain and Darna zaroori Hain could be remembered in this context. Similarly, Dus Kahaniyan and Mumbai Cutting are two other Bollywood Hindi Movies that contain multiple short movies within one. We can also remember Dibakar Benarjee’s recent experimental take in LSD, Love Sex & Dhokha.
The three stories I have picked up has some subtle nature in their innate story-telling. They only can be short-duration movies; otherwise they would lose their subtlety. On the other hand, they are multifaceted in thematic. In that way they also lose the characteristics of a coherent short film. They have multiple characters, multiple perspectives and also contain several sub-stories. Under these considerations I took a decision to make a feature film compiling these three stories instead of making three different short films.
They are realistic in nature, depicting a particular story of a particular time-and-space. All of them are centered on some little ‘heroes’, but I don’t want to tag this movie as a children’s film. In this regard I would like to remember Majid Majidi’s Iranian Film The Children of Heaven.
Almost for one decade time span I have been living a life outside Assam in the name of higher studies and working in multidisciplinary areas. My friends, well-wishers and collaborators are mostly from outside Assam. So, despite of being Assamese my mother tongue, initially I planned to make a movie in English. But later I realized, that would harm the project in doing justice to the theme. By the time I came across to a movie named The Shadows of Time (German: Schatten der Zeit). The entire movie is in Bengali but the production house is German. The German production house decided to make the movie in Bengali only to contain the authenticity of the narrative. So I realized, it would be falsity to adopt a different language only for the sake of a larger audience. These stories contain some universal appeal within themselves and thus language is no bar.
Mention worthy is that, the history of Assamese cinema has some serious artistic engagement from its very beginning. It is well said that, where as the so called ‘Indian’ cinema was sprouted with some religious and popular themes, only the Assamese cinema started its journey with some other practice with cinematic realism. Jyotiprasad Agarwala, after coming back from Germany made the first Assamese film Joymoti in 1935 with a historical theme and in a more realistic treatment. It had a few resemblances with what was happening with the ‘Indian’ films but more with the contemporary German cinematic devices. It was realistic and experimental at a time out of the religious or popular stereotypes. So, I would be happy to make this movie as a part of that journey.
The story was published in the special Autumn Issue of Dainik Asam, September 2009, titled as Krishna Gosain (Lord Krishna)
This one is a multifaceted narrative. It documents a traditional theatrical form and the organic relationship of art and life in a rural environment. At the same time it is a story on belief, how the image of the God is being created in common people’s imagination, and how the religious imagery operates in a private and public life. Partially this story refers to an event took place at Baroda, regarding an issue of portraying religious icons in an obscene manner and thus hurting the religious sentiments. This is a conscious insertion as a sub-plot to the central story. The story also reflects the economic stagnancy of a sub-urban place in Assam where the younger generation is getting frustrated day by day without having an economic outlet. Above all, the story touches the issue of caste system in Indian society which normally remains invisible in ordinary everyday lives but takes a form at a certain juncture.
Recently I, the presenter of this proposal, have been collecting various perspectives and socio-political issues around documenting a performance tradition. I am working on the Barechahariya Bhaona, (working Title: Spectators in Barechahariya Bhaona: reframing a Performance Tradition in the light of contemporary cultural practice and criticism), which includes documentation and some methodological queries. I submitted the MVA Dissertation paper to the Department of Art History and Aesthetics, M S University of Baroda on: Residing in the Shifting Spaces: an Attempt to Conceptualize the ‘Spectator’, (Examining the performer-spectator power relationship under three diversified circumstances: grandiose professional theatre in the metropolitan city, amateurish “one act” in the suburbia to performative circumstances in multicultural academic spheres).
Recently I have attended the Warwick and JNU Colloquium on “Research and Documentation in Theatre and Performance Studies: Strategic Locations, Disciplinary Challenges, and Critical Dialogue” held in Jawaharlal Nehru University (31.03.10 – 02.04.10). In a paper presented in the Visual Culture Conference on “The See-Saw Context of Spectatorship”, held in the Sarojini Naidu School of Arts and Communication, 25th – 27th February 2010, I have presented a paper “Six Spectators” where I addressed the matters related to miss-location of the performers and the spectators. There also I mentioned about the Bhaona Performances and the interrelationship of the performers and spectators. Similarly in two other international seminars organized by Indian Federation for Theatre Research (ISTR) in New Delhi and on Tourist Audience in Kathmandu, Nepal, I stated about the shifting locations of spectatorship regarding a traditional performative form. In the national level seminar on “Religion and the Visual Arts: Representations and Contestations”, 2nd and 3rd March, 2008, Kalabhavana, organized by the Department of History of Art, Kalabhavan, Viswabharati, I presented a paper “City of God: The Performer in Exile, the Spectator in Exile” where the shifting location of spectatorship was a central theme. in the National Level Seminar on Cultural Practices and the Discourses on the “Minor”, held in the Department of Art History and Aesthetics, M S University of Baroda, Feb 2007, I presented a paper on “The Silent Majorities” where I critically examined the contemporary Assamese One Act Play traditions. So, the above mentioned evidences prove my continuous engagement with the performance forms and the issues around spectatorship.
The movie depicts a story of a village and villagers, their preparation for a cultural act and transformation of an ordinary boy to a most important actor. In throughout the process we see, the preparation, the performance and the imagery of the gods, goddesses, demons, kings, saints and others are an integral part of the pastoral lives of the villagers.
In a community of performers, the god forms a body within the ephemeral limit of the performance art. Thus, this story contains a criticism on the conservative religious notions. Inside a particular community behavior, we see, the imagery of the “God” is somehow different from what the mainstream Hinduism defines. Partially this story refers to an event took place at Baroda, regarding an issue of portraying religious icons in an obscene manner and thus hurting the religious sentiments. This is a conscious insertion as a sub-plot to the central story.
The story also reflects the economic stagnancy of a sub-urban place in Assam where the younger generation is getting frustrated day by day without having an economic outlet. The village of this story contains some symptom of inculcating sub-urban characteristics. It is a place remote from the political centre of the country (i.e. Delhi), and aloof from any commercial centers. The economic stagnancy causes immense impact in the lives of the individuals. These are going to be portrayed in throughout the narrative.
An ordinary boy turns to a ‘hero’ at a particular circumstantial juncture. The story represents a tension of the ordinary everyday and the extravagant or grandiose cultural phenomena.
This is a story of globalization, where the commercial agencies intrude into our everyday lives unknowingly, sometimes knowingly, and construct a different self within us. Here an advertising agency comes to life of a poor girl and offers ‘dreams’ of becoming a better one. She gets a dream of switching to a ‘grand’ ‘luxurious’ other, overnight but by the very morning she comes to the realize the falsity of it. The psychological aspects of the little girl has nothing to do with the advertizing agency’s concerns, neither they are aware of the dreams they convey within their ‘promises’.
When the production team comes to the little girl’s family they ask the girl to sing a song. She sings a Bhatiyali song very passionately. Immediately over her performance some debate occurs among the production members. They assume the poor family to be one of the illegal Bangladeshi migrants. This incident indicates the fear in common people around the Bangladeshi intruders and the hatred towards them.
When the little girl gets ready for the shooting, the preparation of coming out of her poor house is very much elaborated. Her mother is applying detergent to her dirty curly hair and she is dreaming of using shampoo. The process of preparation and the generated desires are forgrounded in the story.
The little girl has a habit of staring at the roadside larger-than-life hoarding containing a beautifully smiling girl with silky-wavy-hairs. It is a story of onlookers, a story of gaze. She feels uncomfortable when the team members of the production unit stare at her. She witnesses some exotic gaze on their eyes. When she was an ordinary girl in dirty dresses, the look of the production manager was different. When she came out with a neat and clean get up in the next morning, the look was changed. She and a larger-than-life image on the hording keep staring at other. The mutual exchange of a look changes its character when she comes to realize that she would never be able to ‘become’ that beautiful ever in lifetime.
There is an intense desire in almost every individual of being something, doing something, becoming something that produced by the cultural productions. Here a little girl wishes to take participation in a cultural act and gets ready in a secret way. She crosses many circumstancial boundaries to fulfill her desire. There is a deeper psychological aspect where an individual feels left apart while the others moving to a ostentatious celebration.
In some other places, I have accounted this sort of desires engraved in several literary and artistic practices, including: the Gopis moving ahead to Vrindavan with a desire to see the Lord Krishna, the Sufi Singers saying about a desire to move ahead to Mecca and Medina and so on. Thus, in my dissertation, I tried to deal with the matter theoretically how the act of performance produces immense desire in a spectator’s mind.
In this story there are three cultural processions. One appears in the little actor’s dream and two others in reality. The cultural procession is a part of our social lives and it creates massive impact in perceptual level. We have a lot of case studies on several cultural performative modes including Bhagavat Bhramana, Jagannath Rath-yatra, Moving performance of Ramlila and so on.
A closed Friend of the little girl promises to fulfill her dreams. The mutual understanding, friendship and sharing of the common desires of two individuals are most promonant features of the story.
At a particular juncture the boy becomes absentminded and as a consequence the girl fails to meet her dreams. A little moment of forgetfulness collapses all the attempts they made so ever. The forgetfulness and the repentance out of that remains the most touching point of the story.
that the film will be dealing with
or
The relevance of the film/USP
The Mode/Treatment of the Movie:
Combination of three different stories into one film is not a new idea. Mohsen Makhmalbaf Iranian Movie Dastforoush (Paddler) is an all-time favorite movie of mine, where three different stories are being depicted. Satyajit Ray’s Teen Kanya also contains three different stories from Rabindranath Tagore. Ram Gopal Verma’s Darna Mana Hain and Darna zaroori Hain could be remembered in this context. Similarly, Dus Kahaniyan and Mumbai Cutting are two other Bollywood Hindi Movies that contain multiple short movies within one. We can also remember Dibakar Benarjee’s recent experimental take in LSD, Love Sex & Dhokha.
The three stories I have picked up has some subtle nature in their innate story-telling. They only can be short-duration movies; otherwise they would lose their subtlety. On the other hand, they are multifaceted in thematic. In that way they also lose the characteristics of a coherent short film. They have multiple characters, multiple perspectives and also contain several sub-stories. Under these considerations I took a decision to make a feature film compiling these three stories instead of making three different short films.
They are realistic in nature, depicting a particular story of a particular time-and-space. All of them are centered on some little ‘heroes’, but I don’t want to tag this movie as a children’s film. In this regard I would like to remember Majid Majidi’s Iranian Film The Children of Heaven.
Almost for one decade time span I have been living a life outside Assam in the name of higher studies and working in multidisciplinary areas. My friends, well-wishers and collaborators are mostly from outside Assam. So, despite of being Assamese my mother tongue, initially I planned to make a movie in English. But later I realized, that would harm the project in doing justice to the theme. By the time I came across to a movie named The Shadows of Time (German: Schatten der Zeit). The entire movie is in Bengali but the production house is German. The German production house decided to make the movie in Bengali only to contain the authenticity of the narrative. So I realized, it would be falsity to adopt a different language only for the sake of a larger audience. These stories contain some universal appeal within themselves and thus language is no bar.
Mention worthy is that, the history of Assamese cinema has some serious artistic engagement from its very beginning. It is well said that, where as the so called ‘Indian’ cinema was sprouted with some religious and popular themes, only the Assamese cinema started its journey with some other practice with cinematic realism. Jyotiprasad Agarwala, after coming back from Germany made the first Assamese film Joymoti in 1935 with a historical theme and in a more realistic treatment. It had a few resemblances with what was happening with the ‘Indian’ films but more with the contemporary German cinematic devices. It was realistic and experimental at a time out of the religious or popular stereotypes. So, I would be happy to make this movie as a part of that journey.
ACTOR: Children of Heaven
The story was published in the special Autumn Issue of Dainik Asam, September 2009, titled as Krishna Gosain (Lord Krishna)
This one is a multifaceted narrative. It documents a traditional theatrical form and the organic relationship of art and life in a rural environment. At the same time it is a story on belief, how the image of the God is being created in common people’s imagination, and how the religious imagery operates in a private and public life. Partially this story refers to an event took place at Baroda, regarding an issue of portraying religious icons in an obscene manner and thus hurting the religious sentiments. This is a conscious insertion as a sub-plot to the central story. The story also reflects the economic stagnancy of a sub-urban place in Assam where the younger generation is getting frustrated day by day without having an economic outlet. Above all, the story touches the issue of caste system in Indian society which normally remains invisible in ordinary everyday lives but takes a form at a certain juncture.
Documenting a Performance Tradition:
Recently I, the presenter of this proposal, have been collecting various perspectives and socio-political issues around documenting a performance tradition. I am working on the Barechahariya Bhaona, (working Title: Spectators in Barechahariya Bhaona: reframing a Performance Tradition in the light of contemporary cultural practice and criticism), which includes documentation and some methodological queries. I submitted the MVA Dissertation paper to the Department of Art History and Aesthetics, M S University of Baroda on: Residing in the Shifting Spaces: an Attempt to Conceptualize the ‘Spectator’, (Examining the performer-spectator power relationship under three diversified circumstances: grandiose professional theatre in the metropolitan city, amateurish “one act” in the suburbia to performative circumstances in multicultural academic spheres).
Recently I have attended the Warwick and JNU Colloquium on “Research and Documentation in Theatre and Performance Studies: Strategic Locations, Disciplinary Challenges, and Critical Dialogue” held in Jawaharlal Nehru University (31.03.10 – 02.04.10). In a paper presented in the Visual Culture Conference on “The See-Saw Context of Spectatorship”, held in the Sarojini Naidu School of Arts and Communication, 25th – 27th February 2010, I have presented a paper “Six Spectators” where I addressed the matters related to miss-location of the performers and the spectators. There also I mentioned about the Bhaona Performances and the interrelationship of the performers and spectators. Similarly in two other international seminars organized by Indian Federation for Theatre Research (ISTR) in New Delhi and on Tourist Audience in Kathmandu, Nepal, I stated about the shifting locations of spectatorship regarding a traditional performative form. In the national level seminar on “Religion and the Visual Arts: Representations and Contestations”, 2nd and 3rd March, 2008, Kalabhavana, organized by the Department of History of Art, Kalabhavan, Viswabharati, I presented a paper “City of God: The Performer in Exile, the Spectator in Exile” where the shifting location of spectatorship was a central theme. in the National Level Seminar on Cultural Practices and the Discourses on the “Minor”, held in the Department of Art History and Aesthetics, M S University of Baroda, Feb 2007, I presented a paper on “The Silent Majorities” where I critically examined the contemporary Assamese One Act Play traditions. So, the above mentioned evidences prove my continuous engagement with the performance forms and the issues around spectatorship.
Organic relationship of art and life in a rural environment:
The movie depicts a story of a village and villagers, their preparation for a cultural act and transformation of an ordinary boy to a most important actor. In throughout the process we see, the preparation, the performance and the imagery of the gods, goddesses, demons, kings, saints and others are an integral part of the pastoral lives of the villagers.
The imagery of God:
In a community of performers, the god forms a body within the ephemeral limit of the performance art. Thus, this story contains a criticism on the conservative religious notions. Inside a particular community behavior, we see, the imagery of the “God” is somehow different from what the mainstream Hinduism defines. Partially this story refers to an event took place at Baroda, regarding an issue of portraying religious icons in an obscene manner and thus hurting the religious sentiments. This is a conscious insertion as a sub-plot to the central story.
A Realistic portrayal of the Locality:
The story also reflects the economic stagnancy of a sub-urban place in Assam where the younger generation is getting frustrated day by day without having an economic outlet. The village of this story contains some symptom of inculcating sub-urban characteristics. It is a place remote from the political centre of the country (i.e. Delhi), and aloof from any commercial centers. The economic stagnancy causes immense impact in the lives of the individuals. These are going to be portrayed in throughout the narrative.
The Story of Becoming:
An ordinary boy turns to a ‘hero’ at a particular circumstantial juncture. The story represents a tension of the ordinary everyday and the extravagant or grandiose cultural phenomena.
AGONY: The persistence of becoming
The dream merchants:
This is a story of globalization, where the commercial agencies intrude into our everyday lives unknowingly, sometimes knowingly, and construct a different self within us. Here an advertising agency comes to life of a poor girl and offers ‘dreams’ of becoming a better one. She gets a dream of switching to a ‘grand’ ‘luxurious’ other, overnight but by the very morning she comes to the realize the falsity of it. The psychological aspects of the little girl has nothing to do with the advertizing agency’s concerns, neither they are aware of the dreams they convey within their ‘promises’.
Social Behavior:
When the production team comes to the little girl’s family they ask the girl to sing a song. She sings a Bhatiyali song very passionately. Immediately over her performance some debate occurs among the production members. They assume the poor family to be one of the illegal Bangladeshi migrants. This incident indicates the fear in common people around the Bangladeshi intruders and the hatred towards them.
Moments of Preparation:
When the little girl gets ready for the shooting, the preparation of coming out of her poor house is very much elaborated. Her mother is applying detergent to her dirty curly hair and she is dreaming of using shampoo. The process of preparation and the generated desires are forgrounded in the story.
A Story of a Gaze:
The little girl has a habit of staring at the roadside larger-than-life hoarding containing a beautifully smiling girl with silky-wavy-hairs. It is a story of onlookers, a story of gaze. She feels uncomfortable when the team members of the production unit stare at her. She witnesses some exotic gaze on their eyes. When she was an ordinary girl in dirty dresses, the look of the production manager was different. When she came out with a neat and clean get up in the next morning, the look was changed. She and a larger-than-life image on the hording keep staring at other. The mutual exchange of a look changes its character when she comes to realize that she would never be able to ‘become’ that beautiful ever in lifetime.
ECSTASY: The Pursuit of Performance
Desire: out to be there…
In some other places, I have accounted this sort of desires engraved in several literary and artistic practices, including: the Gopis moving ahead to Vrindavan with a desire to see the Lord Krishna, the Sufi Singers saying about a desire to move ahead to Mecca and Medina and so on. Thus, in my dissertation, I tried to deal with the matter theoretically how the act of performance produces immense desire in a spectator’s mind.
The Aesthetics of a Moving Crowd:
I’ll Fulfill Make You Meet Your Dreams…
Forgetfulness/ Repentance
Synopsis of the Three Stories
SYNOPSIS:
STORY ONE:
ACTOR: Children of Heaven
DURATION: 45 MINUTES
It is a story of Anhat-toli, a rural village in Assam, tends to be a new sub-urb. Ratan, a little boy is used to come across insulting behaviors from all the villagers for his ignorant nature. People mostly make him do their personal works in the everyday lives without acknowledging his ever-helping nature. However, Ratan’s good singing is appreciated. The film starts with the villagers insulting and taunting Ratan here and there.
The village celebrates a yearly festival with a theatrical performance Bhaona, with a story of young Krishna going out for a picnic with the Gopa-valakas, the village boys. Anybody from the village takes part in the performance but traditionally a young boy only from the Gosain (religiously higher class) family can play the role of the lord Krishna himself. This time the young boy from Gosain family falls ill to perform the role of lord Krishna. The family plans to bring some other boy from another place that belongs to the Gosain cast and class. At that matter the villagers split into two parts. One is offensive: “so many young talented boys are here, why should we ‘hire’ somebody from other place!” the other is agreed to the fact that, since nobody other than the Gossain family could become the lord Krishna, there is no harm in bringing a Gossain boy from other place. Finally the villagers take a chance of making a local boy from an ordinary caste the actor of lord Krishna. Eventually Ratan, the boy for no good, is selected for the role.
Ratan’s father is a man for no good as well, who fails again and again in his business projects. Once he leaves for Ahmedabad for some business purpose. In Ahmadabad also Ratan’s father fails to work properly and comes back to his village. While coming back to his village, in train, he gets the news of Ratan becoming the Krishna this time.
The story is ended with a funny but touching moment of Ratan, being seated in the form of lord Krishna and all the villagers praying on his feet.
SYNOPSIS
STORY TWO:
AGONY: The Persistence of Becoming
DURATION: 30 MINUTES
Champa, a little girl mostly spends her times staring at the roadside hording and a larger-than-life image of a smiling girl with her wavy hairs. It is an advertisement for a shampoo company. A low-budget shooting unit for a TVC of the same Shampoo Company moves to an outskirt of the city. On the way, the vehicle of the technical unit gets mechanical defect and holds on the same roadside location for a couple of hours. As a result, the scheduled time has passed away and schedule is to be postponed. The little girl who was supposed to be the central character of the TVC gets some problem and under circumstance the little actor is to be rejected by the unit.
In a roadside Dhaba the director, the production manager and a still photographer are in a conversation over managing a new little girl overnight. Concurrently the still photographer shows photographs of a little ordinary girl named Champa from the roadside and they find her photogenic enough. They come back to that particular location and approach the poor slam dweller family.
The family agrees to their proposal. Champa spends an exciting night with all her fascinations since she was told that she was going to be a celebrity ‘heroin’ like Kareena Kapoor. She keeps imagining the scopophilic image of a smiling little girl with wavy hairs on the roadside larger than life hoarding. She and her mother, all are fascinated with the fact that they would be able to use shampoo now onwards. She will be shown as a beautiful smiling girl with sophisticated costumes, and with silky wavy hairs instead of her ever-dirty and curly hairs. In the morning her mother bathes her with a detergent and puts mustard oil to her hair, making her prepared for the shooting. When she comes to the shooting spot she is put to the temporary make-up room. The make-up artist unties her hair, makes her cloths dirty and then only she realizes that her role that she is going to portray is of a roadside beggar girl only.
SYNOPSIS
STORY THREE:
ECSTASY: The Pursuit of Performance
DURATION: 25 MINUTES
1990, Biswanath Chariali
Nayani, a little enthusiastic girl, who knows that she dances well, was willing to participate in a cultural procession during a function of the Sahitya Sabha (a literature organization). But her parents were not allowing her. Kaju, her best friend and who used to share all her imaginations convinces her with a ‘master-plan’ that, he’ll prepare her for the occasion without telling her parents.
On the day of the cultural function, they come to an abandoned room and starts practice. He borrows Muga-mekhela (costumes for dance) and cosmetics from the neighboring elder sisters. Nayani is about to ready. She is looking cute, but she needs false hair, since she has short hair. She is hungry also. Kaju consoles her that he would manage everything in no time, and warns her not to go out of the house. Otherwise parents might see her making their entire secret attempt destroyed. Kaju moves several places to manage a lock of false hair.
On the way, when he was in hurry, he witnesses another roadside event. He by circumstance spends some time there and forgets about Nayani. After a while he remembers, he had locked the door of the abandoned house from outside where Nayani was preparing for the cultural event. He feels guilty though he was helpless. He rushes back to the place. While running throughout the street, he comes across to the cultural procession, groups of artist moving ahead, dancing and singing. He rushes to the abandoned house. Kaju opens the door and finds Nayani in gorgeous costume and make up lying on the floor in hunger. He wakes up Nayani. Both of them witness the cultural procession passing by, through a small window.
Basic Informations of the Film Making Project
Actor: Agony: Ecstasy – a Triptych (U)
Actor: Agony: Ecstasy – a Triptych is a live action feature film consisting three independent short stories within it. The stories are not connected to each other in any ways, but weaved with different characters, different series of events and different settings. The first story, ACTOR: Children of Heaven (published as an Assamese short story in Autumn Special Issue of Dainik Asom, September 2009 as Krishna Gosain or Lord Krishna), is a story of an ignorant little boy, very much ordinary and overlooked in everyday social lives becoming the actor of the lord Krishna in a very much important cultural phenomena of the village. The second story, AGONY: The Persistence of Becoming, is set in an outskirt of a city, centering a poor little girl from the roadside dwellers, eventually becoming a part of an ad-film making unit. The third one, ECSTASY: The Pursuit of Performance, is a story of a little boy and a little girl with their desires to participate in an important cultural event.
Though they are different in mode, there are some thin connections within. All of them are carrying some inner psychological aspirations of a child. Secondly all of them in a way or other narrate a story of becoming or the preparation for becoming.
The first story is of ‘becoming’, an ‘ordinary of the everyday’ to a bizarre of some ‘spectacular’ or ‘grandiose’. It also portrays a situation of cast operation in a village what is invisible in the everyday lives but occurs in a specific cultural production. Meanwhile it also narrates the economic stagnancy of a rural village despite of a milieu of cultural extravaganza. The second story is directly associated with the issues around globalization, global market policies and the dreams made by them. It is about how the scopophilic media offers a dream to a lower class subject and leads his/her life. The third one is, thus, of aspirations produced by the cultural phenomena. However, in all of the stories we see somebody getting prepared for something.
AGONY aka The Persistence of Becoming
ECSTASY aka The Pursuit of Performance)
GENRE: Comedy | Drama
LANGUAGE: Assamese, (English subtitles)
RUNTIME: 100 Minutes.
TARGET RELEASE (expected): October 2010
COUNTRY: India
STORY, SCREENPLAY AND DIRECTION: Samudra Kajal Saikia
CASTING: To be locked by June
MUSIC: To be recorded by June
CONTACT:
Samudra Kajal Saikia
Creative Director, Kathputlee Animation Studios
B-239. West Vinod Nagar, Patparganj, New Delhi 110092
e-mail: Kankhowa@gmail.com
mobile: +91 9811370754
PRODUCTION: KanKhowa (also seeking for enthusiast co-producers and financers)
PLOT SUMMARY:
The first story, Children of Heaven is a story of an ignorant little boy, very much ordinary and overlooked in everyday social lives becoming the actor of the lord Krishna in a very much important cultural phenomena of the village. The second story, The Persistence of Becoming, is set in an outskirt of a city, centering a poor little girl from the roadside dwellers, eventually becoming a part of an ad-film making unit. The third one, The Pursuit of Performance, is a story of a little boy and a little girl with their desires to participate in an important cultural event.
INTRODUCTION:
Actor: Agony: Ecstasy – a Triptych is a live action feature film consisting three independent short stories within it. The stories are not connected to each other in any ways, but weaved with different characters, different series of events and different settings. The first story, ACTOR: Children of Heaven (published as an Assamese short story in Autumn Special Issue of Dainik Asom, September 2009 as Krishna Gosain or Lord Krishna), is a story of an ignorant little boy, very much ordinary and overlooked in everyday social lives becoming the actor of the lord Krishna in a very much important cultural phenomena of the village. The second story, AGONY: The Persistence of Becoming, is set in an outskirt of a city, centering a poor little girl from the roadside dwellers, eventually becoming a part of an ad-film making unit. The third one, ECSTASY: The Pursuit of Performance, is a story of a little boy and a little girl with their desires to participate in an important cultural event.
Though they are different in mode, there are some thin connections within. All of them are carrying some inner psychological aspirations of a child. Secondly all of them in a way or other narrate a story of becoming or the preparation for becoming.
The first story is of ‘becoming’, an ‘ordinary of the everyday’ to a bizarre of some ‘spectacular’ or ‘grandiose’. It also portrays a situation of cast operation in a village what is invisible in the everyday lives but occurs in a specific cultural production. Meanwhile it also narrates the economic stagnancy of a rural village despite of a milieu of cultural extravaganza. The second story is directly associated with the issues around globalization, global market policies and the dreams made by them. It is about how the scopophilic media offers a dream to a lower class subject and leads his/her life. The third one is, thus, of aspirations produced by the cultural phenomena. However, in all of the stories we see somebody getting prepared for something.
WORKING TITLE:
Actor: Agony: Ecstasy – a Triptych
(ACTOR aka Children of HeavenAGONY aka The Persistence of Becoming
ECSTASY aka The Pursuit of Performance)
GENRE: Comedy | Drama
LANGUAGE: Assamese, (English subtitles)
RUNTIME: 100 Minutes.
TARGET RELEASE (expected): October 2010
COUNTRY: India
STORY, SCREENPLAY AND DIRECTION: Samudra Kajal Saikia
CASTING: To be locked by June
MUSIC: To be recorded by June
CONTACT:
Samudra Kajal Saikia
Creative Director, Kathputlee Animation Studios
B-239. West Vinod Nagar, Patparganj, New Delhi 110092
e-mail: Kankhowa@gmail.com
mobile: +91 9811370754
PRODUCTION: KanKhowa (also seeking for enthusiast co-producers and financers)
PLOT SUMMARY:
The first story, Children of Heaven is a story of an ignorant little boy, very much ordinary and overlooked in everyday social lives becoming the actor of the lord Krishna in a very much important cultural phenomena of the village. The second story, The Persistence of Becoming, is set in an outskirt of a city, centering a poor little girl from the roadside dwellers, eventually becoming a part of an ad-film making unit. The third one, The Pursuit of Performance, is a story of a little boy and a little girl with their desires to participate in an important cultural event.
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