Kokrajhar, March 1: Nature conservation as the subject of a small regional film is considered a poor commercial bet. But it did not stop the fledgling Kokborok film industry?s hottest director from choosing his theme.
Hiralal Debbarma, who has such successful films as Aichkni Bwkhwrui (2002) and Serek (2003) under his belt, chose to deal with environment preservation in his latest movie, Suari (The Earth Defender). The film, which was released recently, tells the tale of three city-bred students who venture into the forest and return metamorphosed into green activists.
The film?s title character is an old man who teaches the youngsters martial arts to fight against the timber smugglers. He infuses strength into the young men to fight for the villagers living on the fringes of the forest. The smugglers often incite the villagers to cut trees and harass them on the smallest pretext.
The film ends on a positive note with the villagers becoming aware about preservation of nature and the youngsters metamorphosing into strong individuals who learn how to fight and know how to preserve Mother Nature.
?Through my film I want to show the richness of our forests and their importance in our lives. The message is that we all have the responsibility to preserve the flora and fauna which is fast vanishing in this part of the world,? the young filmmaker, in his mid-twenties, who already has nine films to his credit, said. The latest to roll out from Debbarma?s stable has a lot of martial arts masala.
?My film has no romantic angle, heroine, or songs. But there are lots of martial arts. I especially want the young generation to see Suari, which is one of the reasons behind putting in the martial arts scenes.
?I am hopeful that the film, shot in scenic locations in Tripura, will find favour among the audience and be able to inspire the people to preserve the rich biodiversity,? he said.
Made on a moderate budget, the film is getting a good response from the public. And the maker is already progressing on his next venture, Siklapha, which will deal with insurgency and adoption.