Friday, March 29, 2024
News

Aimee Baruah's journey to a village, and dialect, that time forgot

   SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend    Print this Page   COMMENT

Panaji | Monday, 2021 3:45:05 AM IST
The Indian Panorama section of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) opened here on Sunday with Aimee Baruah's 'Semkhor', the first movie to be made in Dimasa, a dialect spoken by a tribal community spread across parts of Assam and Nagaland.

Speaking at the screening, Baruah said it took her a year to master the dialect, which is not even listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. She did it to communicate with the people of Semkhor, a village where people live happily without mobiles, or Internet connectivity.

Baruah, incidentally, also plays the lead character in the film. She said that she had acted in 27 feature films as a heroine, but 'Semkhor' was her first film as director.

"I first thought I would use an artiste from the village for my film, but then, the people there wouldn't talk in front of the camera," Baruah reminisced.

"It was then that I decided to play the lead character myself. I selected all the other members of my unit, all of whom have never ever seen a camera. But they all gave wonderful support and acted exceptionally well. They came up with performances that exceeded my expectations," the actress-turned-director said.

Sharing some interesting details about her film and the place where it was shot, the director said: "In this century, we are never happy in spite of all the facilities we have. Semkhor is a place where even now there is no mobile network and no Internet, but the people are happy."

Baruah said she was curious to know how they managed to be like that, which is why she visited Semkhor in 2017.

"The people who live in Semkhor are called the Semsa. Semsa is a dialect of Dimasa. I did not know a word of Dimasa then. I realised that if I did not know the language, I wouldn't be able to go back to the village. It takes a good 10 hours to reach this place from Guwahati. These people don't talk to outsiders," Baruah recalled.

It was only after she learnt to speak Dimasa that Baruah travelled to Semkhor again in 2018.

That was when she discovered that the people living in the village did not use products from outside. They still grow their own crops and don't use oil to cook. "They use salt water from the wells for cooking," Baruah said, adding that some of the rituals shown in her film are still practised.

"I am very happy that I have been able to bring a movie from Assam and showcase it on such a big platform for all of you," Baruah said, signing off after narrating her fascinating story.

--IANS man/srb

( 464 Words)

2021-11-21-21:50:02 (IANS)

 
  LATEST COMMENTS ()
POST YOUR COMMENT
Comments Not Available
 
POST YOUR COMMENT
 
 
TRENDING TOPICS
 
 
CITY NEWS
MORE CITIES
 
 
 
MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
'Always been glorious right-wing persona...
Kriti Kharbanda drops pics from her Choo...
Steven Spielberg heaps praise on 'Dune: ...
Tamannaah Bhatia starrer 'Aranmanai 4' t...
Austin Butler all set to star in Darren ...
Brandon Sklenar joins cast of Christoper...
More...
 
INDIA WORLD ASIA
Chennai: Three dead after false ceiling ...
Jailed gangster-turned-politician Mukhta...
'I want to work for tribals...': Sudam M...
TMC leader Mohua Moitra skips 3rd ED sum...
Delhi HC dismisses Congress party plea c...
AAP Goa chief Amit Palekar arrives at ED...
More...    
 
 Top Stories
Interest rate on small saving schem... 
Indian Open: Three Indians in top-1... 
Neurologist raises alarm on Epileps... 
"I never think that I will...": Kri... 
UAE: 'Birds of Goodness' executes 1... 
"Ready to contest from Mandi, if pa... 
"NDA will win 40 out of 40 seats in... 
Former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt con...