Boliya Pitaier Sohoki Sootal (a duet with the river god)

For Suren Boro and 6, 50, 000 people, living in 126 villages in the southern side of the River Pagladia, the river is a living god called 'Pagla Baba'. Situated in Indu-Bhutan International border of Assam, the river runs from the west to the east contrary to the locations of the villages in the south. The majority population is ethnic Bodo. Round the year they remain engaged in pushing the river down south, for every use of water – drinking, household, irrigation. There is no other source like tube well, dug well, or water stream. Since the 1920s, they have constructed 13 bunds (embankment) with whatever materials at the disposal – boulder, stone, sand, tree, climber, straw; tarpaulin and plastic sheets are the latest inclusion in their armory. The entire arrangement is controlled, maintained and regulated by a registered society since 1954.

During the work of a repairing work of bund, Suren gets the news that his wife has fallen sick. He returns home immediately and finds his wife in labour. In hospital she gives birth to a son. Meanwhile the villagers have nearly completed repairing the bund and are preparing to flow the water. The next morning when the water reaches the channel near Suren's house, his wife performs ablution of the new born baby with the water of Pagla Baba. The Baba has blessed them the child.

Director's Note:
Altaf Mazid has taken recourse of Suren Bodo, his wife and three children to tell the story. Suren is a peasant who owns a plot of land, enough for them all. He is not that healthy to cultivate the whole plot by him alone and thus left most of the plot to other people on sharing basis. But as per rule he has to put his labour for the cause of the bund that runs near to his house. One can skip the labour by paying the compensation but Suren is always with little or no cash. Although he cannot get involved with heavy work of the bund such as lifting stone but he remains present in every occasion.

Shear physical strength of man and his patience in the face of the force called nature dominates the visuals. It's about the prayers offered to the river gods, the simplicity of village life, male bonding and camaraderie. It's about life without water, and at the same time life that resolves around water every moment. It's about birth of a child born with the boon of the river god. It's about an India that still exists quietly somewhere.

The film was shot for 13 months from December 2006 to December 2007 covering four seasons of the river. From the accumulated raw video footage of 105 hours, 'Boliya pitaier sohoki sotal' took 18 months of unpredictable editing to cut it down to 90 minutes.

Language: Assamese and Bodo with English sub-titles
Duration: 125 min / 90 min

Festival: Festival International Jean Rouch, Paris, March 2009

Awards: 1. Best Anthropological / Ethnographic Film in National Film Awards 2008
2. Excellence in Scriptwriting (Non – Fiction) in IDPA AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2008

Credits:
Camera: Jaan Khatola, Debobrot Chaliha, Suraj Duara and Johnson Dass
Editing: Arindam Ghatak
Assistant Direction: Biman Morol Choudhury, Johnson Dass, Jaan Khatola,
Debobrot Chaliha & Mandakini Deka

Script and Direction: Altaf Mazid

Produced by: Altaf Mazid, Zabeen Ahmed, Susanta Roy (Bapi)

Production company:
Unknown Films
2 Udayachal Path
Christian Basti
Guwahati 781 005 India

Office +91 361 234 2236
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