In an exclusive tete-e-tete, Mask Art of Majuli director Utpal Borpujari tells us more about the short film, set in the world's largest river island in Assam, which will be screened at Village Square’s Chitrashaala short film festival.
Majuli is widely known as the world’s biggest inhabited river island, but not as well recognised is the Assamese heritage of painted mask-making and the Satriya dance culture dating back to 500 years. And that’s exactly what National Award-winning filmmaker Utpal Borpujari’s film, titled Mask Art of Majuli, aims to bring to the centre stage. Mask Art of Majuli is a part of the line-up of short films being screened at the first edition of Chitrashaala – Village Square’s unique short film festival that aims to bring rural India into focus on the celluloid.
The 55-minute film goes behind the scenes to discover what goes into making Majuli’s colourful masks, the ones that are a part of the bhaonas, or dance ballets, around the themes of the Ramayana and Lord Krishna’s life. These bhaonas were started in the 15th century by poet and social reformer Guru Srimanta Sankardeva, and are an important part of the neo-Vaishnavite movement in Assam.
Borpujari, who has directed the film, sat down with Village Square to tell us more about it. Here are the excerpts from a chat with him.
Can you tell us more about your film Mask Art of Majuli?
Not only is Majuli the world’s biggest inhabited river island, but it’s also famous for its monasteries and Satriya dance movement. Masks are integral to these performances. At Majuli, there are only two families making these masks currently. One of them is led by Sangeet Natak Academy Award winner Dr Hem Chandra Goswami, while the other comprises the kin of late Kosha Kanta Deva Goswami.
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The families are related to each other and belong to the Chamaguri Satra (monastery). I singled in on the idea of making a film that shows the viewers how these two families approach their craft. That is what the film depicts.
SM: What drew you to the theme of the masks of Majuli as a filmmaker?
UB: The masks in particular, and the Satriya dance movement are a big part of Assam’s culture dating back 500 years. I could have focussed on some of the other centres where the masks are made in Assam but chose to focus the narrative on Majuli because it’s a part of our culture. I was also attracted to Majuli because only two families are keeping the tradition of mask-making alive here. The masks are made of locally available organic materials.
SM: Can you tell us about the challenges and opportunities that arose while making the film?
UB: As a filmmaker, there are several themes that one would like to explore. However, those themes only come to life as films when one gets funding. I was excited by the idea of masks being made and used in the bhaonas at Majuli, and submitted a proposal around this theme to Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), which got approval before the COVID-19 pandemic began.
The filming was smooth sailing thanks to the cooperation of both the families featured in the movie. I learned a lot about the mask-making process and expanded my knowledge while filming. The only glitch occurred when the pandemic broke out. I had to wait for the pandemic to subside to release it. Luckily, the film was well received.
SM: You were a film critic before becoming a filmmaker. What drew you to the art of cinema making?
UB: Though I enjoyed being a journalist and even won a National Award for the Best Film Critic in 2003, I had grown tired of the kind of work I was doing. I was familiar with the medium of filmmaking as a critic and realised that the audio-visual medium is better for telling stories that matter. That is what motivated me to become a filmmaker.
SM: Are films based on Indian arts and crafts close to your heart?
UB: I have several ideas about films on various crafts, but making one depends on the funding. In 2014, I made a film about Naga folk music called Songs of the Blue Hills.
SM: What kind of impact did Masks of Majuli have on the audience?
UB: While in Assam people are very aware of Majuli and the bhaonas, I was happy to see the theme depicted on the 2018 Republic Day tableaux of Assam.
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I think that the public has become more aware of the art form, which augurs well for the mask-making craft. As for the film, it received critical acclaim at several screenings at festivals, including the Brahmaputra Valley Film Festival, North East Film Festival, Chennai International Documentary and Short Film Festival, and the Indie8 Documentary Film Festival, among others.
Village Square’s Chitrashaala short film festival focuses on stories from rural India.
Date: August 3, 2024
Venue: Alliance Francaise, Lodhi Road, New Delhi
The lead image on top shows filmmaker Utpal Borpujari (right) with chief assistant director Bhaskar Jyoti Das and a masked artiste at Majuli in Asssam. (Photo courtesy Utpal Borpujari)
Smriti Mukerji is a Delhi-based journalist turned freelance writer.
