Photo Courtesy: nenews
Guwahati: Assamese cinema struck gold on Saturday. Director Jadumoni Dutta’s feature film Juiphool secured the Rajat Kamal for Best Assamese Film at the 72nd National Film Awards. The story centers on the Assam-Nagaland border.
It tracks an unlikely bond between two mothers: Lakhimi, a pregnant Assamese widow, and Rengma, a Naga woman facing repeated miscarriages. Their lives play out against a backdrop of regional conflict. In these villages, people stay alert through the night and rest during the day. Dutta weaves in the Assamese folk tale Tula Aru Teja to ground the narrative in themes of motherhood, grief, and resilience.
Other regional winners emerged from the Northeast. The Manipuri film Sunita took the prize for Best Manipuri Film. Directed by Yumnam Ajit Singh, it documents the life of Moirangthem Sunita, a visually impaired woman who overcomes significant societal barriers.
Technical categories also saw regional success. Cinematographer Edmon Ranson earned the Best Cinematography award for the documentary Life in Loom. The film traverses seven states: Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Assam, West Bengal, Odisha, Ladakh, and Uttar Pradesh. It explores the lives of traditional weavers in five languages.
The national awards recognized a wide slate of projects. Article 370 claimed the Best Feature Film title, while Bhangaar won Best Non-Feature Film and Ram-Nami took Best Documentary. Yami Gautam won Best Actress for Article 370. The Best Actor award was a tie. The honor was shared by "Mammootty for Bramayugam and Kartik Aaryan for Chandu Champion."
Randeep Hooda secured the Best Debut Director award for Swatantrya Veer Savarkar. A host of commercial hits also received recognition. The list includes Kalki 2898 AD, Amaran, Pushpa: The Rule, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, and Stree 2.
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